Have your say on the proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) Marine Reserve

The Department of Conservation is accepting public submissions until this Sunday 20th March, make a submission now on at:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/.../proposed-hakaimango-matiatia.../.

See the map here:

The applicants have identified “a major and continuing decline in key fish stocks and marine biodiversity” around the entire Hauraki Gulf Marine Park as justification for their application.

While we agree with their concerns we are concerned a small marine reserve raises more issues than it addresses. For example:

1. Displacement. By shutting an area the fishing effort is displaced, not reduced. A perfect example of this was the Coromandel rāhui. The commercial scallop fleet stopped fishing the Coromandel beds and simply doubled efforts around Little Barrier.

2. Overharvesting. Annually commercial fishers harvest more than 9,000,000 kg of fish from the Gulf. This includes more than 4,000,000 kg of baitfish. Marine mammals and seabirds come to the Hauraki Gulf to feed on these baitfish. (State of the Gulf 2020) A marine reserve will do nothing to stop these keystone species from being bulk harvested and exported.

3. Existing protection. In an effort to address declining populations of scallops, pāua, crayfish and mussels, Ngāti Pāoa have already laid a rāhui around the entire island. This temporary closure is widely supported and we will continue to support it wholeheartedly.

4. Ngāti Pāoa and community groups are currently developing a restoration plan around the entire Waiheke Island. This will involve utilisation of rāhui, mātatai and proactive restorative activities such as kōura [crayfish] rewilding, kelp gardeners programmes. A marine reserve shuts out the community and prevents these efforts.

5. There is already a marine reserve on the South Western side of Waiheke. An additional reserve will stretch an already underfunded Department of Conservation.

It is for these reasons that LegaSea and the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council will be opposing the establishment of this reserve. It is our opinion that we need to address the failures of the Quota Management System. By setting meaningful commercial harvest limits and banning the use of destructive fishing techniques we would see key fish stocks and marine biodiversity increasing across the entire Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Please join us in supporting Ngāti Pāoa and the community in protecting Waiheke Island’s waters through the restoration plan that underpins the current rahui.