Southern fishermen to submit on South-East Marine Protection Forum

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

The South-East Marine Protection Forum released a public consultation document calling for submissions on initial proposals of 20 sites for possible inclusion in a network of marine protected areas.

Some commercial fishermen are concerned that the potential closure of fisheries under a new proposal may force fisherman to go into other areas.

Yesterday, the South-East Marine Protection Forum released a document asking for submissions on a proposal for 20 sites to be included in a network of marine protected areas from Timaru to Waipapa point.

The proposed sanctuaries are designed to protect the future of coastal habitats and ecosystems, and the announcement follows two years of research and consultation with iwi, stakeholders and the community.

Two types of sanctuaries are proposed - marine reserves, which restricts all fishing, and marine protected areas (MPA), which allow recreational fishing but restricts commercial fisheries.

Port Chalmers Fishermen's Co-operative Society president Ant Smith said there was a need for the protection of marine sites in the Otago area.

South-East Marine Protection Forum member Ate Heineman said the potential closures of some fishing sites could displace fishermen to other areas.

There was a concern if the marine proposals went ahead, Otago fishermen might have to head south to fish, he said.

Forum chair Maree Baker-Galloway said the forum had to make some difficult choices about options for biodiversity protection.

'In particular, the forum has had to carefully consider the impacts of potential marine protected areas on manawhenua and existing users.'

Sanford Chief Operations Officer Greg Johansson said the forum had a difficult job as it was asked to bring forward proposals for areas worthy of marine protection with very little science understanding about what was under the water.

During the next few months both recreational and commercial fishers would have the opportunity to give their views, Johansson said.

'Sanford will definitely take up the invitation to comment on the forum's proposals.'

'It would have been good to have similar requirements for recreational catch reporting in the Type 2 reserves, so that we can all get a better understanding about how many fish are being taken out of an area.'

New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen committee member Peter Scott said fishermen needed to make their views known.

The big issue had been while one operator might be happy to have an area closed off, another fisherman might disagree, Scott said.

Since it was established in 2014 by the Minister of Conservation and the Minister for Primary Industries, the forum has been working towards meeting the Government objective of providing protection for each marine habitat type in the south-east region.

Using a habitat classification system, 34 habitat types were mapped based on the habitat classification.

The MPA Policy requires a network which will protect representative examples of the full range of marine habitats and ecosystems in the region and also outstanding, rare, distinctive or internationally or nationally important marine habitats and ecosystems.

One example of each habitat type is to be fully protected in a marine reserve, as well as replicated in another MPA.

The MPA Policy is underpinned by a commitment to minimise the adverse impacts of marine protection on existing users of the marine environment and on treaty settlement obligations.

People have until December 20 to make a submission.