7-685: The Akaroa Marine Reserve is a marine reserve covering an area of 512.15 hectares (1,265.6 acres) at the entrance to the Akaroa Harbour in New Zealand. It was approved in 2013 after a lengthy campaign, and established in 2014. Forest and Bird carried out exploratory dives in the Akaroa Harbour in 1990. The Akaroa Harbour Marine Protection Society formal proposed the establishment of a 560-hectare (1,400-acre) marine reserve in 1996. Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson declined
14-524: A partial ban on fishing; a full ban was implemented in 1998. The first two marine reserves in Fiordland were established at the request of New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen in 1993. An additional eight reserves were established in Fiordland on the recommendation of the Guardians of Fiordland in 2005. The Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve was established in 2006 with the active support of
21-775: The North , the South Island, and neighbouring islands, and on outlying island groups. They are governed by the Marine Reserves Act 1971 and administered by the Department of Conservation with assistance from the Ministry for Primary Industries (formally the Ministry of Fisheries ), New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Forces . The Marine Reserves Act was passed by
28-724: The Parliament of New Zealand in 1971. In 2000, the Department of Conservation started a review of the Act, resulting in a draft Marine Reserves Bill that was introduced into Parliament in June 2002, but has not yet been voted on. The first marine reserve to be created was the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve . The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve was established next, although with only
35-471: The application for the reserve in 2010 on the grounds that it would adversely affect recreation fishing. The decision was challenged in the High Court and was quashed in a 2012 ruling. In terms of actual numbers the two separate consultation processes for the application had attracted more support than opposition. In April 2013 Conservation Minister Nick Smith announced the approval of the reserve but at
42-555: The reduced size of 475 ha. The size was reduced to take into account the concerns about customary and recreational fishing. Subsequently, the size was finalised as 512 ha. The harbour as a whole has considerable natural values and fauna of the inner and outer harbour differs. There are pressures on the ecology from human activity such as settlements on the edge of the harbour and there is land and water-based industrial activity. Marine reserves of New Zealand New Zealand has 44 marine reserves (as of August 2020) spread around
49-609: The students and faculty of nearby Kamo High School. The abundance of fish within the reserves creates spillover, or larval export, that boosts catches in neighbouring areas. In general, the reserves tend to attract a lot of recreational divers and fishermen. The divers are attracted to the abundant fish, coral, etc. inside the reserves. The fishermen are attracted to the areas just outside the reserves – where spillover creates an abundance of large game fish not found in other areas. The Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve , in particular, receives more than 200,000 visitors per year. It
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