In what is being described as an \u201cimportant first step,\u201d for marine protections in the island nation of New Zealand, 5 new marine preserves will enter into force next month.<\/p>\n
Surrounding a district called Otago near the southeastern tip of the South Island, 308 square miles of key marine habitats filled with charismatic species will gain protections under the new law.<\/p>\n
The reserves will be managed in partnership with the local M\u0101ori community, and be exclusive \u201cno-take\u201d areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Otago\u2019s wildlife, this will be game-changing,\u201d said World Wildlife Fund NZ\u2019s conservation impact manager Jamie Fowler.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese protections will give some of our rarest and most threatened species the breathing space they desperately need and provide genuine safe havens for hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin), pakake (New Zealand sea lion), and tutumairekurai (Hector\u2019s dolphin).\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with the animals, kelp forests and other key habitats will be protected from extractive industry.<\/p>\n
Previously designated as the South-East Marine Protection Network, it has been renamed \u201cTe Au Roa o Te Rakihouia\u201d in honor of the first-known human to journey along and around the coastline of the South Island, whose name was Te Rakihouia.<\/p>\n
This connection between the reserve network and the M\u0101ori runs deeper than just the name. 9 rangers from the principle South Island M\u0101ori group called K\u0101i Tahu are being trained in the management and monitoring of the marine reserves on a day-to-day basis.<\/p>\n
A K\u0101i Tahu community leader, Edward Ellison,\u00a0told Radio New Zealand\u00a0that the management partnership \u201cwill help ensure that decisions around the management of Te Au Roa reflect our customary practices and local knowledge of these coastal areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 6th reserve was blocked from being added to the network after a legal challenge by the Otago Rock Lobster Industry Association. Resolution on the challenge and the final reserve boundaries are expected soon.<\/p>\n
Despite its rich seas, reputation as a biodiversity and ecotourism paradise, and long-time leftwing leadership, this is New Zealand\u2019s first effort at significant marine protections in a decade. Fowler and other local conservation voices hope it can be the catalyst for further protections.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are serious about reversing biodiversity loss, we must build on this momentum,\u201d Fowler told RNZ.<\/p>\n