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LIAM BUTLER INTERVIEWS JANET HUNT AUTHOR OF OUR BIG BLUE BACKYARD NEW ZEALAND’S OCEANS AND MARINE RESERVES

Janet why do you think that our ocean life is the focus of so much passion and at times contention?

First, the ocean is so much part of our lives on a whole lot of levels. As an island nation, we are surrounded by the se 75% of us live within 10 kilometres of it. We grow up with it, holiday in and beside it, learn to swim in it, build our towns and cities on its margins, live with it. We revel in its fickle moods, its openness, its multi-hued, ever-changing face, its creatures. It is as much part of being a New Zealander as the hills and mountains that define our landscapes or the air we breathe.
‘Our’ ocean is also vast — a happy coincidence of international maritime law and geography has given us an enormous sphere of influence and responsibility. And then, looking with the widest possible lens, the oceans shape our existence: they produce half of the world’s oxygen and regulate our climate and weather. What happens in them and to them may ultimately determine our future.
The ocean is at times the focus of contention perhaps because it is the last of the commons, a place where every person feels free to roam and do as he or she wishes. That’s not actually correct because there are limits such as fishing quotas, both recreational and commercial, that define what we can do out there. However, the illusion is powerful and to a large extent, as long as we stay within the rules, we can do as we wish. Sadly, as the ocean and its inhabitants are placed under greater pressure for increased harvesting for food, medicines and a range of other products as well as for the extraction of materials such as oil, iron and phosphates, then concerns and conflicts are inevitable.

Westhaven Marine Reserve (Te Tai Tapu) is situated just around from Golden Bay and 19km Southwest Cape Farewell. It is not easy to get to; but its beauty and abundant birdlife are hard to forget. What are a couple of less well-known marine reserves that are your favourites and why?

All our marine reserves are different. Each is selected because it represents a particular section of the coast, a place with a distinctive character, charm, topography, quality of water and crew of inhabitants, so it’s very difficult to choose a favourite. One that is close to where I live is Paraninihi Marine Reserve out from the spectacular White Cliffs of Northern Taranaki. The seas there are wild and untamed and the coast is constantly eroding and reshaping. At low tide, the cliffs reflect in the shining sands and on a clear day, the light is amazing. Out from the beach, hidden from my view, are rich, colourful sponge beds and anemone gardens, a whole other world.
Another that I have enjoyed visiting is the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve which is special for many reasons but above all, because it was created by school children — the pupils of Kamo High School. I spent a very special day there exploring with friends, first of all the mangrove forest in the upper harbour at Waikaraka and then around the small but perfectly formed Motukaroro Island in the harbour mouth.
Another that is dear to me and not so well known is Te Matuku on Waiheke Island. The reserve is special because it runs from the broadleaf coastal forest at the top of the bay through a variety of habitats to the deep water in the channel beyond. I have returned to it many times, sometimes in the company of children and their teachers, to breathe its air and especially to count and admire its migratory birds.
But each reserve, as I said, is special in its own way, particularly to those who live beside them. It’s impossible, really, to play favourites!

In Our Big Blue Backyard you celebrate Seaweek the flagship event of the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education. How does Seaweek showcase the sustainable use of our marine resource?

Seaweek is important because, like similar ‘weeks’ in the New Zealand conservation calendar, it not only draws attention to the ocean — a different aspect is emphasised every year — but invites people to come closer, to get their feet wet and see for themselves at events held all around the country. At the 2014 event described in the book snorkel groups were escorted out to a small rock formation in the middle of the bay at Ngamotu beach in New Plymouth. It was safe, even for small children, it was interesting, it was fun. It opened people’s eyes to the beauty, mystery and otherness of the ocean. And surely, with increased knowledge and awareness comes greater sensitivity, curiosity and responsibility — the passion we talked about in question one!