Kutu Parera (Gaer Arm) Marine Reserve is a
marine reserve covering an area of at Gaer Arm in the
Bradshaw Sound
Kaikiekie / Bradshaw Sound is one of the larger New Zealand fiords. It is one of the sub fiords/arms that make up the Doubtful Sound/ Thompson Sound complex and forms the northernmost of the blind or dead end fiords in this system.
History
It ...
of
Fiordland on New Zealand's
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
. It was established in 2005 and is administered by the
Department of Conservation
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
.
Geography and ecology
In the fiords, heavy rainfall runs off from the surrounding mountains creates a permanent freshwater layer to about to below the surface. A layer of calm, clear and warm seawater provides a habitat for a range of sponges, corals and fish to about below the surface. A final layer of seawater, too darkened by tannins from vegetation run-off to support most marine life, extends to depths of up to .
The marine reserve contains a range of habitats, including the
Camelot River
The Camelot River is a river of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island () ...
estuary. It has a shallow basin and sediment fan, before dropping to depths of at the entrance to Gaer Arm. The basin has some of the largest populations of
cockle and
pipi in
Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Zea ...
, providing food for
grouper,
tarakihi
''Nemadactylus macropterus'', the tarakihi, jackass morwong or deep sea perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, traditionally regarded as belonging to the family Cheilodactylidae, the members of which are commonly known as morwongs. It is ...
and other fish. There are also areas of
seagrass flats.
The eastern side of the reserve has an extensive rock wall, mostly facing south and shaded from direct sunlight, with vertical drops of . This provides a habitat for many
anemones
''Anemone'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family (biology), family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are Native plant, native to the Temperate climate, temperate and Subtropics, subtrop ...
and other sessile suspension feeders.
The western side of the Gaer Arm has more broken rocky reef habitat, with underwater boulders and a river overflow.
History
The
Māori name Hāwea is after the ancient iwi of Kāti Hāwea.
The reserve was part of a conservation strategy the Fiordland Marine Guardians launched in 2002 and presented to the
Ministry for the Environment Marian Hobbs and
Minister of Fisheries Pete Hodgson in 2003.
It was officially established on 21 April 2005.
The
Ministry of Primary Industries, Fiordland Marine Guardians and other agencies are involved in protecting the marine reserve and stopping the spread of invasive seaweed.
The
New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeal ...
conducted aerial surveillance patrols for illegal commercial fishing in 2021.
Research
Educational and scientific activities are encouraged, but must not disturb or endanger plants, animals or natural features. Scientific research requires a permit from the Department of Conservation.
Recreation
The reserve is accessible from
Te Anau via the Milford Road. Anchoring boats is banned in many areas to protect the particularly fragile species that can be damaged by anchors or swinging chains. There also rules in place to minimise the impact of vessel activity on aihe (''bottlenose dolphins''). Taking off and landing aircraft is permitted.
The protected marine life can be viewed by diving or snorkelling, either independently or with a tourism or charter boat service. To protect the fragile environments, divers must follow the safety and care codes.
There is a ban on fishing, and taking, killing or moving marine life and materials. However, members of
Ngāi Tahu may remove
pounamu provided they have the right authorisation, only collect by hand, keep disturbance to the site to a minimum, and only carry as much as they can in one trip. They may also collect deceased marine mammals and collect teeth and bones.
See also
*
Marine reserves of New Zealand
References
{{Southland District
Marine reserves of New Zealand
Protected areas of Southland, New Zealand
Southland District
2005 establishments in New Zealand
Protected areas established in 2005