Taiapure would thwart Akaroa marine reserve

Forest and Bird, Issue 305, 1 August 2002, Unnumbered Page (Supplement)

Taiapure would thwart Akaroa marine reserve

hree Ngai Tahu runanga have applied for a taiapure covering all of Akaroa Harbour and two bays outside the Harbour entrance. The taiapure would not allow the proposed 530 ha Dan Rogers Marine Reserve on the Harbour’s a |

outer eastern Coast OF any omer reserves elsewhere in the Harbour. Taiapure are established under the Fisheries Act to provide for local management of areas important to iwi or hapu. As a taiapure there is no guarantee that any of Akaroa Harbour would be permanently protected as "no take" areas. If the Minister of Fisheries approves the taiapure application, the marine reserve proposal would be extinguished. Forest and Bird supports a taiapure over part of Akaroa Harbour but not the whole

Harbour and beyond. The proposed Dan Rogers Marine Reserve site would cover less than 10% of Akaroa Harbour and would be complementary to the taiapure. It would provide a scientific baseline to help assess the effects of management regimes in the taiapure.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write to the Minister of Fisheries asking that: e the boundaries of the proposed Akaroa taiapure be amended to exclude the proposed Dan Rogers Marine Reserve, and adjoining bays Haylocks Bay and Damons Bay. e the proposed Dan Rogers Marine Reserve in Akaroa Harbour be approved with its boundaries extended along the open coast to join the small existing 216 ha Pohatu (Flea Bay) marine reserve.

MARINE CAMPAIGN