Students write to PM Jacinda Ardern to push through marine protection

Thursday, 21 June 2018

A group of young people concerned New Zealand's waters are being destroyed by over-fishing wants the Government to cut the red tape and make it easier for communities to set up marine reserves.

Students at Marlborough Girls' College are fed up that a proposed update to marine protection hasn't gone ahead, almost two-and-a-half years after it was first announced, and have written to Prime Minister Jacinda Arden in the hopes of kickstarting the stalled proposal. 

The year 12 and 13 students have spent the past two terms investigating the almost 50-year-old Marine Reserves Act and its possible successor.

In January 2016, the previous National government put together a Marine Protected Areas Act with the hopes it would be up and running later that year. That proposal included turning the Marlborough Sounds into a recreational fishing park. 

In October last year, the new Labour-led coalition government came into power, and on Tuesday the Ministry for the Environment confirmed the policy reform in marine protection was 'currently on hold'.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said the letter had been received, and read.

'The Prime Minister receives hundreds of letters each week and it can take a bit of time to respond. However, the students will be hearing back from us soon,' the spokesperson said.

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the eight teenagers made a passionate plea outlining their personal connections with the Marlborough Sounds and first-hand experiences watching fish numbers decline. 

'We have written to find out if this [the proposed Marine Protected Areas Act] is still a priority since the election,' they said. 

'If it is not a priority we strongly believe that it needs to be. Otherwise our marine life is in grave danger of diminishing sooner than we think.'

The Department of Conservation said in its New Zealand Biodiversity Action Plan 2016-2020 that it expected new marine protection legislation to be established by 2018.

'It is now 2018 and we have not seen this yet,' the students said.  

In May, the students took to the streets of Blenheim and surveyed 100 locals on their knowledge of marine reserves. 

They found 94 per cent of people knew what a marine reserve was, but 55 per cent didn't know that Marlborough only had one marine protected area, Long Island Reserve. 

Eighty-two per cent were shocked that Marlborough only had one reserve and said they wanted more. 

The class started the year by visiting Long Island Reserve and were inspired by the rich biodiversity of the area. 

'We thought, let's put another one in place, that was our initial plan, to create another marine reserve in the Marlborough Sounds,' Demi Fearn said. 

'But we found the current act which was put in place in 1971, makes it very difficult to establish a marine reserve,' she said. 

So the group changed tack, and decided they 'wanted to get the ball rolling on passing this new law', Siobhan Hemingway said. 

'At only 17-years-old I have already seen a major decrease in fish numbers in my lifetime,' Holly Wills said. 

Growing up they would catch and record many different marine species in the Marlborough Sounds, she said.

'We would always pull up lots of flounder of large sizes, but now we only get a few between multiple seines [nets] that are of average size but are still legal.'

Wills said this had happened since commercial boats started trawling through surrounding bays.

'Seeing the effect of human activities, at my age, makes me realise that the ocean's fish stocks cannot be sustained in the manner we are using it now.'

'I feel that it is important to create sanctuaries where marine species can replenish to compete with our pressures,' Wills said.  

Associate environment minister Eugene Sage also received the letter and said she understood the students' concerns. 

'Getting letters like this one from these students from Marlborough Girls' College is what makes this job so worthwhile.

'Their research and commitment to protecting our marine environment is inspirational.'

Sage said Environment Minister David Parker was leading the work in this area. 

'The students correctly identify the importance of science in establishing effective marine protection. Sustainable Seas is an interesting science-based initiative that is working with Māori, stakeholders, scientists, and other experts to develop a better way to manage our marine resources,' Sage said. 

The students had been invited to present their report to the Marlborough District Council environmental committee in July.