There are only two marine reserves in the Bay of Plenty.
In a Regional context, this is nowhere near the goal set in the NZ Biodiversity Strategy (2000) for 10 per cent of our territorial waters in a representative network of marine protected areas.
This goal is consistent with international targets.
There is excellent potential for this site to become a gem of biodiversity.
During the term of the exclusion zone, benthic and pelagic life have been recovering from years of fishing pressure, despite the short-term impacts of the ship grounding and release of pollutants.
The waters of the Bay of Plenty were once teeming with fish.
As a student I saw many huge schools of kahawai and trevally, and marvelled at the rush of activity as a large marlin or mako shark charged in sending the fish into a noisy flurry of spray.
That sight is rare today, but might return if a suitable-sized marine reserve was established.
For fishermen the most difficult time to accept a marine reserve is in its earliest years when fishing is not allowed but the benefits have not yet been realized. At Astrolabe Reef the "hard yards" have already been done as fishermen have been excluded from the area for nearly four years.
I believe opening the area to fishing once the exclusion zone is removed would be a big mistake.
A few weeks of feverish, greedy fishing would soon reduce the marine life to its previous mediocre condition, and any ecological benefits of the respite would be lost.
Surely a more sensible approach would be to build on what has already been gained?
That time has given marine-life recovery a valuable boost, and is a fortuitous gift which I believe should be used wisely.
There is more to enjoying the sea than fishing.
Apart from the benefit to marine life, the diving fraternity would gain a clear-water marine reserve only half the distance to the other nearest reserve at Mayor Island.
The value to the local economy of non-extractive dive tourism would continue to grow as the fish life became more spectacular, and would soon far outweigh any short-term gains from fishing charters.
The remains of the Rena would be an added attraction to that section of the dive community who love to dive on wrecks.
By preventing removal of souvenirs, a marine reserve could add an element of safety, and preserve all the remaining wreck paraphernalia which is part of the attraction for wreck divers in the first place.
Astrolabe Reef is just one of many similar or submerged reefs and small islands in the Bay of Plenty.
In the longer term fishermen would benefit from the reserve.
According to the Ministry of Primary Industries, snapper stocks are down to a pathetic 10 per cent of the pre-fished biomass in the Bay of Plenty.
The reserve would help them recover and ultimately provide a haven for large breeding fish sparse elsewhere.
It would create a sanctuary for increasing numbers and sizes of fish which divers and others love to see, as has occurred famously at Leigh and the Poor Knights Islands, bringing huge local economic benefit.
The reserve would also be a fitting tribute to the sad loss of large numbers of seabirds and marine life.
I'm sure many who worked hard to clean-up the beach and assist bird recovery would be delighted to see the disaster site become a place where the fish could thrive in peace.
This I believe is the best way to bring some good out of the unfortunate Rena incident.
Fate has delivered us a "pre-cursor marine reserve on a plate" and I would urge us all to think carefully about the long-term benefits of continuing sanctuary status.
To succeed the idea would need very strong community support.
I believe that support would be there, despite likely loud opposition from a narrow sector.
Tangaroa is working hard to recover from the harm the wreck has caused.
We can acknowledge his work best by building on it, not tearing it down.
Dr Roger Grace is a marine scientist and an expert witness for the Motiti Rohe Moana Trust, which represents most of the resident maori living on Motiti Island.
