Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Ecosystem effects: Land-based effects
10. Land-based effects on fisheries, aquaculture and
supporting biodiversity
Scope of chapter This chapter outlines the main known threats from land-based activities to
fisheries, aquaculture and supporting biodiversity. It also describes the
present status and trends in land-based impacts.
Area All of the New Zealand freshwater, EEZ and territorial sea.
Focal localities Freshwater habitats and areas closest to the coast are likely to be most
impacted; this will be exacerbated in areas with low water movement.
Anthropogenically increased sediment run-off is particularly high from the
Waiapu and Waipaoa river catchments on the east coast of the North Island.
Areas of intense urbanisation or agricultural use of catchments are also likely
to be impacted by bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and nutrients.
Key issues Habitat modification, sedimentation, aquaculture, shellfish, terrestrial landuse
change (particularly for urbanisation, forestry or agriculture) water
quality and quantity, contamination, consequences to seafood production of
increased pollutants, freshwater management and demand.
Emerging issues Impacts on habitats of particular significance to fisheries management
(HPSFM), linkages through rainfall patterns to climate change, shellfish bed
closures, habitat remediation, domestic animal diseases in protected marine
MPI Research
(current)
NZ Government
Research (current)
Links to 2030
objectives
Related
chapters/issues
10.1. Context
species, proposed aquaculture expansion, water abstraction impacts.
Habitats of particular significance for fisheries management: Kaipara
Harbour (ENV2009/07), Toheroa abundance (TOH2007/03), Biogenic
habitats as areas of particular significance for fisheries management
(HAB2007/01), Research on Biogenic Habitat-Forming Biota and their
functional role in maintaining Biodiversity in the Inshore Region, 5-150m
depths (ZBD2008/01 – this is also part-funded by Oceans Survey 2020,
NIWA and MBIE).
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) funded programs:
(After the outfall: recovery from eutrophication in degraded New Zealand
estuaries (UOCX0902).
NIWA Core funding in two areas. Firstly, The ’Managing marine stressors’
area under the ’Coasts and Oceans’ centre, specifically the programme
’Managing marine resources’ and the project ’Measuring mapping and
conserving (C01X0505)’. Secondly, in the ’Fisheries’ Centre programme 3
which deals with ecosytem-based management approaches in conjunction
with the ’Coasts and Oceans’ centre.
Objective 8: Improve RMA fisheries interface. Objective 4: Support
aquaculture development
Habitats of particular significance for fisheries management (HPSFM),
marine environmental monitoring.
It has been acknowledged for some time now that land-based activities can have important effects on
seafood production. The main threats to the quality and use of the world’s oceans are (GESAMP
2001):
• alteration and destruction of habitats and ecosystems;
• effects of sewage on human health;
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