Protection for Volkner Rocks

Conservation Minister Chris Carter has approved a big marine reserve off the Bay of Plenty coast, upsetting fishers and delighting conservationists and iwi.

Mr Carter this week rubber-stamped the plan for the 1444ha marine reserve at Volkner Rocks near White Island. It will encircle the rocks, with a 1.6km boundary.

The area is renowned for kingfish, is spiritually significant to local iwi, and was used by Navy gunners for target practice until the mid-1990s.

Mr Carter said it promised to be one of the most exciting reserves in the country.

"It will protect a spectacular volcanic marine habitat that is an important breeding area for up to 60 species of fish and home to several rare species of crab."

And it had been a long time coming.

"There has been a long history of attempts to establish protection for marine environments in the vicinity of White Island, and this reserve proposal is the result of a great deal of discussion and consultation about ways of achieving this."

Mr Carter said a strong core of Bay of Plenty residents supported it.

But Western Bay charter-boat operator Russ Hawkins is among many who oppose the reserve.

He favours a marine protected area, which allows for a fishing quota.

"Then you can still fish there but can, say, catch only one kingfish or two, or whatever.

"Once a marine reserve is closed off from fishing, it's for eternity."

Fellow charter operator Brett Keller said it was "dumb" to create a reserve so far out to sea.

"Who wants to go 30 miles out to look at fish?

"Fish come and go according to the temperature and the tides. They don't need to build a little house and say, 'This is Kingfish Hotel'."

The reserve was a token effort by the Government to keep up with its commitment to protect 10 per cent of the coastline, he said.

Charter skipper Garth Le Lievre said the reserve had taken out "a fair few fishing spots".

He suggested there had been little change to fish stocks at Mayor Island since the Tuhua Marine Reserve was established there in 1993.

Mr Le Lievre said divers had not made good use of the Tuhua Reserve.

Whakatane charter operator Rick Pollock, who has fished in the area for 27 years, was devastated by Mr Carter's announcement, saying 2006 people had opposed it and only 400 were in favour.

"I am totally and utterly annoyed. If this is a democratic process, then I'm not sure where they are coming from."

Department of Conservation community relations manager Sioux Campbell said numbers were not crucial in this instance.

"It's about quality of submissions."

Some submissions lacked substantive argument to support them, "and ultimately it's the minister's decision, regardless of the numbers".

John Hohapata-Oke, chairman of the Ngati Awa environmental committee, was thrilled that Mr Carter had approved the reserve.

"It's culturally significant for all people in the Mataatua area."

Rocks reserve

* The Volkner Rocks are situated 55km northeast of Whakatane.

* Three pinnacles rising about 113m above sea-level are geologically linked to White Island, an active volcano 5km away.

* The new reserve will encircle the rocks, with a 1.6km boundary.

* The area, renowned for kingfish, is spiritually significant to local iwi.

* It was used for Navy target practice until the mid-1990s.

- NZPA