Slide 1 New Zealand s Subantarctic Islands
Slide 2 New Zealand s subantarctic islands lie between 47 and 53 degrees south, and consist of four island groups: Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Antipodes Island and the Bounty Islands. The Auckland Islands lie about 450 km south of the South Island, and Campbell Island a further 200 km south. Antipodes island sits about 900km se of New Zealand, on the edge of the Bounty Plateau, with depths plunging beyond 3000 metres within a few kilometres from shore. The Bounty Islands, about 100 miles north of Antipodes, sit in the middle of the plateau, surrounded by much shallower seas.
Slide 3 Ecological Values the most diverse and extensive of all subantarctic archipelagos World Heritage Area status The seabird capital of the world World s largest breeding colonies of NZ fur seals and NZ sea lions Breeding areas for southern right whales Each island has a distinct suite of marine species Vital land-sea connections In terms of their ecological values, the islands are remote and in a relatively pristine condition. The United Nations Environment Programme has described them as the most diverse and extensive of all subantarctic archipelagos. They have World Heritage Area status, reflecting their international significance. The islands themselves have been afforded the highest protection status available in New Zealand as National Nature Reserves. The islands are particularly important for seabirds and marine mammals. Each of the islands has its own distinctive suite of marine species, not found anywhere else in the world. The connections between the land and sea are particularly important for the subantarctic islands.
Slide 4 In 2003, a marine reserve was established around the Auckland Islands, extending out to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea limits.
Slide 5 The Auckland Islands Motu Maha Marine Reserve and marine mammal sanctuary protect a range of features, including a breeding area for the nationally endangered southern right whale. and the world s largest population of the nationally critical New Zealand sea lion
Slide 6 Campbell Is Motu Ihupuku is one of the three sites proposed as a marine reserve under this Bill. It is the most southerly island in New Zealand s waters and has a range of coastal and marine habitats, including mudflats at the head of the main harbour, boulder beaches and sandy bays.
Slide 7 The terrestrial environment of Campbell Island is unique
Slide 8 And the island is one of the world s most important for seabirds, in particular albatross, with 6 species breeding there, including the southern royal albatross.
Slide 9 Campbell Island is also becoming increasingly important as a breeding site for New Zealand sea lions. The island s seabirds and marine mammals are dependent on the surrounding waters for food.
Slide 10 Underwater, little is known of the diversity of marine life, predominantly because the islands are so remote and the weather frequently adverse. We do know there are a range of habitats not recorded around mainland New Zealand, including these areas of encrusting seaweed reefs.
Slide 11 Remote underwater video surveys undertaken by the Department of Conservation have shown that giant spider crabs are a conspicuous feature of Campbell Island. Relatively little is known about this species, but given their large size and abundance, they likely play an important role in structuring the marine communities around Campbell Island.
Slide 12 Antipodes Island or Moutere Mahue is the most remote of New Zealand s subantarctic islands.
Slide 13 The coastline has sweeping slopes and cliffs
Slide 14 and being of volcanic origin, basalt boulders, stacks and columns are common around the island, both above and below the water.
Slide 15 Over just a few years in the early 1800s, about 330,000 fur seals were taken from the Antipodes Islands. in 1880, a sealing gang reported seeing no fur seals at all. Fur seals appear to still be recovering to their former population size on Antipodes Island.
Slide 16 Underwater, the extensive rock walls are covered in these pink layers of encrusting seaweeds, and are a particular feature of Antipodes island. Such extensive areas of plating coralline seaweeds are not known from mainland New Zealand, and the only other place we have seen anything similar is at Campbell Island. The algae s 3-dimensional nature provided habitat for a range of animals, such as anemones.
Slide 17 There are few nearshore fish species here, but one of the most common is the Antarctic cod.
Slide 18 Antipodes Island has colonies of both eastern rockhopper and erect-crested penguins.
Slide 19 Crested penguins are in decline worldwide, including on Antipodes Island, for reasons we don t fully understand. The only place in the world erect crested penguins breed is on the Bounty and Antipodes Islands.
Slide 20 There s a range of plants that live in the vicinity of the penguin colonies on Antipodes Island, and are probably reliant on their guano as a source of nutrients.
Slide 21 The islands are also the main breeding grounds for the endemic Antipodean albatross and a range of other seabirds.
Slide 22 A small number of elephant seals occur on Antipodes Island, but little is known about them, including aspects such as their relatedness with other elephant seal populations.
Slide 23 The Bounty Islands or Moutere Hauriri comprise a group of 13 islets, named after the infamous HMS Bounty, which sailed past in 1788.
Slide 24 Unlike the other subantarctic islands, the Bounty Islands are soil free and virtually vegetation free.
Slide 25 but what they do have is thousands of fur seals and hundreds of thousands of seabirds.
Slide 26 including the Bounty Island shag found nowhere else in the world.
Slide 27 The Bounty Island fur seal population was reduced to just 5 individuals following sealing in the 1800s, but is now estimated at over 20,000
Slide 28 Underwater, as well as above the water, the Bounty Islands are vastly different from the other subantarctic islands. The Bounty Islands marine environment is dominated by encrusting animals, such as sponges
Slide 29,barnacles and mussels, which are likely reliant on the runoff of guano from the islands
Slide 30 Conspicuous components of the nearshore rocky reef community at the Bounties are the giant spider crab
Slide 31 and the giant masking crab. These crabs are large, with legspans around a metre.
Slide 32 Fish are generally more abundant at the Bounty Islands, and the fauna more diverse.
Slide 33 The islands are a stronghold for Salvins albatross
Slide 34 With over 30,000 breeding pairs
Slide 35 The Bounty Islands also have the world s largest breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals
Slide 36 All life on the Bounty Islands group is directly or indirectly dependent on the surrounding ocean
Slide 37 And like the other subantarctic islands, the Bounty Islands themselves are vital as places for seabirds and seals for breeding, moulting and raising young.
Slide 38 Subantarctic Islands Marine Protected Area Process Stakeholder forum convened in February 2008 Series of meetings through 2008-2009 Released consultation document in June 2009 Public submission period Report to Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries Decisions by Ministers on MPA proposals 2011 In 2008, the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries appointed a 14 person forum to identify sites and potential tools for area-based protection of marine biodiversity in the Subantarctic biogeographic region, in accordance with New Zealand s marine protected area policy. The forum consisted of representatives from a range of stakeholder groups, including Maori, commercial fishing, environmental, conservation and scientific interests. The forum held a series of meetings through 2008-2009 and released a public consultation document in June 2009. Following a submission period, the forum provided a series of options for marine protected areas to the then Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries. In 2011, Ministers made recommendations to Cabinet to progress a series of marine protected area proposals.
Slide 39 Existing Use and Protection One of the forum s considerations was existing use and protection in the subantarctic region. This map shows trawl effort (in the greens and reds), highlighting the important fisheries for squid, southern blue whiting and hoki in red, particularly around the Auckland Islands. The yellow boxes are seamounts closed to trawling, and the blue boxes are Benthic Protection Areas, which are closed to bottom trawling and dredging.
Slide 40 Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserve Proposals The three marine reserve proposals to be implemented by way of the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill are: A marine reserve over the entire territorial sea surrounding Antipodes Island. A marine reserve covering 58% of the territorial sea around the Bounty Islands. The design of the reserve was intended to minimise the impact of the reserve on the existing long-line fishery for ling around the islands. A marine reserve covering 39% of the territorial sea around Campbell Island, with a review of the size of this reserve 5 years after the reserve is established, to consider protecting the remainder of the territorial sea.
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