Marine Conservation in NZ: Mangrove Forests & Maui’s

DolphinsDeborah Robertson 28th July 2014

Photo: Tracey Bates

Contents

• New Zealand• Marine environment• Marine conservation• Mangrove forests• Maui’s dolphins

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Aote

aroa

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Photo: James Heremaia

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New Zealand marine environment

• 5th largest in the world• 15,000 known species• Estimates of 65,000

species• 80% of our biodiversity

is in sea, only 1% surveyed

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Photo: NIWA

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Photo: DOC

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Management and conservation

• New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement• Resource Management Act 1991

– Policy statements and plans – objectives, policies, rules– Resource consents (EIAs, public consultation, hearings)

• Fisheries Act • Reserves Acts for land and sea• EEZ and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act• Marine Mammals Protection Act• Lots of NGOs, community groups, public education, &

EnviroSchools

Mangrove forests

Photo: ARC

Mangrove forests

• Most southern mangrove growing country• One species - Avicennia marina.• In NZ for 19m yrs• Extensive forests top half of North Island• Have faced many challenges: roads formed

causing silt build up, smothering pneumatophores; rubbish dumps; land reclamation; drainage; grazing

Mangrove forests

Mangrove forests• Spread since 1930s, definitely since 1970s• Why?– Build up of sediments and rising of inter-tidal flats– Sediments flow to estuary from catchment,

following native forest clearance and land development

– Changes to water movements– Increased nutrients from farmland

Mangrove forests

• They are protected. They can’t be removed or interfered with.

• Wide range of views: positive and negative (loss of beach and open water is an issue)

• Communities and groups can apply for consent to manage local areas (e.g. removing, pruning, plucking seeds from ground)

Maui’s dolphin• The world’s smallest and rarest• West coast of North Island• Critically endangered• In 2012, only 55 aged more than 1 yr• Isolated from Hector’s dolphin

Photo: WWF

Maui’s dolphin

• Often found close to shore in pods

• Grey, white and black markings and well-rounded dorsal fin

• Females 1.7m long & 50kgs• Population increase is sloooow• Lifespan 20 yrs• Feed on a variety of fish species• Use echolocation

Threats

• Fishing – bycatch in set nets, drift nets & trawls

• Pollution from coast • Boat strikes• Construction - displacement• Seabed mining / exploration – displacement,

noise, spills, loss of fish and benthic food• Tourism – dolphin watching

Conservation

• Marine Mammal Sanctuary and TMP• Set net ban 0 – 2 nm• Set net ban 2 – 7 nm unless observer onboard• Monitoring of trawl fisheries• Seismic surveying code of conduct• Boat racing code of conduct• But…

Maui’s dolphin• We need to do more to save them –

protection is very slow• Supported by international organisations• Government opening up marine sanctuary for

oil exploration• Lots of public opposition

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