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Marine Conservation in NZ: Mangrove Forests & Maui ’ s Dolphins

Marine Conservation in NZ: Mangrove Forests & Maui ’ s Dolphins. Deborah Robertson 28 th July 2014. Contents. New Zealand Marine environment Marine conservation Mangrove forests Maui ’ s dolphins. New Zealand / Aotearoa. New Zealand marine environment. 5 th largest in the world

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Marine Conservation in NZ: Mangrove Forests & Maui ’ s Dolphins

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  1. Marine Conservation in NZ: Mangrove Forests & Maui’s Dolphins Deborah Robertson 28th July 2014

  2. Contents • New Zealand • Marine environment • Marine conservation • Mangrove forests • Maui’s dolphins

  3. New Zealand / Aotearoa

  4. New Zealand marine environment • 5th largest in the world • 15,000 known species • Estimates of 65,000 species • 80% of our biodiversity is in sea, only 1% surveyed

  5. Management and conservation • New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement • Resource Management Act 1991 • Policy statements and plans – objectives, policies, rules • Resource consents (EIAs, public consultation, hearings) • Fisheries Act • Reserves Acts for land and sea • EEZ and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act • Marine Mammals Protection Act • Lots of NGOs, community groups, public education, & EnviroSchools

  6. Mangrove forests

  7. Mangrove forests • Most southern mangrove growing country • One species - Avicennia marina. • In NZ for 19m yrs • Extensive forests top half of North Island • Have faced many challenges: roads formed causing silt build up, smothering pneumatophores; rubbish dumps; land reclamation; drainage; grazing

  8. Mangrove forests

  9. Mangrove forests • Spread since 1930s, definitely since 1970s • Why? • Build up of sediments and rising of inter-tidal flats • Sediments flow to estuary from catchment, following native forest clearance and land development • Changes to water movements • Increased nutrients from farmland

  10. Mangrove forests • They are protected. They can’t be removed or interfered with. • Wide range of views: positive and negative (loss of beach and open water is an issue) • Communities and groups can apply for consent to manage local areas (e.g. removing, pruning, plucking seeds from ground

  11. Maui’s dolphin • The world’s smallest and rarest • West coast of North Island • Critically endangered • In 2012, only 55 aged more than 1 yr • Isolated from Hector’s dolphin

  12. Maui’s dolphin • Often found close to shore in pods • Grey, white and black markings and well-rounded dorsal fin • Females 1.7m long & 50kgs • Population increase is sloooow • Lifespan 20 yrs • Feed on a variety of fish species • Use echolocation

  13. Threats • Fishing – bycatch in set nets, drift nets & trawls • Pollution from coast • Boat strikes • Construction - displacement • Seabed mining / exploration – displacement, noise, spills, loss of fish and benthic food • Tourism – dolphin watching

  14. Conservation • Marine Mammal Sanctuary and TMP • Set net ban 0 – 2 nm • Set net ban 2 – 7 nm unless observer onboard • Monitoring of trawl fisheries • Seismic surveying code of conduct • Boat racing code of conduct • But…

  15. Maui’s dolphin • We need to do more to save them – protection is very slow • Supported by international organisations • Government is opening up marine sanctuary for oil exploration • Lots of public opposition

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