Proposal for NZ to create world's largest marine reserve

[Michael Szabo]

Green MP Gareth Hughes has put a Bill into the Parliamentary ballot to establish a 620,000 square kilometre "Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary" in the seas around the Kermadec Islands. If it is selected from the ballot and passes it will create the world's largest no-take marine reserve in the northern-most part of the NZ EEZ. The seas around the Kermadec Islands support large numbers of seabirds alongside other marine species including whales, turtles and fish: https://www.greens.org.nz/bills/kermade ... hment-bill

[Clinton9]

Bad news for both seashell collectors, like me and bird lovers and birdwatchers like ourselves.

[Michael Szabo]

If you're after a Kermadec limpet shell they're already protected by the existing inshore no-take marine reserve around the islands!

[Clinton9]

Kermadec limpet shells are not endangered species and do not need protection. But Kermadec parrakeets & petrals are endangered birds and they need protection.
But going to Kermadec Islands to see birds means you need to ask DOC officers permission.

[Michael Szabo]

You don't have to go all the way to the Kermadec Islands to see some of the subtropical seabird species that breed there. I've seen Kermadec petrel, white-naped petrel, black-winged petrel and grey noddy on the pelagic day trips out of Whangaroa organised by Detlef Davies (plus NZ storm petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, short-tailed shearwater, Pycroft's petrel, Cook's petrel, grey-faced petrel, little shearwater, flesh-footed shearwater, Buller's shearwater, Buller's mollymawk, white-capped mollymawk, Antipodean albatross). Detlef sent out an email this morning about an upcoming Whangaroa pelagic day trip he is organising on 20th December so you can contact him via email if you're interested in joining it: detlefdavies@yahoo.com

Happy birding!
Michael

[Clinton9]

Seabirds are not easy to look for as they just flies over seaswater, looking for fishy foods to eat, Fewer kinds of seabirds as red-billed gulls come for offals near boats. Albatrosses are endangered but easy to lure with smelly dead fish in seawater.
Kermadec parrakeets are in forests in islands and rarely flying between islands.

[Steps]

Spend a few days out in a boat fishing u will soon change your mind on that opion Clint.
And be careful not to run them over at rest on the water
PS Side note....shags are a issue dropping and casting baits...any unwanted fish side catch and under sized, espec 25+cm snapper throw to the shag.. they then spend a good 5 mins or so getting the fish in position to swallow then swallow , which is amazing entertainment on its own and would be a good photo opportunity... then they always fly way

[Clinton9]

Steps,
Won't happen until I move to live in Far North in future years.
Shag is another name for cormorant, only pied shags here are approachable, other species are wary, through I know one juvenile Little Black shag and one adult Great shag to been approachable, this happened in 2000s.

I am not sure Far North have any pied shags.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

You don't need a permit to visit a marine reserve, just to land.
Since the area is only a minor fishery, it seems like little more than a symbolic gesture. Giving away something that wasn't much used. Still a good start. Seems like an incredibly easy way to meet the marine reserve area target. A no brainer really. I hope it's not the end of it though, as it certainly wont be representative of the marine environments in our EEZ.

[Michael Szabo]

In recent years commercial fishing effort in the area has been relatively light. That said, in the 1980s it was greater, so closing the area to commercial fishing will ensure there can be no return to those days.

The NZ Birds Online website includes accounts of the species that breed at the islands, such as these (and other) seabirds:
Kermadec petrel: http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/kermadec-petrel
white-naped petrel: http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/white-naped-petrel
grey noddy: http://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/grey-noddy
white tern: http://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/white-tern
black noddy: http://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/black-noddy