Shark cage diving decision a win for paua divers

When word came through that the Court of Appeal had ruled in favour of New Zealand paua divers in their case against shark cage diving near Stewart Island, the reaction was one of jubilance.

From the distant and isolated Faroe Islands, midway between Iceland and Norway, Paua MAC5 Chairman Storm Stanley couldn’t contain his excitement, despite no working phone. His emails expressed his utter relief at the decision.

And, why wouldn’t he? New Zealand’s paua divers have been attempting to get shark cage diving shut down for years, and it is not because they are anti-business. It is because the activity poses such a risk to their divers that they won’t even put them in the water.

There are two commercial cage diving companies operating around the Titi islands, a cluster of small islands located a short distance off the Stewart Island mainland. The islands are a rich paua source, only harvested by free dive and never with tanks, but also a rich source of food, in the way of seals, for the Great White shark. During the summer months the Titi Islands are home to a large population of seals and, in turn, attract a large population of Great White sharks.

These are monster predators, growing up to six metres in length. They are cautious beasts, known to circle and identify prey before attacking. Despite the similarities between a seal and a wetsuit-clad paua diver, there have been no attacks on paua divers for 20 years but two minor attacks on others have been recorded.

But the advent of shark cage diving changed all that, because it changed the sharks’ behaviour.

Tourists pay good money to be up close and personal with a Great White shark. From $500 to over $600 per person, depending on whether you have previous dive experience.

Shark cage tourism experiences will see you lowered into the sea in a cage while the operators lure the Great White sharks close. They do this by spreading tuna berley, which attracts the sharks’ interest and then they use tuna meat bait to bring them right up to the cage.

Paua Industry Council chief executive, Jeremy Cooper, says the practise began in 2008 and over time has changed the behaviour of the sharks. He says they now associate human behaviour with food – and that is deadly. He says even the sound of a boat motor will now bring the sharks circling.

He says a recent incident saw divers arrive in a bay and within a very short time they have had sharks targeting the boat. Without provocation, one launched itself onto the vessel and attacked the back pontoon.

This week’s judgement in the Court of Appeal case decided two important issues. Whether the Department of Conservation, which is granting permits for shark cage diving under Section 63a of the Wildlife Act, is legally permitted to do so, and whether shark cage diving is actually an offence under that same Act.

In both instances the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the paua divers and therefore anyone else who may be exposed to increased risk created by this activity. The Director General of Conservation can no longer grant permits for cage diving and shark cage diving is now ruled an offence under section 63A of the Wildlife Act.

What this means is an immediate halt to all shark cage diving off Stewart Island and elsewhere.

Commentary from Tourism Industry Aotearoa, formerly the Tourism Industry Association, which criticised the judgement is unhelpful. While we agree that the 65 year old Wildlife Act could do with an overhaul, we were not prepared to put people’s lives at risk while we waited. Court action is never a first priority. The fishermen who make their living from paua did not choose this option lightly. Would Tourism Industry Aotearoa be as quick to dismiss concerns if human safety was at risk in any other adventure tourism operation?

The National Party spokesperson for Conservation, Invercargill MP Sarah Dowie, has also acknowledged her concerns with a Member’s Bill that aims to regulate the shark cage diving industry. If passed, it would introduce geographic limits to where shark cage diving could operate, including minimum distances from beaches and other human activity. Coincidentally, Dowie's Bill was drawn from the Members' Ballot in parliament yesterday.

Helen Cave who owns the South Sea Hotel at Stewart Island’s Half Moon Bay is pleased the practise has been banned, for now. In 2015 she managed to get 768 people to sign a petition to parliament asking that all shark cage diving on Stewart Island be stopped immediately and permanently. Helen has lived on Stewart Island for fifty years and says the fishermen didn’t see the sharks. The fishermen went about their business and their sharks went about theirs. She pointed out that it takes about seven minutes for the sharks to get from the cage diving area to where her grandchildren are swimming.

So, yes, it’s personal.

Photo: Malcolm Francis, DOC

Charting the depths of the Sounds

A soundwave survey has discovered a landscape of desert-like dunes beneath Marlborough Sounds' waters.

Led by NIWA and assisted by Land Information New Zealand and Marlborough District Council, the three million dollar project is the first and most comprehensive survey to be completed in nearly 80 years.

The survey provides 3D images, captures motion pictures of marine habitats, reefs, currents and marine life and even maps man-made features of the marine ecosystem.

Over 280 days, two NIWA vessels used soundwaves to map more than 5 billion data points across 43,000 hectares of coastal waters.

NIWA operations manager Dr Helen Neil said the survey revealed much more than what’s shown on nautical charts.

The mapping found large circular pit marks, high ridges and 20-metre deep holes – similar to what you might see in the Sahara Desert.

Smaller marks are said to be from gas-rich fluids and freshwater that is seeping from underground, whereas the larger pits look to be caused by mooring chains that have dragged along the seafloor with the tides. The large pit marks are particularly concentrated in Waikawa Bay, Endeavour Inlet and the Bay of Many Coves – areas where there are a greater number of vessels.

