The Marine Reserves Act has been in place since 1971. One of the priority actions for marine biodiversity in the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy was a review of the Act to better protect marine biodiversity.
In October 2000 the Department of Conservation issued a discussion document on the review of the Act, which attracted 256 public submissions.
The Marine Reserves Bill was subsequently drafted and introduced to Parliament in June 2002.
The bill would establish marine reserves as the main tool to protect marine life and environments that are considered, rare, distinctive or representative.
It establishes a framework in which marine reserves would be proposed, consulted on, managed and enforced, confirms that they would be strictly “no take” reserves, and outlines which other activities would be permitted or banned within marine reserves.
The bill had its first reading in Parliament in October 2002, when it was referred to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee, and public submissions on the bill closed in 2003. However, the bill is yet to be passed into law.
Forest & Bird considers that the following changes to the Marine Reserves Act are essential if it is to become an effective tool for marine conservation:
The area in which reserves can be established should be extended to cover all of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles from the coast). Currently marine reserves can only be created within our territorial sea (12 nautical miles from shore).
There must be a network of reserves to protect representative environments, such as different habitats, unusual areas and spawning areas.
The purpose of marine reserves must be expanded to include protection of biodiversity.
The reserves application process must be simplified so it is faster and cheaper (currently applications can take many years to be processed).
The Conservation Minister (rather than the Fisheries Minister) should have the final say on the location and size of marine reserves.
Reserves must be strictly no-take (no fishing or mining).
