Two alternative networks of protected marine areas covering the coastline from Timaru to Waipapa Point, in Southland, have been released by the Government.
Network 1 includes six marine reserves (no-take areas).
The two reserves off the Taieri in Network 1 are:
• A 5sq km reserve surrounding Green Island including 0.7km of coastline.
• A 5.9sq km Akatore Coastal reserve including 9.3km of coastline. The reserve begins near Akatore Creek and ends north of Watsons Beach.
Network 2 includes three marine reserves.
The southernmost reserve in Network 2 is in Papanui Canyon, off Otago Peninsula.
The two recreational fishing representatives on the forum, who both live in Dunedin, are divided on preferred networks.
Steve Bennett supports Network 2, as do the commercial fishing representatives on the forum.
Dr Tim Ritchie supports Network 1, along with the environment, tourism, community and science sectors.
Mr Bennett, of Brighton, said rather than having marine reserves "locked up in legislation'' he would prefer "local management groups'' be established to manage the fishery.
The "protection measures'' the groups used could be similar to the East Otago Taiapure's reduced bag limits for certain marine species, such as paua.
Green Island should not be a marine reserve because it was a popular spot for recreational fishers using small boats, he said.
Boat users fishing near the island could get home safely if the "weather cuts up grubby''.
Green Island and Akatore Coastal were paua-gathering areas and if they became reserves it would "transfer the pressure'' to other areas, such as Taieri Island, he said.
Recreational fishers believed Dr Ritchie had failed to represent the sector on the forum, Mr Bennett said.
Dr Ritchie was a member of the Paua to the People movement, a group which successfully campaigned in 2013 to stop commercial paua fishers harvesting from Otago Peninsula, yet he supported part of the peninsula being included in a reserve in Network 2.
"It irks with a lot of people he is now supporting its closure,'' Mr Bennett said.
Dr Ritchie, of Smails Beach, said he supported Network 1 because the objective of the forum was to protect one example of the 22 broad-scale coastal habitats, 12 estuarine habitats and three biogenic habitats in the forum region.
Green Island and Akatore Coastal included some of the habitat types needing protection, he said.
However, he always maintained the aim to protect recreational fishing "hot spots'' in the forum region, he said.
For example, the forum would have got "more bang for their buck'' in protecting canyon habitat by proposing a reserve in Saunders Canyon but as it was a fishing hot spot, the forum "swung to Papanui Canyon as the preferred option''.
"Everybody has to give up something or this collaborative process wasn't going to work.''
He knew many recreational fishers and some were "disgruntled'' about him supporting Network 1 but he doubted he would lose friends over his decision.
"Most people understand it was a super difficult job but in order to meet the aims of the project, I had to be willing to give stuff up.''
Any recommendations accepted by the Government will go out for further consultation and public input before implementation.
shawn.mcavinue@alliedpress.co.nz
