SOUTHLAND CONSERVATION BOARD TE ROOPU ATAWHAI O MURIHIKU Secretariat Local Government and Environment Committee Select Committee Office Parliament Buildings WELLINGTON 6011 To the Local Government and Environment Committee 12 February 2013 Submission on the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill Personal details This submission is from Southland Conservation Board. We wish to appear before the committee to speak to our submission. Please contact Vivienne Shaw concerning this submission: The Southland Conservation Board The Southland Conservation Board (the Board) is a statutory body appointed by the Minister of Conservation and established by the Conservation Act 1987. Its functions are set out in Section 6 of that Act and in the National Parks Act 1980. The Board s area of jurisdiction is the Southland region including New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands. The Board has a statutory role in the development and recommendation for approval of the Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) for the Subantarctic Islands and in overseeing its implementation. The Board's functions include advocacy in regard to all conservation related matters at any public forum, or in any statutory planning process. The Board's membership currently includes conservationists, iwi, farmers, business people and tourism operators. The Board was represented on the Subantarctic Marine Protection Planning Forum by Dr Viv Shaw. Submission The Southland Conservation Board supports the principle of this bill to create three new marine reserves: Moutere Mahue/Antipodes Island Marine Reserve, Moutere Hauriri/Bounty Islands Marine Reserve and Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine SERVICED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION PO Box 743, Invercargill 9840 CUE on Don Building, 33 Don Street, Invercargill, New Zealand Telephone (03) 211-2400, Fax (03) 214-4486
Reserve. However, the Board is unanimously of the view that the marine reserves should cover the entire territorial sea to 12 nautical miles around all three island groups. The Subantarctic Islands have the highest level of protection possible under New Zealand legislation and the surrounding marine environment should receive a similarly high level of protection. The Board recognises the strong link between the land and the surrounding marine environment. The strong interdependence between the terrestrial and marine environments in the Subantarctic Islands has also been recognised by UNESCO. World Heritage status was conferred to both the island groups and the territorial seas to 12 nautical miles. The Board is of the view that only full protection of the territorial seas around all of the Subantarctic Island groups would be entirely consistent with World Heritage status. The current CMS for the Subantarctic Islands notes that the coastal marine areas around the Subantarctic islands warrant protection to ensure their values are not reduced or lost (p.54). It also notes that calls were made during the preparation of this CMS to establish marine reserves around the Subantarctic Islands (p.54). Key objectives within the CMS require the Board and the Department of Conservation: 1. to promote protection of marine ecosystems and conservation of marine resources around the Subantarctic Islands as part of New Zealand's obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity. 2. to achieve protection of marine mammals and seabird species from adverse impacts of human activities. 3. to encourage a fully integrated approach to management of land and sea in the Subantarctic Islands CMS area. In order to achieve these objectives, the Auckland Islands/Motu Maha marine reserve was created in 2003. In recognition of the high levels of endemism on the islands and within the marine environment and the high level of interdependence between the terrestrial and marine environments, this marine reserve covers the entire area of the territorial seas around the Auckland Islands. The Board is of the view that the benefits of full protection should similarly be extended to Campbell, Antipodes and the Bounty Islands. Only by protecting the full extent of the territorial seas around each island group can the biota of each island be fully protected. The Board believes that there is a strong argument for providing a higher level of marine protection around the Bounty and Campbell Island groups for the following reasons: The World Heritage status of the region provides strong support for the assertion that the marine habitats and ecosystems in the Subantarctic region are of significant international importance. Biodiversity on these islands is high as a result of a rich marine environment and their physical isolation, which limits human impacts. The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands support the most diverse community of breeding seabirds in the Southern Ocean. There is clear scientific evidence linking the interdependence between the marine environment and the islands themselves. A number of threatened or endangered bird species breed on the islands, but are equally dependent on the marine environment for their on-going survival. 2 P a g e
