United Future Policy Statement

Marine Reserves

Introduction

United Future and Outdoor Recreation New Zealand believe that no-take marine reserves should only comprise one component of a graduated comprehensive plan to protect and ensure the sustainability of the entire marine environment. In addition, the process for deciding where to establish no-take marine reserves should be more transparent and should ensure that the views of all relevant stakeholders - including recreational fishers - are taken into account (i.e. so they cannot simply be 'listened to' on a pro forma basis and then ignored).

United Future has campaigned strongly in parliament for the Marine Reserves Bill - a bill that exacerbates rather than ameliorates existing concerns - to be extensively rewritten in order to bring about necessary changes to the current marine reserves regime. In addition, we have been successful at effectively delaying the bill's progress until after the next election so that there is time for such a rewrite to take place.

United Future and Outdoor Recreation NZ will:

• Remove the Department of Conservation from the marine reserve application process, and prohibit the Department from proposing or initiating applications for new marine reserves;
• Appoint an independent agency to be responsible for the marine reserve application process and to handle submissions;
• Ensure that recreational interests are properly consulted regarding any regulatory changes to allowable marine activities;
• Continue to call for a moratorium on new marine reserve applications until the Marine Reserves Bill has been rewritten and passed by parliament;
• Provide additional scientific funding so that small ecologically sensitive areas that require the protection of a no-take marine reserve can be objectively identified and prioritised;
• Establish a graduated comprehensive system of marine protection for the entire marine environment whereby no-take marine reserves are one of several available categories of protection (the category that affords the maximum level of restrictions);
• Establish a marine protection category below no-take marine reserves where commercial fishing is prohibited but responsible recreational fishing is allowed (similar to the taiapure and mataitai concepts);
• Ensure that in order for a new marine reserve to receive approval it must have a clearly established and achievable purpose that will be of benefit to all New Zealanders (such as preserving a particularly unique and vulnerable species or ecosystem) and, in addition, require that it must be demonstrated that a no-take marine reserve is the only practicable way of achieving that purpose;
• Ensure that statutory Treaty of Waitangi fisheries management requirements such as those within the framework of the Fisheries Act will continue to be met (e.g. via the implementation of Taiapure and Mataitai type reserves) as part of any new marine protection arrangements;
• Seek to abandon the percentage approach to marine reserves and other protected areas as it is too arbitrary and is not necessary or useful as a marine management tool;
• Investigate ways to mitigate the offshore sediment problem resulting from the fertiliser and other pollutant run-off into streams and rivers that ultimately ends up in coastal waters and damages to marine life;
• Ensure that marine reserves are not used as a fisheries management tool for harvestable species - the existing QMS (in conjunction with more scientific research) is the best means for achieving this.

Background.

As citizens of a maritime nation, New Zealanders all interact with, make use of, and are affected by the health of the marine environment. It is a source of recreation, food, minerals, biodiversity, transport and, it has to be said, waste disposal.

United Future and Outdoor Recreation New Zealand seek to find better ways to enhance the marine environment in general, and its fish stocks and food gathering potential in particular. We are not concerned solely with isolated areas labelled "marine reserves" which - if used in isolation - constitute a rather blunt instrument. If the marine environment is managed sustainably then all New Zealanders can share in the full potential benefits from what is, after all, their birthright.

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United Future Parliamentary Office: Bowen House, Lambton Quay, Wellington
Email: Phone: (04) 471 9890