Why do we need marine reserves?
Often when we think of conservation, we think of the plants, animals and habitats on land. However, it is estimated that 80% of New Zealand's biodiversity is found in our surrounding seas. Our sea area is 15 times as big as our land area, and New Zealand manages the world’s fourth-largest fishing zone. Yet less than 1% of our marine waters are protected by marine reserves - the rest remains vulnerable to degradation caused by fishing, mining, pollution and marine farming.
Just as we have national parks on land, we need to protect areas of the sea environment in marine reserves.
It is essential that areas of the marine environment be protected against over-fishing and destructive fishing methods so that marine biodiversity and habitats can regenerate.
A representative range of marine habitats, including fish spawning areas, seamounts, deep sea habitats and coastal wildlife areas need to be protected, just as a variety of ecosystems are protected in national parks on land.
Why is our marine biodiversity at risk?
Over-fishing by commercial fisheries is leading to a dramatic decline in many fish species (for example, New Zealand orange roughy, snapper and hoki stocks are now just a fraction of their former levels).
Coral reefs, sponge gardens and seamounts (underwater islands) are being destroyed by nets that are dragged along the seafloor, crushing everything in their path. Some trawling nets are large enough to hold a Cook Strait ferry.
Recreational fishing can also have an effect on marine biodiversity, particularly if catch limits are not observed, or recreational fishers use fishing methods which threaten marine life, such as set nets.
How much sea should be protected?
We are a very long way from reaching the Government's target of protecting 10% of our waters in reserves by 2010. Internationally, scientists say that at least 20% of marine areas should be protected as reserves. To prevent the collapse of heavily fished species, 50% of their habitat must be protected.
There are now more than 30 marine reserves established in New Zealand waters and together these reserves protect 7.6% of New Zealand’s territorial sea.
However, 99% of the total area protected in marine reserves is in two marine reserves around isolated offshore island groups (Auckland and Kermadec Islands), and just a tiny fraction – less than 1% - of the sea around New Zealand’s mainland is protected.
Marine reserves are places to snorkel, swim, explore
rock pools and marvel
at the richness and colour of an undisturbed marine environment.
How do marine reserves affect fishing? Some fishers oppose marine reserves because they believe protected areas mean fewer fish for them to catch. But the opposite is true: reserves provide an area where fish populations can spawn and expand in number and size.
Fish, seaweed, sponges, crayfish and shellfish are able to flourish undisturbed, and this biological wealth spills over into surrounding areas helping to replenish stocks. In marine reserves fish are able to grow to a larger size than in fished areas, which is beneficial to fish stocks as larger fish produce significantly more offspring.
Monitoring of marine reserves has found increases in numbers and size of species including blue cod, snapper, crayfish and paua.
Almost all of New Zealand's EEZ is available for exploitation at the moment. If Forest & Bird's marine reserve targets are reached, 80% of the seas around New Zealand would still be open to fishing.
Why can’t we allow fishing in marine reserves? Reserves must be "no-take." Just as no logging is allowed in national parks, there must be no fishing of any kind in marine reserves. They are areas where nothing should be killed if they are to provide effective protection of marine biodiversity and allow people to observe the marine environment in its natural state.
Allowing recreational fishing in reserves would severely undermine benefits to conservation, biodiversity, science and the public's enjoyment of a unique marine environment.
Can we still use other marine management tools?
Areas of customary importance to Maori can be managed (under the Fisheries Act) by local iwi as mataitai reserves or taiapure, where the taking of fish, shellfish and seaweed may be banned or restricted.
Forest & Bird supports their establishment as one of a range of ways, complementary to marine reserves, in which over-fishing can be controlled.
