Background
The reef systems off the coast of Motiti Island support a large range of plants and animals including fish and shellfish. In 2018 the Environment Court released an interim decision that found the outstanding attributes and values of these reef systems needed better protection.
On 24 April 2020, the Environment Court released its final decision which directs Bay of Plenty Regional Council to implement new rules within its Regional Coastal Environment Plan to protect three reef systems near Motiti Island and complete scientific monitoring to inform future integrated marine management solutions.
The new rules will create three protection areas (called the Motiti Protection Areas) around Motiti Island where the taking of all plants and animals (including fish and shellfish) would be prohibited due to their significant marine biodiversity, landscape and cultural values. Those three areas comprise of Ōtaiti (Astrolabe Reef); including Te Papa (Brewis Shoal), Te Porotiti, and O karapu Reef, Motuhaku Island (Schooner Rocks) and Motunau Island (Plate Island).
Next steps
There are a few last steps that need to be completed before the protection areas come into effect and the process may take several months. The Court mediated planning provisions received final approval by the Environment Court on 8 June 2020 and were adopted by the Regional Council on 25 June 2020 for approval by the Minister of Conservation. They are currently with the Minister for approval. The Minister’s involvement is a standard process to ensure regional councils are giving effect to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and that all plan appeal matters are resolved. Once approved by the Minister the planning approvals will be given an operative date and publicly notified by the Regional Council.
In August 2020 we heard back from Ministry officials. They advised Regional Council that they are still working on their advice to the Minister as it is a complex and unique case. They will keep council informed as progress is made.
The new rules have not been fully approved yet, so the rules will NOT apply this summer. The changes will not come into effect overnight once approved. Regional Council will provide a fair and reasonable notice of the start date. We will keep you posted.
We are working with tangata whenua and a number of groups in the community, including recreational and commercial fishing groups. Planning for a public education campaign is underway and details of the protected areas and how people can help look after these reefs, will be in local papers, on boat ramp signage, on our website and social media. We are collaborating with other government agencies, including the Ministry for Primary Industries and Department of Conservation, for the best outcomes. We can all agree that the marine environment is worth protecting for future generations and by following the new rules, everyone can do their bit to protect these reefs and their ecosystems too.
Monitoring
The Regional Council will be conducting monitoring at the Motiti Protection Areas to determine if the protections put in place by the court are achieving the desired biodiversity outcomes. Are the Marine Protection Areas working?
Once confirmed, the first step in monitoring these areas is to establish a baseline – how does the ecology of these reefs look today, before the reefs are protected. This data will then be used for years to come as a reference point against which to assess changes in biodiversity that occur following the prohibition of the removal of flora and fauna, and assess the success of these fishing closures.
Some of the specific questions that we will be asking with our monitoring will include: how many kina occur in an area, how much rocky reef area is covered by kelp forest, and how many crayfish are there on each reef? Combined, this data will tell us about the condition of these environments.
Continued monitoring using the same methods over time will allow us to measure changes that may occur because of the protections. For example, the changes in crayfish numbers or the biodiversity associated with kelp forests. Ultimately, this will tell us if the Motiti Protection Areas are protecting and enhancing biodiversity.
This type of monitoring involves observing the natural environment, measuring key components (in this case biodiversity) and conducting analyses to determine how things are changing over time. Tools marine scientists may use include scuba diving equipment, cameras, drones, and quadrats (set 1 m2 areas) to monitor selected areas and species, as indicators of the state of the entire study area.
