The Department is working towards creating up to 15 new reserves by 2005. NZBS funding of $11.5 million has been budgeted for marine reserve programmes between 2000 and 2005.

These programmes are designed to:

• Support the establishment of new marine reserves both through new site investigations, new applications and the development of tools and databases to assist this work.
• Support the management of all existing and newly established marine reserves.
• Improve public and iwi support through the development and implementation of a marine reserve awareness action plan and a specific strategic approach with Ngai Tahu.

The focus of NZBS-funded marine reserves work is on identifying and investigating new potential marine reserve sites, and making progress on existing proposals and applications. Emphasis has also been placed on building public awareness, developing and implementing a systematic approach to marine reserve site selection and investing in research to aid site selection and marine reserve design.

A number of marine reserve proposals are at varying stages of development, from early investigation and consultation phases to seeking Ministerial approval. NZBS funding and previous new-initiative funding has provided support for a number of investigations. These include:

• Hokianga Harbour and Coast
• Mimiwhangata Marine Park
• Tiritiri Matangi Island
• Firth of Thames
• Eastern Bay of Plenty
• Wairarapa/Palliser Coast marine protection investigation
• Fiordland and Auckland /Subantarctic Islands.

Marine reserves approved
In 2002, the Minister of Conservation approved three new marine reserve applications – at Te Matuku Bay, Waiheke Island (700 hectares) and Taputeranga on the south coast of Wellington (969 hectares), and Paterson Inlet on Stewart Island (1140 hectares). These applications require the concurrence of the Ministers of Fisheries and Transport before they can be gazetted as marine reserves.

Reserve investigations, proposals and applications

Marine Reserves monitoring results

• In the past year studies have been carried out into possible marine reserve sites at Hokianga Harbour and Mimiwhangata (Northland), around Tiritiri Matangi Island (Auckland), on the North-East Coast of Great Barrier Island, in the Firth of Thames (Coromandel), eastern Bay of Plenty, and at Wairarapa and Fiordland.
• Progress toward the lodging of formal marine reserve applications (after which public submissions are called) was made for the Mimiwhangata proposal and a proposal for North-East Great Barrier Island. These applications are expected to be lodged in 2003.
• The Volkner Rocks/Te Paepae Aotea reserve proposal (off White Island, Bay of Plenty), a joint effort between the Whakaari Marine Reserve Committee and the Department, was formally lodged with the Director General of Conservation, publicly notified and submissions sought in November 2002.
• Kamo High School’s application for a marine reserve in Whangarei Harbour was publicly notified in March 2002. The school has been working on this proposal since 1990. No other school has sought approval for a marine reserve in New Zealand.
• In June 2002, the Department of Conservation sought public submissions on an application to create a 484,000-hectare marine reserve around the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands. This large reserve would extend over the current marine mammal sanctuary, and 12 nautical miles out to sea. The consultations have been completed and the reports from the Department are expected to be with the Minister before the end of 2002.

Building Public Awareness
Public awareness of the benefits of marine protection needs to be improved if support for marine reserves is to be raised. A public awareness strategy Building community support for marine protection, protecting special places in the sea has been published. The strategy aims, among other things, to give Department of Conservation staff sufficient training and resource materials to boost support for marine protection among stakeholder groups, iwi and the public.

Ngai Tahu and the Department of Conservation have made positive progress on a strategy for developing marine protected areas for much of the South Island (including marine reserves, taiapure and mataitai).

Developing a systematic approach to marine reserve site selection and design
Marine reserve site selection and design is the subject of ongoing research and developmental work. This is aimed at ensuring that reserves are the right size to protect different species and habitats, and that the range of reserves fully represent New Zealand’s marine habitats and ecosystems. An important element of the approach is to share information with the public and iwi on the key areas of the coastal marine environment that need protection within marine reserves.