Mapping of the northern end of Queen Charlotte Sound revealed a shallow bar which prevents the Cook Strait tides from disturbing the Sound’s calm waters. Rocky reefs, extensive kelp habitats and several shipwrecks were also found in the area.

The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Enterprise is already using the survey’s data for a project on juvenile fish habitats and Marlborough Mayor John Leggett expects the mapping will help the council in managing coastal resources.

Once published, the data will be available by request to help scientists, government and the public gain a better understanding of Marlborough’s marine environment and its unique features.

A survey image of Waikawa Bay illustrating the pit marks from mooring chains.

Seaweek 2019

Tiakina o Tātou Mōana – Care for our Seas – is set to be the theme for next year’s Seaweek.

Organised by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE), Seaweek provides a range of activities and competitions that raise awareness about our oceans. Last year’s event included photo competitions, a snorkel day, several workshops and more.

The 2019 theme will be aimed at highlighting the impact that plastic, litter and other pollutants have on coastlines and the sea.

Seaweek programme manager Pam Crisp said the recent movement around single-use plastic bags has served as an opportunity for the organisation to stir critical thinking around the connection between land and sea – specifically, how our actions affect the health of the marine environment.

By having an annual focus on issues affecting the oceans, the event educates schools and the community on how they can be involved, said Crisp.

“It’s wonderful that we are able to plan early to grow the event and engage more people in this fun and informative week about the sea.”

Seaweek 2019 will be supported by the Department of Conservation, NZ Marine Studies Centre (University of Otago), Greater Wellington Regional Council, The National Aquarium of New Zealand – Napier City Council, Environment Canterbury Regional Council, New Zealand Coastal Society and other local sponsors.

The event will commence on Saturday, 2 March 2019 and run until Sunday, 10 March.

The best of fish 'n' chips

Over the past few weeks, we have featured some of Kiwi's top-rated fish and chip shops from around the country. Here is this week's feedback on your personal fish and chip favourites:

Asian Takeaways, KhandallahGood selection of meals - great fish and chips in the traditional style at reasonable prices. The owners/operators are recent NZ citizens and super friendly and efficient.

Best fish meal at the moment is at the Wellington Club and what they’re doing with groper!- Craig Ellison

Blue Island Seafoods, Moera

While the outside of the shop is a bit rustic quoting the “best fish & chip shop in 1997 & 1999” - it is well worth a visit. We choose to bypass our local and drive 15 minutes for the taste sensation of Blue Island Seafoods in Moera.

While I enjoy the chicken burger the rest of the family enjoys the iconic kiwi fish 'n' chips. The fish is fresh, moist and melts in your mouth, the chips come in generous portions, coated with chicken or garlic salt and the burgers are twice the size of other stores and scrumptious.

As far as fish n’ chips and takeaways go, it is a Halford family favourite! For those of you willing to travel, it will be worth your while!- Cara Halford

What fish and chip shop do you rate top-notch? Send us your choice here with the subject line 'Fish and Chips'.

News

Scallop season began this week, but Bay of Island residents will have to wait until the shellfish toxin alert is lifted to partake in the diving activities, NZ Herald reports. Northlanders divers will be able to catch their share of scallops, but have been warned to be mindful of the rules or face action from the Ministry for Primary Industries. The daily limit is 20 scallops per diver with a minimum size of 100mm. Fisheries officers will be visiting popular dive spots around Northland in the coming days to ensure divers are complying with the rules.

Te Ohu Kaimoana chairman Jamie Tuuta travelled to New York on Monday as a member of the New Zealand delegation that will participate in discussions on a new international agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The Exclusive Economic Zone - an area of ocean within 200 nautical miles of land – aids in protecting a country’s fish stocks. Beyond this is the high seas, an area where fishing is less-regulated. The international community is now discussing ways in which marine biodiversity in these international waters should be managed in the future. BBNJ is an emerging global issue that could have an impact on the marine environment generally and Iwi rights and interests. Te Ohu Kaimoana considers that mātauranga Māori and ensuring that Māori rights are protected will form a fundamental part of the discussion. There will be two more conferences in 2019 and a fourth session is scheduled for 2020. Te Ohu Kaimoana intends to provide Iwi with a presentation and/or workshop on this issue in the coming months.

A new study of mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef suggests that deeper reefs may not be a refuge from temperature anomalies caused by global warming. Victoria University of Wellington scientist Dr Alice Rogers was part of the international research

team whose findings showed coral bleaching affected both shallow and deep reefs. The study focused on a mass bleaching event in 2016 that caused the death of 30 percent of shallow-water corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Deep reefs suffered some damage, but it was much less than that of shallow reefs. Corals at depths of 40 metres or less were found to have significantly greater signs of bleaching. The research team now plans to study the process of recovery from these bleaching events, examining how deeper and shallower reefs differ in their recovery.

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