Nugget Point Mar 2005

This article was originally published in the Southland Times 5 March 2005

Otago scientists have welcomed the Department of Conservation's proposal to establish a marine reserve at Nugget Point but say the proposed area could be too small.

"As the first Otago marine reserve it will be an important milestone in coastal conservation in our region," Otago University head of marine science Associate Professor Mike Barker said.

However, Professor Barker was concerned that the suggested area was too small to function effectively as a reservoir of breeding populations.

"The scientific benefits of marine reserves are substantially undermined if the protected area is too small," he said.

DOC is fine-tuning its proposed reserve boundaries which will be released for public discussion at the end of this month.

Professor Barker said anyone worried that the reserve would affect their ability to gather seafood might not realise that reserves could enhance such populations outside the reserve.

"Thus marine reserves may help to increase stocks of animals for both recreational and commercial harvesting."

Staff and students from his department were involved in a wide range of research projects along the Otago coast.

"(However), we still do not know the critical size that is required for marine protected areas to act as discrete self-sustaining marine ecosystems, or even as buffer zones between unprotected habitats," he said.

"Undoubtedly this will differ from region to region."

Therefore it was important to conserve as large an area as possible to provide a diversity of habitats and communities as well as protecting marine populations that were large enough to be as self-sustaining as possible.

The establishment of the Leigh Marine Reserve, north of Auckland, had shown substantial changes in marine communities occurred when such an area was protected, thus increasing its recreational value.

"The Leigh reserve is now enjoyed by many people for diving, swimming and for educational purposes, and it is visited by more members of the public than would have used this area had it not been protected," Professor Barker said.

A marine reserve at Nugget Point would also provide opportunities for marine scientists.

They could conduct experiments without the disturbance created by human exploitation, discover how populations recovered from exploitation, and measure the effects of exploitation at other sites.

Professor Barker said he was unaware of any protected marine area in New Zealand being increased in size after it had been created, "despite convincing calls to do so".

"This underscores the need to conserve a sufficient area when the reserve is originally gazetted."