The Department of Conservation and the Steering Committee have refused
to leave the south ridge outside the proposed reserve boundaries
therefore we are totally opposed to any Marine Reserve at the Volkner
Rocks.
Kingfish is the species targeted at the Volkner Rocks. When the
currents are running, which is a lot of the time, large kingfish
are caught drift fishing with large baits. There is very little
by-catch of any species. The single biggest impact of this proposal
will be to close the fishery for kingfish, arguably one of the very
best in the World. There is very little recreation fishing for other
species, no other activities such as mining or dredging proposed,
the air force and navy have even stopped using the Volkner Rocks
for target practice.
The reason this proposal must be rejected is that none of the significant
features listed in the justification are affected by the current
kingfish fishery. Kicking out the New Zealanders and international
tourists that pay good money for the Volkner Rocks fishing experience
will not enhance the distinctive and unique features described in
section 6.1. Fishing for kingfish will not disturb the spectacular
underwater scenery, of the clear water, or the rare invertebrate
species such as sponges and crabs, starfish and urchin. The smaller
marine fishers of the Volkners might actually benefit from having
a few less kingfish to feed.
The authors of this proposal clearly make the assumption that all
fishing is bad for biodiversity and their will be a "recovery"
phase once fishing has stopped. However there is absolutely no evidence
of damage caused by fishing for kingfish on any of the "special
features" or species the authors want to protect. Where is
the current threat? Were is the Justification for Plucking Out one
of the jewels in New Zealand recreational fishing and putting it
off limits forever.
New Zealand recreational fishers have not been united. They have
been poorly served by various agencies in terms of timely, well
balanced information. Whilst often labelled apathetic, this is far
from the truth. If only they knew the full extent of the threats
to their most precious pastime of fishing for a feed for themselves,
their families and friends. Most will realise to late that they
could have had their say. It is proposals such as this that will
galvanise opposition to future reserves, even were they justified.
The authors of the Volkner Rock marine reserve proposal have (deliberately?)
misquoted the purpose of the Marine Reserves Act (1971). They have
totally omitted the scientific study of marine life. Section 3.1
reads:
"It is hereby declared that the provisions of this Act shall
have effect for the purpose of preserving, as marine reserves for
the scientific study of marine life, areas of New Zealand
"
Whereas the authors only quote what type of areas may be preserved
for scientific study, Section 3.1 continues:
"
that contain underwater scenery, natural features,
or marine life, of such distinctive quality, or so typical, or beautiful,
or unique, that their continued preservation is in the national
interest."
Surely the Volkner Rocks proposal needs to be consistent with the
primary purpose of the Marine Reserves Act (1971), which is scientific
study. Far from it; the establishment of a marine reserve will severely
constrain existing Ministry of Fisheries funded research into the
age, growth rate and natural mortality of New Zealand kingfish.
Over 1000 kingfish have been tagged and released at the Volkner
Rocks over the last 20 years as part of the Ministry of Fisheries
Cooperative Tagging Programme (currently MFish project PEL2000/01).
One of the key objectives of the tagging policy is to measure and
tag fish larger than 1 metre long to help establish the growth rate
of larger fish.
Over the last 2 years more than 170 kingfish have been tagged at
Volkner Rocks with 95% of these measured before release - 72% (or
123 kingfish) were longer than 1 metre. There are few areas in New
Zealand where large kingfish are tagged in these numbers. Over the
last 2 years for all of New Zealand 433 kingfish greater than 1
metre have been measured and released so 28% of this total were
tagged at the Volkner Rocks.
Recently another kingfish research project (Ministry of Fisheries
project KIN2000/01) has begun collecting otolith samples and length
data from Bay of Plenty charter boat skippers. To date about 90%
of length data has come from recreational fishers from Volkner Rocks
and White Island and nearly 50% of the otoliths (the ear bone used
in estimating the age of fish) come from this area. Research into
age and growth of kingfish will ultimately be used to determine
natural mortality and therefore the productivity of the kingfish
fishery in New Zealand, rather than using estimates for a Californian
sub-species.
There is no doubt that existing and future research on kingfish
will be detrimentally affected by the Volkner Rock Marine Reserve
proposal. This is contrary to the purpose of the Marine Reserve
Act (1971), which is to promote scientific study. Again, where is
the justification for threatening these projects?
On the other hand the presence of the Kingfish fishery would in
no way hinder studies into rare invertebrates, reef communities,
or geological features at the Volkner Rocks.
The clear impression we get is that there is general pressure within
DOC to make progress with marine reserves. This proposal was far
enough down the track already that the Department wants to push
it through regardless of the impact on recreational fishers, who
after all are not one of their key "stakeholders".
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