Petitions oppose marine reserve

By TONY GEE


Three petitions with the names of nearly 900 people objecting to a marine reserve at Mimiwhangata will be presented to Northland MPs in Whangarei today.

Submissions close tomorrow on a Department of Conservation and local hapu plan to set up a fully protected reserve 50km north of Whangarei that would vastly expand the 2000ha, 20-year-old Mimiwhangata marine park.

Spokesman for one of the three objecting groups Vern Tonks, of Oakura, said he had 678 signatures on his petition and more would be added before submissions closed.

Mr Tonks said petitioners believed the area should be left as it was - a marine farm park with commercial fishing banned but recreational fishing allowed under restrictions on fishing gear and techniques.

"It's never been policed by DoC or Maf to the extent it should have been," he said. "To turn it into a complete big no-take zone is ludicrous and interferes with the rights of local fishers and Maori customary takers."

When the project was launched in July, DoC and its advisers said the present marine park status at Mimiwhangata, halfway between Cape Brett and Bream Head, was not working.

Recent studies showed the park's marine environment, together with snapper and crayfish stocks, had not recovered when compared with data from the 1970s, the department said.

Marine advocate and biologist Vince Kerr said there had been no recovery in fish stocks, even though fishing in the existing reserve had been restricted to recreational only.

Snapper of all sizes were at low levels compared with outside and fully protected areas.

Whangarei MP Phil Heatley said the present marine park was popular with people throughout Northland and not just with coastal residents.

"Clearly, those fishers don't want to be locked out of the area. They should not be ignored."

Northland MP John Carter said local people knew the area and they were in the best position to suggest how the present Mimiwhangata marine park could be better managed.

The two MPs will accept the petitions today before jointly presenting them to Conservation Minister Chris Carter in Wellington.

Meanwhile, DoC will start assessing community input and public submissions before deciding whether to proceed with a formal application to create a new reserve. If a decision is made to proceed, another round of consultation will follow.

Sanctuary

The new Mimiwhangata reserve would be one of the biggest in the country, covering up to 11,200ha under one option, or 7200ha under another.

It would extend out to sea by an average of 9km under the bigger option and about 6.5km for the smaller area.

No commercial, harvest or recreational fishing would be allowed within reserve boundaries.