Mapping out a great resource

Shag Point would make a perfect marine reserve, the writer believes. Photo supplied.
Shag Point would make a perfect marine reserve, the writer believes. Photo supplied.

Marine reserves are needed in Otago for education purposes, Andrew Penniket writes.

Marine conservation in Otago is entering a historic phase - the South East Marine Protection Forum is now starting to draw lines on maps for possible marine reserves (protected no-take reserves with no fishing of any kind).

And it's about time!

It is more than 25 years since the Nuggets were first suggested as a marine reserve but still we have none in Otago waters - embarrassingly, the only region in New Zealand without any.

In recognition of the importance of marine reserves, the Government set up the South East Marine Protection Forum in 2014 to consult the community and come up with some proposals.

Over the past year the forum has cast the net widely and is now at the stage of nutting out recommendations.

The research benefits of marine reserves have been well established in the 40 years since the first one was created at Goat Island, north of Auckland.

The reserves allow ecosystem studies as well as research on individual species, such as crayfish, to gather information like growth rates and mortality rates - all essential information for competent fisheries management.

How could any of this be possible if the tagged study animals keep being caught?

And then there are the conservation benefits.

Marine reserves act as reservoirs of big animals, which we now know produce an exponentially greater number of offspring than small animals, whether it be crayfish, paua or blue cod.

But also important are the social benefits of marine reserves.

In the same way many people enjoy going to our national parks or having a day out at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, people also enjoy just going down to a marine reserve and looking at fish - lots of fish and big fish.

There can be economic spin-offs too, with tourism, accommodation, jobs for dive guides, boat charters and equipment sales all contributing to the local economy.

Some fishermen scoff at such suggestions and complain that marine reserves would only increase fishing pressure on other areas, but if they had the benefit of a local example, they would know the boundaries of marine reserves bring a bonanza of fish spilling out of the reserves.

Sometimes the best way to tell where a marine reserve is located is by the number of boats fishing along the boundary.

To me, though, some of the greatest benefits of marine reserves are the educational opportunities they bring.

Every school has classrooms, sports facilities and a library but marine reserves can also be viewed as valuable facilities - as ''wet libraries'' where pupils can see abundant fish and learn about the way they live.

New Zealand is one of the most maritime countries in the world and, as a nation, we need to know more about the sea.

We depend on the oceans for a lot of our food but if this is to continue we must learn more about marine life, and this needs to start at school level.

So where can Otago kids get an education about their undersea world?

At the moment, our nearest marine reserve suitable for snorkelling with easy access by road is at Kaikoura, about eight hours' drive away from Dunedin.

Ulva Island Marine Reserve, at Stewart Island, is closer but requires a three-hour drive followed by two boat trips, and that's expensive.

On the West Coast there are also marine reserves but that's a wild coast where surf and poor water clarity prevent safe use.

What the people of Otago need is a network of local marine reserves, easily accessible by car, so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the sea.

True, much of the time the Otago coast is battered by swells, it's cold and has murky waters - but not always.

Sometimes it is calm, clear and very beautiful.

And Otago kids are tough.

It is widely recognised that if you learn to dive in Otago waters you can dive anywhere in the world.

Dive Otago's graduates can vouch for that.

Another advantage of having our marine reserves accessible and enjoyed by the public is for surveillance.

Poachers are well aware marine reserves are home to valuable big paua and crayfish, so marine reserves need to be both large, to counteract poaching, and located in well-visited, accessible locations - so everyone can keep an eye out for thieves.

So where in Otago should we have marine reserves for education purposes?

Probably the best area is at Shag Point.

It's right beside State Highway 1 and has gorgeous reefs and kelp forests, the best display of rock pools in the entire country, a range of underwater habitats and an adjacent land reserve.

Another is the Mole at Aramoana - the first dive location for most scuba students in Otago.

It has sheltered waters, lovely wrecks to explore and superb diving.

It has great potential for marine research too, located at the entrance of the harbour and close to the Portobello Marine Laboratory.

And for my money the other obvious location is the Nuggets.

This would be especially handy for South Otago and Southland children.

And it would have enormous conservation benefits as a refuge for breeding animals whose larvae would be spread northwards along the coast.

And those are just the reserves we need for education.

If we are serious about having healthy, sustainable seas we need other marine reserves specifically for conservation, but that's another topic.

So spare a thought for the South East Marine Protection Forum.

They have a long paddle ahead and their recommendations will have major consequences for the seas of Otago and Southland.

Have your say and tell them what you think (www.south-eastmarine.org.nz).

• Andrew Penniket is an underwater photographer and conservationist, who lives in Wanaka.

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