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Three marine reserves totalling 435 163 ha are to be established around New Zealand's southern islands, according to the New Zealand Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley.

The Ministers' decision will see a marine reserve cover the entire territorial sea (out to 12 nautical miles) around Antipodes Island, with two further marine reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island, covering 58% and 39% of those islands' territorial waters, respectively.

New prohibitions on fishing (Danish seining) will be introduced in the remaining territorial waters around the island groups, ensuring the entire area of 688 548 ha achieves Marine Protected Area status.  Long-lining for Ling Genypterus blacodes in some areas around the Bounty Islands will continue to be allowed as this method is targeted and has a limited by-catch.

New Zealand's southern islands of the Antipodes, Auckland, Bounty, Campbell and Snares collectively are a World Heritage Site and support large numbers of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, including some species (such as the Vulnerable Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida) which are endemic to the region.

A marine reserve already exists around the Auckland Island Group .

When promulgated, the new Marine Protected Areas will boost the area of New Zealand's 12-nm territorial waters that are protected to over 10%.  Click here for a map of the proposed new MPAs.

Click here to read more about New Zealand's new sub-Antarctic MPAs.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 February 2011