Latest Breaking News On - Mercury islands - Page 9 : comparemela.com

SunLive - Hauraki Gulf bed reserve needed say experts - The Bay's News First

In dire straits: Experts call for 30 per cent of Hauraki Gulf to be protected

More than 200 people attended the Protecting the Sea on Our Doorstep event on Whitianga. “Hauraki Gulf’s story is not a great one,” Hauraki Gulf Forum CEO Alex Rogers said. Speaking to a packed crowd in Whitianga, he said the gulf was under significant pressure. The 2020 State of our Gulf report, produced every three years, depicted a collapsed ecosystem due to overfishing, invasive fishing practices, marine dumping and sediment and nutrient runoff, he said. Since 2000, snapper, tarakihi and crayfish have been at, or have fallen to, levels requiring action to actively rebuild stocks. Scallop, mussel, crayfish and pāua populations have also been declining for decades.

Whitaker population growth a major milestone for Ngā Manu

Whitaker population growth a major milestone for Ngā Manu 6 May, 2021 01:11 AM 4 minutes to read A Whitaker s skink at Ngā Manu Nature reserve in Waikanae. Photo / Rosalie Willis Rosalie is a reporter for Kāpiti News Thought to be almost extinct, two decades ago a small site in Pukerua Bay proved to be the home of Whitaker s skinks, an endangered species not found elsewhere on mainland New Zealand. For the past three years, Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae has been home to the endangered species, joining private breeder Dennis Keall in Wainuiomata as captive breeders for DoC s breeding programme. Originally there was a very small population found in Pukerua Bay in the early 2000s, Ngā Manu s Dave Banks said.

GO NZ: Where to see kiwi, seals, dolphins, whales and more in the wild

Local Matters - New date set for fishing comp

New date set for fishing comp A yellow fin tuna caught in last year’s competition. The Warkworth Gamefish Club has departed from four decades of tradition, changing the date of its annual ‘one base’ competition from Auckland anniversary weekend to next month. It will be held from Thursday to Saturday, March 4 to 6. Club convenor Dave Adams says it is an experiment to see if the time of year proves better for fishing. The competition is not technically a “one base” format, as entrants only need be at Great Barrier for the prizegiving. Anglers are allowed to fish within the competition map, which spans from the Mercury Islands to the Poor Knights.