Auckland Islands-Motu Maha Marine Reserve

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The Auckland Islands-Motu Maha Marine Reserve is New Zealand's second largest marine reserve . It covers the breeding area of southern right whales (Engl. Southern Right Whale ), from the family of right whales coming, the New Zealand sea lions and yellow-eyed penguin (English Yellow-eyed Penguin from). It is almost congruent with the Auckland Islands Marine Mammal Sanctuary ( marine mammal sanctuary ).

geography

The Auckland Islands-Motu Maha Marine Reserve is between 50 '16 "and 51' 19" South and between 165 '32 "and 166' 39" East in the South Pacific Ocean , around 460 km south of the South Island of New Zealand. With a radius of 12  nautical miles it encloses the Auckland Islands and covers a lake area of ​​around 494,000  hectares . The protected lake area has depths of up to 3000 m, but mostly between 50 and 200 m.

history

The Auckland Islands archipelago was discovered in 1806 by the whaler Abraham Bristow . This was followed by seal hunters, two attempts at settlement and the Southern Whale Fishery Company , which however gave up its whaling station on the islands in 1854. After that, the archipelago was uninhabited again. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Auckland Islands attracted attention due to spectacular ship accidents on their coasts. Shipping accidents .

On March 22, 1993, the sea area around the Auckland Islands was declared the Auckland Islands Marine Mammal Sanctuary . Ten years later, on December 15, 2003, the Marine Reserve Ordinance (Auckland Islands-Motu Maha) Order 2003 followed , declaring an almost congruent area around the islands to be a marine reserve . Both protected areas came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation .

today

Access to the marine reserve and the islands is now heavily regulated and only scientists and cruise ships are allowed under certain conditions. Only the Department of Conservation issues permits .

Wildlife

The Auckland Islands are home to an abundance of different seabirds, are breeding grounds for New Zealand sea lions, of which a population of 11,600 to 15,200 is suspected, and are home to almost a third of the world's yellow-eyed penguin population. The Southern Right Whales , almost extinct in the last century due to unconditional years, have been able to increase their numbers to around 90 specimens again through the establishment of the protection zones. They give birth over the winter months in the shallow waters of Port Ross , a larger fjord in the north of Auckland Island . A wealth of Arrow Squid (squid), Blue Moki , from the genus of the trumpet perch, dense underwater seaweed forest and an abundance of crustaceans give the protected animals ideal living conditions to maintain their species and their population.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History . Department of Conservation , archived from the original on February 23, 2013 ; accessed on August 25, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).
  2. ^ Marine Mammals Protection (Auckland Islands Sanctuary) Notice 1993 . New Zealand Legislation - Parliamentary Council Office , accessed August 3, 2012 .
  3. ^ Marine Reserve (Auckland Islands — Motu Maha) Order 2003 . New Zealand Legislation - Parliamentary Council Office , accessed August 3, 2012 .
  4. ↑ Facts . Department of Conservation , archived from the original on October 20, 2012 ; accessed on August 25, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).

Coordinates: 50 ° 44 ′ 0 ″  S , 166 ° 5 ′ 0 ″  E