At present, there are no marine protection areas anywhere along the Otago coastline, but a draft conservation management strategy (CMS) for Otago put forward by Doc in June identified the need for better sea-life protection.
In addition to the little blue penguin colony at Oamaru Harbour, Oamaru has a resident colony of yellow-eyed penguins at Bushy Beach, and Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony (OBPC) manager Jason Gaskill said penguins would be better protected with the introduction of marine protected areas, due to the potential impacts of fishing practices.
''Set nets present a big threat for both yellow-eyed penguins and little blue penguins. However, the problem appears to be that there is a lack of concrete evidence and scientists are not clear on the extent of the problem.
"There is no information as far as I am aware of how many penguins are caught as by-catch by the fishers.''
The OBPC would agree there should be more marine protected areas, and the colony supported in principle the need for more marine protection areas, he said.
Doc Otago marine ranger Jim Fyfe said the draft CMS aimed to identify a 10-year conservation plan, and all suggested marine protection locations would be ''up for discussion'' through a submission process.
''There are various fisheries management areas under the Fisheries Act, but in terms of marine reserves and full marine protection, actually, there is nothing in Otago, which is a bit of a gap.''
Submissions for the CMS close on September 13, but so far only four had been received, he said.
''The CMS provides a way of having that discussion within the wider community about what they do value and how they think we should go about protecting that.
''People should engage with the CMS and certainly put their views on what they value and how they would like to protect it.
''Within the CMS they have identified the marine place as an area that is special to Otago, and I think everybody agrees that it has got special values, with the penguins and the sea lions and other wildlife we have here in Otago.''
