Nugget Point is a beautiful coastal area highly praised by tourists and an important asset for local fisheries. It is also an important yellow-eyed penguin nesting area and a habitat for fur seals and sea lions.
Nugget Point. Credit: Creative commons
Establishment of a reserve to protect the local wildlife and the scenic coastal cliffs was proposed in 1990.
The reserve would help to safeguard the populations of these threatened species and keep the wilderness values of this special area.
Pressure from fishery groups, however, has generated an endless discussion that has so far prevented the reserve from becoming a reality.