Public Private Partnerships (PPPs): The way to go! Air New Zealand/DOC partnership is extended with focus on Marine Protection Issues

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced a $4.5 million extension to the Department of Conservation (DOC) partnership with Air New Zealand with a new focus on marine protection. According to Invest New Zealand (24 September 2013) who quoted Nick Smith:

“Air New Zealand’s commitment to support DOC with an additional $4.5 million is a huge boost and comes on top of the $2.9 million committed in 2012. In total, Air New Zealand will be committing $7.4 million to conservation, $5.4 million on terrestrial and $2 million on marine as part of its partnership with DOC.

Marine protection is the new frontier for conservation and is vitally important for New Zealand. Our ocean area is sixteen times that of our land mass and is home to 80 per cent of New Zealand’s endemic species. We are better positioned than any country in the world to lead on responsible protection and use of the marine environment. This investment will enable an expanded research and monitoring programme that will help unlock the mysteries of the sea.

The Government has an ambitious programme of expanding marine protection with 10 new marine reserves proposed over the next year around the West Coast, Akaroa and Kaikoura coastlines, and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.

This expanded partnership makes good sense for both parties. DOC, with its conservation for prosperity direction, needs to partner with successful businesses that can help the conservation cause. Air New Zealand is adding authenticity to its brand by not just promoting our spectacular scenery and species, but by being a partner in protecting them.

The first 18 months of the partnership has seen significant gains on land with the reintroduction of species like kiwi, whio, pateke and robins to our National Parks and record increases in the number of people experiencing the Great Walks.

The extension to the marine environment is the logical next step and will benefit both conservation and tourism.”

Air New Zealand with new livery

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says the environmental milestones achieved since the partnership with DOC was made official early last year are very encouraging. Invest New Zealand quotes Luxon:

“More than 500 native birds and reptiles have been transported via the airline’s domestic network. Biodiversity projects have also been established around the Waikaremoana, Milford, Routeburn and Rakiura Great Walks to control predator numbers, undertake environmental monitoring, and reintroduce various native species into their natural habitat.

The National Parks and marine reserves that DOC works hard to preserve and protect throughout New Zealand form part of the environmental and cultural fabric of our country. As New Zealand’s national carrier, we have a responsibility to support the great work undertaken to further align conservation with recreation and tourism.”

The Public Private Partnership between Air New Zealand and DOC  which is worth $7.4 million NZD is a mix of both direct funding and services and will run until mid-2017.

Related articles

• Air NZ puts $4.5m into new conservation work (nzherald.co.nz)
• There’s something fishy in the air…. (doc.govt.nz)
• Air New Zealand showcases new livery (radionz.co.nz)
• Air New Zealand Plans Antarctic Ice Landings (theepochtimes.com)

Marine Reserves: Extending New Zealand’s Marine Reserves for the purpose of fish stocks protection is misguided!

Recently I posted a response to an article by Jay Harkness (New Zealand Marine Reserves Too Small) in the Dominion Post (26^th March) Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Adequacy of spatial management re-emerging issue in New Zealand! Why?.

This article by Harkness extolled the benefits of extending New Zealand’s Marine Reserve Network to incorporate 30% of all the waters under New Zealand jurisdiction… My post vehemently disagreed with Harkness’s approach, stating instead that over 30% of the marine area under New Zealand jurisdiction is already subject to regulatory protections (Benthic Protected Areas (BPAs) and Seamount closures).

Recently I was sent a Op-Ed that was written for the Dominion Post in response to the Harkness article. Unfortunately the Dominion Post published Pamela Mace’s Op-Ed  (New Zealand Fisheries: Most fish stocks in a healthy state!) instead, so I am going to post it below…

Targeted Marine Protection Better Than Naive Biology

Demanding expansion of Marine Reserves to protect fish stocks is a bit like setting fire to your house any time you are cold.  It’s not very targeted to the outcome of getting warm.

Jay Harkness (DominionPost 26^th March) posits that only by extending Marine Reserves over a third of New Zealand waters can New Zealand fish stocks be preserved.

First of all, Jay Harkness provides no evidence at all for the claim that New Zealand’s marine fish stocks are in steep decline.  No numbers are given – no species are cited.

Some people may wish to believe there are fewer fish out there, but that doesn’t make it true.  The Quota Management System has set limits to fishing particular fish species since 1986.  If a species’ volume declines, often through quite natural fluctuations, then the Total Allowable Catch is reduced.

Undersea New Zealand, a high resolution image of the complex and diverse marine realm around New Zealand. Undersea New Zealand provides a unique insight into the shape of the seafloor within one of the world’s most extensive deepwater jurisdictions. New Zealand straddles an active plate margin, creating a highly complex and diverse seascape of submarine trenches, underwater volcanoes, active submarine canyons and quiescent broad plateaux. Copyright 2012 NIWA.
http://www.niwa.co.nz/news/new-map-reveals-new-zealand%E2%80%99s-seafloor-in-stunning-detail

The Ministry for Primary Industries reported last year that only 0.5 per cent of our fish stocks are below the ‘hard limit’ where closures or reductions were necessary.

Recreational fishers through New Zealand are reporting significantly increased catches over a range of species.

Commercial inshore stocks are blossoming, with evidence both anecdotal and scientific.

The major Campbell Island southern blue whiting fishery numbers are at a historic high.

Other deepwater fisheries, such as the much-pointed-at orange roughy, are increasing, with 140 million of them in our seas.  The industry itself has set catch targets below the QMS level as an additional assurance that the orange roughy numbers will continue to increase over the next few years.

Marine Reserves obviously have a role in protecting particular areas, either for the unique or fragile nature of the ecosystem, or because they are where fish or other marine species breed.  They are targeted and have usually achieved a greater biodiversity within and beyond where they are because of their special nature.

But the same formula does not work for every environment.  Marine Reserves everywhere may make a good slogan, but the slogan is biologically naive.

Jay Harkness compares the third of the New Zealand land area ‘managed for conservation purposes’, with a presumed miniscule proportion of the sea area.

Both ends of this need examining.  The land area ‘managed for conservation purposes’ is under a plethora of protection measures, including a World Heritage Area, National Parks, Nature Reserves (such as Kapiti Island) Scientific Reserves (Mana Island) as well as Scientific and Historic Reserves (Matiu Island).  Landowners have covenanted 122,275 hectares of land under the QEII Trust.  Diverse forms of Maori stewardship apply to large areas.  One formula is not used alone.  Conservation is targeted and tailored.

Likewise, for the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone of our seas, the Benthic Protection Areas cover, interestingly enough, one third of the entire seabed.  This vast region of seabed can’t be fished, effectively giving the same protection as a marine reserve would give.

There are Marine Parks and the Marine Mammal Sanctuaries.  There are targeted fishing restrictions to protect Maui’s and Hector’s dolphins (though ridiculously overextended to areas where the dolphins aren’t) as well as regulations about when and how to catch various species of fish and how big or small they are allowed to be.

Controls over commercial fishing, and its monitoring and enforcement, are more than those for any land based primary industry.  Though some rules are dated, and some are not sensible, the overall system will supply New Zealand customers and export markets with seafood for many generations to come.

Related articles

• New Zealand Fisheries: Most fish stocks in a healthy state! (greenfishbluefish.wordpress.com)
• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): A re-emerging issue (greenfishbluefish.wordpress.com)
• Most New Zealand fish stocks in a healthy state (stuff.co.nz)
• Kermadecs do not need marine reserve status (stuff.co.nz)
• Concern over Google Earth (firstdigital.co.nz)
• Conditional support for Ross Sea reserve (stuff.co.nz)