“An opportunity missed”, is how Mike Lee, Auckland councillor for Waitemata & Gulf and, Chair of the Friends of the Hauraki Gulf described a recommendation not to include any new marine reserves in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill.

The release last week of the select committee report into the proposed Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill was greeted in some circles as a ‘step in the right direction.’ The question must be asked: is this response adequate to the scale of the problem? We believe it is not.

“The ‘step’ is far too little, a baby step, when actually strides are needed to reverse the alarming decline in biodiversity in the Hauraki Gulf,” says Mike Lee.

The Friends of the Hauraki Gulf is disappointed that, despite compelling presentations to the Select Committee hearings, supported by international best practice marine science, the proposed legislation offers not one new marine reserve.

It is deeply disappointing that the proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia (NW Waiheke) Marine Reserve has been entirely overlooked in the Select Committee’s report. This despite the proposal after statutory public notification in 2022 receiving 93% support out of 1300 submissions nationwide, 95% support from the Waiheke Island submitters and 70% support from submitters identifying as Māori – including the Ngāti Paoa Trust Board, the tangata whenua of Waiheke Island. In contrast, according to DOC’s own report https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/54SCENV_ADV_78ff85f3-7991-4963-60b2-08dba2a4022f_ENV15111/f8c424316adac325de45c2474d0a6ba7cdcbdaee the Marine Protection Bill received only 30% of support out of 2776 public submissions.

The Waiheke-based marine conservation group is pointing the finger at the Department of Conservation for using its influence to effectively veto inclusion of the marine reserve, accusing DOC officials of ‘bad faith’. “DOC has slow-walked providing department advice to a series of Ministers of Conservation since the conclusion of the statutory Marine Reserves Act process in April 2022. Deadlines promised by senior DOC managers to conclude such a report by June 2022, November 2022, July 2023, January 2024 and ‘mid 2024’ have come and gone.”

“We have the strong impression that DOC has had its thumbs on the scales all along, to stall not only the Marine Reserves Act process, but now also coming out to actively dissuade the Select Committee from adding this marine reserve to the marine protection Bill.”

So while allowing for 6% of the Hauraki Gulf to become only partially protected, the bill also has no mechanism for new marine protected areas in the future. This despite New Zealand recently signing up to two international conventions where we have pledged to have at least 30% of our marine space as protected area before 2030.

Instead the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill offers experimental ‘High Protection Areas’ which are in effect ‘limited take areas’ allowing customary fishing.

Direct experience of limited take areas in the Hauraki Gulf and the NE coast of New Zealand has proved that they do not work in restoring biodiversity. The most visible example is the Poor Knights area, which was a limited take area for 50 years with no real improvement. It was only when the Poor Knights became a full marine reserve in 1981, that it blossomed into the world-famous dive destination it is today.

It is proved beyond a shadow of doubt that marine reserves are far and away the most effective method of restoring marine biodiversity. So it is doubly disappointing – and clearly ineffective – that the Marine Protection Bill offers no new marine reserves. Instead it opts for a known-to-be-ineffective alternative.

Marine reserves also provide the best return on investment with regard to marine biodiversity and replenishing fish stocks. For example, the tiny Cape Rodney-Okakari Point (Goat Island) Marine Reserve contributes $18million every year to the local economy, plus $1.5million in value by way of fish that can be commercially harvested – all this from an annual operational cost to the Department of Conservation of $70,000.

The official reason for the Hākaimangō-Matiatia NW Waiheke Marine Reserve not being included in the Hauraki Gulf Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Bill is that the Department of Conservation has not yet placed a report on the benefits of the reserve on the Minister’s desk. This despite DOC previously promising to do this in June 2022, November 2022, July 2023, January 2024 – and now ‘mid 2024.’

“We call on all interested parties to insist that the Hākaimangō-Matiatia NW Waiheke Marine Reserve – the first of an integrated network of proper marine reserves for the Hauraki Gulf – to be included in the Hauraki Gulf Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Bill when it comes to a second reading in the New Zealand parliament,’ says Mike Lee.

“We ask all people with a commitment to our beleaguered marine environment to support the Hākaimangō-Matiatia NW Waiheke Marine Reserve, and help it come into being.”

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