19 June 2003

To: AUCKLAND CONSERV ATION BOARD

From: MARINE SUB-COMMITTEE

Subject: Submissions on Marine Reserves Proposals

Introduction
The Board has an opportunity to provide comment on the Department's Great Barrier Island marine reserve proposal and the Auckland West Coast Marine Park proposal. The deadline for responses on both of these is 30 June 2003.

Background

Previous Action
The Board considered both these proposals at its meeting of 14 May 2003 and resolved to defer consideration to a special informal meeting. This meeting took place on Thursday 22 May with Paddy Stafford-Bush, Cath Tizard and Alan La Roche present. Emma Rush DOC Community Relations Officer (Marine Reserves) attended to answer any points of clarification.

Statutory Role of Board
In this instance the Board is exercising its advocacy powers under section 6N of the Conservation Act to participate in planning process but also has a general conservation advisory role. Under section 6 M (c) conservation boards have a function to advise on the implementation of conservation management strategies. The relevant section of the Auck1and CMS is Chapter 41 Marine Reserves Management.

Discussion

The following is a summary of the key points arising from the informal meeting. These are suggested as the basis for the Board's response to the two proposals.

Great Barrier Island

• strong support for the department' s proposal
• in recognition of the distinctive ecological marine areas, the size of the marine reserve needs to be the maximum
• factors in favour - abutts DOC land, not over1y used by commercial fishers, weather dependent for the recreational, and accessibility means less impact on any of the current users of the proposed space/size
• customary and local use of the inner estuary area - Whangapoua Estuary - needs to be taken into account.
• given appropriate controls/regulations/monitoring and with few residents living in this area, limitations on access [hard to access for land based visitors, sea access big boat self limiting] there could be an opportunity for customary take.

West Coast

• acknowledge that there is significant ecosystems and marine life in need of protection.
• acknowledge the work of the Auckland West Coast Park Working Group to get the proposal to this stage
• acknowledge great interest by urban Auckland in the proposal as will impact on a wide range of users from land based recreation through to sea users
• significant size of the proposal and the concept of sea land interface and the need for greater public buy in
• confusion for the public in terms of marine park and marine reserve.
• need to identify or consider a collection or possible series of small marine reserves with a maritime park
• further consultation necessary and for the West Coast Working Party to become more cohesive in their objectives and in the concept of joint management.

Recommendation
That the Board:

1. RECEIVE the report.
2. AGREE to making a response on the two proposals based on the above points as amended and added to through discussion.

Marie Alpe
For Chairperson