Scoop: Marine life likely to benefit from protection
The sea around New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands is recognised as a World Heritage Area and is likely to receive a boost in protection from a review of marine protected areas in the region.
The Government has set up the Subantarctic Marine Protection Planning Forum to review existing protection afforded to marine environments in New Zealand’s Subantarctic region. The Forum will make recommendations to Ministers for new protected areas to implement the Government’s Marine Protected Areas Policy. The Forum is jointly facilitated by the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Fisheries.
Recommendations will be considered in two phases. Phase One will look at protection options for the Territorial Seas (within the 12 nautical mile limits) of the Campbell/Motu Ihupuku, Antipodes and Bounty Islands. The Auckland Islands will also be considered by the Forum, although their territorial waters are already fully protected by marine reserve and a marine mammal sanctuary.
