Wilkinson Kate: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilkinson Kate: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 04 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7118. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation): I moveThat the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Local Government and Environment Committee to consider this bill.New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands the Antipodes Islands group Bounty Islands Auckland Island Campbell Island and Snares Islands are located in the south-east of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone. The islands and their territorial seas are internationally important for their conservation values and were awardedUnesco World Heritage status in 1998. The land area of each of the Subantarctic Islands is fully protected through having national reserve and nature reserve status. They contain exceptional marine biodiversity in a remote setting largely free from human impacts resulting in near pristine ecosystems. The islands generate significant economic activity through a multimillion-dollar wildlife tourism industry that brought between 800 and 1100 tourists visiting the islands in each of the last two seasons. Local and international visitors want to experience the climate and iconic wildlife. The islands are absolutely stunning with an abundance of native species albatross penguins sea lions fur seals and southern right whales.The islands are protected as nature reserves befitting their World Heritage status but it is not only the islands that were considered World Heritage. The high conservation values continue to the sea as does the World Heritage status which extends to the limits of the territorial sea surrounding the islands. Reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island covering 58 percent and 39 percent—and I think I have lost one of my pages but that is all right.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): I’m sure you can find it.Hon KATE WILKINSON: I am sure I will Mr Speaker. The reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island cover 58 percent and 39 percent of those islands’ territorial seas respectively. In total 435163 hectares will be protected in these marine reserves. Combined with the existing marine reserves around the Auckland Islands nearly a million hectares of New Zealand’s subantarctic territorial sea will then be fully protected in a no-take marine reserve. No longer will marine conservation be lagging behind the terrestrial protection in what is one of the world’s most ecologically important natural areas.As on land beneath the surface of the sea each island group is significantly different—each with its own unique suite of habitats and species. For example the Antipodes Islands rocky reefs are dominated by encrusting corral and algae and the islands have their own unique species of bull kelp even though the reefs at the neighbouring Bounty Islands are dominated by encrusting animals such as sponges barnacles and mussels.But the difference does not end there. Although the Subantarctic Islands terrestrial areas are fully protected already as national nature reserves only at the Auckland Islands has a similar level of protection been afforded to the marine environment through the establishment of a marine reserve back in 2003. This bill rectifies that situation by extending protection out into the territorial sea around three of the subantarctic island groups. Protection that befits the World Heritage status has been accorded.I must emphasise that this bill is the result of a stakeholder-led process. Representatives of science iwi fishing and conservation groups gathered to examine the areas their marine biodiversity and the islands’ associated stakeholder interest. After public consultation recommendations were made for marine protected areas in the territorial sea around the Antipodes Islands Bounty Islands and Campbell Island groups. The bill progresses the work of the stakeholder forum by establishing the marine reserve around the Antipodes Islands covering its entire territorial sea—that is out to 12 nautical miles—and as stated establishes two large marine reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island covering 58 percent and 38 percent of those islands’ territorial seas respectively.My colleague the Hon David Carter the Minister for Primary Industries is adding further protection to the remainder of the territorial sea. In addition to existing prohibitions on bottom trawling and dredging new prohibitions on Danish seining will be introduced in an additional 250000 hectares around the three island groups. This means the territorial sea of all three island groups will have achieved marine protected status.The creation of marine reserves through the bill recognises existing users. The established ling fishery will be allowed to continue using long lining in some areas around the Bounty Islands as this technique has a very limitedbycatch. The bill also grants a 5-year window to allow for a potential deep-water crab fishery to be explored around Campbell Island. At the end of that 5-year period the status of this area will be reviewed. If it is decided that a viable and sustainable crab fishery does not exist then the entire territorial sea around Campbell Island could become a marine reserve. These will be the first marine protected areas to be implemented under the Government’s Marine Protected Areas Policy which sets out New Zealand’s new more coordinated and collaborative approach to protecting our marine biodiversity.The Government is introducing the bill in order to establish these marine reserves in a timely and efficient manner. This recognises the comprehensive process undertaken by the forum in planning for and consulting on the marine reserves proposal. To proceed with individual applications for each marine reserve under the existing Marine Reserves Act 1971 would be to duplicate some of the processes that the forum has already undertaken. This Government is looking to update that old marine reserves legislation to provide for a better statutory process for establishing marine reserves in due course. In the meantime however this bill will give the seas surrounding three of New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands the protection they deserve. This bill fulfils the expectations of the World Heritage Committee that New Zealand will protect these internationally recognised conservation values in a manner befitting their status. I commend this bill to the House.