The government has agreed to enact the strategy developed by the Fiordland Guardians creating a new Fiordland Marine Area. This will protect the special environment of the world-famous South Island fiords.

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said the move would achieve the right balance between environmental protection, and continued commercial fishing and recreational use.

"The Fiordland Marine Area was proposed and developed by the local community, particularly the Guardians of Fiordland’s Fisheries and Marine Environment," Marian Hobbs said. "At the local level they worked with the Fiordland and Southland communities, Ngâi Tahu and the regional council, Environment Southland.

"The Guardians worked with Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Fisheries. At different stages they involved the government through the Minister Responsible for Oceans Policy, Pete Hodgson, Conservation Minister, Chris Carter and myself to turn their vision for the area into a workable reality."

The new management regime for the area includes strong community involvement. It also includes significant voluntary buy-in by fishers, iwi, boaties, tourist operators, divers and other users.

"Fiordland is a globally unique environment. It has high value marine resources and exceptional biodiversity, including species found only in this part of the world. It is a special area worthy of special protection. We are acting now to ensure future generations will enjoy the treasures of this area," Marian Hobbs said.

Marian Hobbs expects to introduce special legislation to Parliament before the end of the year to create the new Fiordland Marine Area and management regime. It is expected to come into being in the middle of next year.

The legislation will:

• Recognise the national and international importance of the natural features of Fiordland’s marine environment.
• Identify the Fiordland Marine Area, proposed to:
  • encompass an estimated 928,000-hectares,
  • include the waters of the Milford and Doubtful Sounds,
  • extend from the eastern bank of the Waiau River in Southland northwards to Awarua Point in northern Fiordland,
  • include the sea from mean highwater springs out to the 12-mile Territorial Sea Limit adjacent to Fiordland, but excluding the area around Solander Island.
• Establish a local advisory committee, the Fiordland Marine Guardians, to advise the government and Environment Southland.
• Create eight new marine reserves, totalling about 9430 hectares. These will augment existing Fiordland marine reserves at Milford and Doubtful Sounds.
• Allow for more effective management of ‘marine areas of special significance’ (areas identified by the Guardians for their special and ecologically fragile features).

Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope will draft new regulations to prevent commercial fishing within large parts of the inner fiords. They will create a 46,000-hectare recreational fishing area with new sustainable fishing rules.

The Guardians spent eight years developing their Fiordland Marine Conservation Strategy, to address concerns over increasing pressure on the fiords from human activity. This includes from tourism, cruise ships, fishing, diving, electricity generation and boating. The Environment Minister became involved two years ago after the Guardians had worked with government officials for several years.

"The government thanks the Guardians for their foresight, vision and dedication to this valuable part of New Zealand’s natural heritage," Marian Hobbs said. "The Guardians will remain an active part of the area’s future and protection, and have a large role to play in the management of the Fiordland Marine Area.

"The way the strategy was developed is my template for community management of the environment. It has been a community-to-government movement. Our government supported the project throughout its development because the Fiordland area is so important to New Zealand and the community-driven initiative was so positive."

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For further information, see the Fiordland Marine Area Questions and Answers sheet, attached.