15 July 2005 - Nelson
Media release for immediate use

Abel Tasman Park Foreshore Reserve welcomed

Forest and Bird welcomes the Department of Conservation's announcement of a foreshore reserve along the coast of Abel Tasman National Park.

"The foreshore is the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. It has been very difficult to properly manage the impacts of tourism when it was technically not part of the park. We are pleased that DOC and the Tasman District Council have come to an agreement over its management," said Debs Martin, Forest and Bird's Top of the South Conservation Officer.

"The golden sands of the foreshore are the major attraction of the park to the growing number of tourists in the area. People come looking for quiet idyllic beaches, but find this narrow strip of foreshore is overcrowded."

"Not only has this affected visitors' experience, but their high numbers are increasingly creating problems with rubbish, inappropriate toilet arrangements, and the disruption of more sensitive ecosystems near the foreshore," said Ms Martin.

"Along with many concerned people, we look forward to contributing to the development of a management plan for this new reserve which is fully integrated with the management of Abel Tasman National Park," she concluded.

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