The evidence showing the high degree of endemism for each island group makes a compelling case for a high level of marine protection for each island group. Clause 5 (1) Moutere Mahue/Antipodes Island Marine Reserve created The Board fully supports the creation of marine reserve Moutere Mahue/Antipodes Island Marine reserve. Clause 5 (2) Moutere Mahue/Antipodes Island Marine Reserve created Clause 6 (1) Moutere Hauriri/Bounty Islands Marine Reserve created The Board partially supports the creation of a marine reserve around the Bounty Islands on the basis that partial marine protection is better than no protection at all. Whilst the Board acknowledges that there is a history of ling long line fishing off the Western coast of the Bounty Islands, it is of the view that there is sufficient scientific evidence to support the creation of a marine reserve that covers the entire territorial sea to 12 nautical miles. Partial protection of the marine environment does not sufficiently recognise the high level of endemism in the marine environment nor the interdependency between the marine and terrestrial environment. In the case of the Bounty Islands this level of interdependency is probably the highest for all of the Subantarctic Island groups. Full protection of the territorial seas would be consistent with the CMS and the World Heritage status of the Bounty Islands and their territorial seas. It is the Board's view that the current fishing activities could reasonably take place outside the territorial waters of the Bounty Islands. The Board is of the view that a unique opportunity to protect the entire territorial seas around the Bounty Islands is being missed. Should Clause 6 (1) come into legislation, the Board would support the addition of a clause similar to Clause 8 requiring an independent review of the Moutere Hauriri/Bounty Islands Marine Reserve to consider the effects of the marine reserve on conservation and fisheries matters. An independent review should be commenced on or after the 3rd anniversary of the date of commencement of this Act and be completed no later than the 5th anniversary of the date of commencement of this Act. Clause 6 (2) Moutere Hauriri/Bounty Islands Marine Reserve created Clause 7 (1) Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine Reserve created The Board partially supports the creation of a marine reserve around Campbell Island on the basis that partial marine protection is better than no protection at all. The Board, however, is of the view that there is sufficient scientific evidence to support the creation of a marine reserve that covers the entire territorial sea to 12 nautical miles. The terms of reference for the Subantarctic Marine Protection Planning Forum specifically required the forum to consider existing commercial use of the marine environment within the territorial seas. The forum was not required to consider future 3 P a g e
potential commercial activities in the marine environment. The only rationale for not extending the marine reserve to cover the entire territorial sea around Campbell Island relates to a potential experimental crab fishing industry. The crab fishery has been the subject of a number of previous investigations during the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s. None of these investigations has resulted in the development of a sustainable crab fishery in the territorial seas around the Campbell Islands. The Board is of the view that sufficient investigations into this potential industry have taken place and the case for marine reserve status for the entire territorial sea around Campbell Island is therefore strong. The Board would urge the Committee to give this serious consideration. The Board is of the view that a unique opportunity to protect the entire territorial seas around Campbell Island is being missed. Clause 7 (2) Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine Reserve created Clause 8 Extension of Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine Reserve The Board conditionally supports this clause should clause 7 (1) be brought into legislation. The Board is, however, of the view that a case already exists for the marine reserve to be extended to cover the entire territorial sea to 12 nautical miles through the present bill. The only rationale for not extending the marine reserve to cover the entire territorial sea around Campbell Island relates to a potential experimental crab fishing industry. The potential crab fishery has been the subject of a number of previous investigations during the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s. None of these investigations has resulted in the development of a sustainable crab fishery in the territorial seas around Campbell Island. The Board is of the view that sufficient investigations into this potential industry have taken place and the case for marine reserve status for the entire territorial sea around Campbell Island is strong. The Board would urge the Committee to give this serious consideration. Clause 8 (1) and (4) Extension of Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine Reserve Should full Marine Reserve status not be accorded to the territorial seas around Campbell Island, the Board encourages the Committee to shorten the timeframe for the independent review of the Moutere Ihupuku/Campbell Island Marine Reserve. The review should commence on or after the 3rd anniversary of the date of commencement of this Act and be implemented no later than the 5th anniversary of the commencement of this Act. Clause 11 Rangers deemed to be appointed from New Zealand Defence Force The Board supports this clause. Recommendations The Southland Conservation Board recommends that: 1. Marine reserve status is extended to cover the territorial seas to 12 nautical miles around the Bounty Islands. 4 P a g e
2. Should Clause 6 (1) come into legislation, a clause similar to Clause 8 be added requiring an independent review of the Moutere Hauriri/Bounty Islands Marine Reserve to consider the effects of the marine reserve on conservation and fisheries matters. The review should commence be completed no later than the 5th anniversary of the date of commencement of this Act. 3. Marine reserve Status is extended to cover the territorial seas to 12 nautical miles around Campbell Island. 4. Should Clause 8 come into legislation, the independent review should commence be completed no later than the 5th anniversary of the date of commencement of this Act. Yours faithfully, Dr Viv Shaw Chair Southland Conservation Board 5 P a g e