National's Legacy To Sir Peter Blake
12 January 2002
The National Party is committed to creating nine marine reserves in its first term says National Party Leader Bill English.
"We must pick up Sir Peter Blake's marine conservation message and start applying it at home and so National will create three new marine reserves per year in its first term.
"While this is an ambitious target it is achievable. There is a backlog of eight applications by conservation minded New Zealanders that must be progressed.
"The National Government gazetted 13 new marine reserves during the 1990's. In contrast the Labour/Alliance/Green Government has failed to gazette a single reserve despite bold pre-election promises.
"Last month Forest and Bird launched a campaign that criticised the government for their zero score and calling on New Zealanders to support more marine reserves.
"National has taken heed of that challenge and by committing to nine new reserves in our first term shows that we are serious about this. Well-sited marine reserves benefit everyone.
"They boost fish stocks, and give the opportunity for New Zealanders to swim amongst prolific marine life as well as promoting conservation and scientific study,"says Mr English.
Ends
New Zealand Marine
Reserves
1975 Cape Rodney - Okakari Point Marine Reserve
(Auckland)
1981 Poor Knights Marine Reserve
(Whangarei)
1990 Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve (Far
North)
1992 Whanganui A Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine
Reserve
(Coromandel)
1992 Mayor Island (Tahua) Marine
Reserve (Bay of Plenty)
1992 Kapiti Marine Reserve
(Wellington)
1993 Long Island-Kokomohua Marine Reserve
(Queen Charlotte Sound)
1993 Tonga Marine Reserve (Abel
Tasman National Park)
1993 Piopiotahi Marine Reserve
(Fiordland)
1993 Te Awaatu Channel (The Gut) Marine
Reserve (Fiordland)
1994 Westhaven (Te Tai Tapu) Marine
Reserve (North West coast of
South Island)
1995 Long
Bay-Okura Marine Reserve (Auckland)
1995 Motu
Manawa-Pollen Island Marine Reserve
(Auckland)
1996 Fishing permits revoked to properly
create Poor Knights Marine
Reserve (Whangarei)
1998 Te
Angiangi Marine Reserve (Cape Kidnappers)
1999 Te Tapuwae
o Rongokako Marine Reserve (Gisborne)
1999 Pohatu Marine
Reserve (Banks Peninsula)
Number of Marine
Reserves 16 (760,000 ha)
Number of Land
Reserves/Protected Areas 7257 (9,860,000 ha)
Total NZ
controlled marine area 400 million ha (%
protected
0.2%)
Total land area of NZ 27
million ha
(% protected 36.5%)