Whether known as Hawke Bay, Tangitu or the realm of Tangaroa, a love of the sea unites the people of Hawke's Bay.
What might surprise you is that over one-third of the Hawke's Bay region is "under water" - that is the 770,000ha of coastal marine area between the high water springs mark and the 12-nautical-mile limit. The Regional Council has a statutory responsibility to sustainably manage this area, alongside the 1.4 million hectares of dry land. The Regional Council recently received a report commissioned by it in conjunction with the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated. The Hawke's Bay Marine Information: Review and Research Strategy report has been described as a "stepping stone" to identify key knowledge gaps. The idea is that only through a better understanding of the coastal environment can we identify and progress the most effective policy for its protection and restoration.
Regional Council candidate Neil Kirton has been campaigning for the establishment of a national oceans research institute in Hawke's Bay, representing an opportunity to take a leadership role in the governance of New Zealand's oceans.
The announcement of Government funding towards a marine science facility at the National Aquarium is fantastic news in that respect. The council and Napier MP Stuart Nash are also promoting a multi-agency collaborative approach to developing policy.
I agree that a science based, co-ordinated approach is vital, for while commercial and recreational fishers may bemoan dwindling stocks of preferred species such as gurnard and snapper, particularly over the past decade, it can be too easy to simply point the finger.