Mimiwhangata Submission

Mimiwhangata Marine Reserve Proposal

Submission by Chris Mills

11 October 2004

 

Department of Conservation

Northland Conservancy Office,

Dear Sir/Madam

I object to the Mimiwhangata Reserve Proposal both map options 1 and 2, on the grounds they extend much too far out to sea. This is right in the route of small vessels transiting between southern areas (Auckland, Kawau, Tutukaka) and Bay of Is, which is surely one of the most well-travelled routes of

recreational vessels. Trolling is a common activity for leisure vessels when making passage, and since this is a secondary activity on usually a very long passage, "non-active fishing" if you like, it's going to be real easy to catch people who have accidentally left their gear out.

The reserve may have the effect of pushing trolling vessels which are transiting the area out to sea, in fact more-or-less into the shipping lane between Poor Knights and the coast. I have attached a map logging my recent trips through the area. As you can see, and ignoring trips which call into Whangaruru, pretty much all transit trips pass through the proposed area.

It is also hard to see why a reserve should extend so far out to sea, because in the dozen or so trips I do each year in that area, very few vessels are seen bottom-fishing except very near the coast.

I do not object to the existing boundary of the existing special protection area.

 

Yours sincerely