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https://theconversation.com/protected-areas-in-the-hauraki-gulf-nearly-triple-under-a-new-law-but-it-comes-with-a-catch-266900>
"A new law that almost triples the protected area in the Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa
Moana – New Zealand’s largest marine park at more than 1.2 million hectares,
surrounding Auckland and the Coromandel peninsula – is something to be
celebrated.
But it comes with compromises, and it is especially disappointing that some
forms of commercial fishing will continue in some areas.
This week, parliament passed the
Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection
Bill into law. It increases areas under some form of protection from 6% to 18%
by extending two existing marine reserves and adding 12 high protection areas
and five seafloor protection areas.
These new areas add to the diversity of habitats under protection, including
under-represented soft sediment ecosystems, and provide new opportunities for
customary management. While fishing will be restricted in 18% of the gulf,
there is a carve-out for commercial ring-net fishing in high protection areas.
This diminishes their status as protected areas and makes it more difficult for
New Zealand to fulfil its promise under the
Global Biodiversity Framework to
protect 30% of the marine environment by 2030.
We should also recognise this is only a starting point in restoring the mauri
(life force) of the gulf. Animals that live in the gulf’s water column remain
vulnerable, and given the rate of environmental change in New Zealand’s waters,
we need to fast-track the conservation process."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
