Up to 3000 school kids visit the reserve every year and learn about its importance through the 'Experiencing Marine Reserves' programme. Photo: Supplied
The jewel of the East Cape's coastline is under review for the first time in 25 years, with locals hoping the marine reserve will remain protected for many generations to come.
Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve is about 20 minutes north of Gisborne city and begins at Pouawa Beach. It was created in 1999, with an iwi condition that it be reviewed in 2025.
The reserve stretches along a rugged slice of the East Coast and protects 2452 hectares of coastline and eight different marine habitats.
Department of Conservation (DOC) marine ranger Jamie Quirk has been managing the reserve since the iwi, Ngati Konohi, began discussions with DOC in 1989 about its creation after noticing a big decline in fish stocks.
After 10 years of talks the reserve was formed in 1999, and was New Zealand's largest mainland marine reserve at the time.
Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
Quirk told RNZ it was special because there was so much people can see in ankle-deep water, making it a very accessible marine environment to explore.
"When things aren't fished the place changes, and there are lots of crayfish and octopus to be seen here.
"The amount of silt and stuff coming down the rivers and those things are affecting the reserve more than anything most probably, but this is basically the best of what we can make it in today's environment," he said.
After 25 years of protection there is an abundance of marine species, although Quirk said the marine reserve always attracts a few poachers. However, CCTV system that captures the carpark and coastline is helping DOC keep an eye out for any dodgy behaviour.
"I personally don't like the word 'poaching', that's a Robin Hood word. These people aren't Robin Hoods, they are self-centred narcisists who are stealing from the people of New Zealand.
"They're taking away the future of the children who come here. I think poaching is too nice of a word for them, they're basically thieves," he said.
Amy Hardy, Mahora Edwards and Jamie Quirk. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
The reserve was not only valuable for scientific reseach, especially on crayfish, but it was also educating local school kids.
Amy Hardy runs the 'Experiencing Marine Reserves' programme with her brother and sister. It was an initiative her father Murray Palmer began 20 years ago to educate kids across Tairāwhiti.
Each year they bring up to 3000 students out to the reserve to snorkel on the reef, learn about marine protected areas and compare a protected and unprotected marine environment.
Hardy said many of the children had never seen a marine reserve.
"They are really learning about why we should be protecting it, why they are seeing such bigger species or more abundance in this site and the reason for it.
"It's really cool when they go back to their own parents and talk about only taking what you need," she said.
Young divers enjoy the thrills of the Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve. Photo: Supplied
The reserve is teeming with all sorts of life, and home to many different marine species.
"Kina, kōura or crayfish, fish species like blue moki, red moki, spotty fish - those are definitely some of most common ones but then also octopus... there's a whole range," said Hardy.
She is keen to see the marine reserve protections remain in place.
"I think it is an incredible learning environment. It's such a unique and beautiful place, I would love for it to continue so these tamariki can experience it," she said.
'Generational review' of marine reserve expected to take a year
When the reserve was formed, a condition by the iwi was for a generational review after 25 years.
Mahora Edwards is the kaitiaki of the Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve Committee and said it took a lot of mahi to protect this marine area.
"It was really founded on whanau going out into the water and not finding any kai, so hence the need to do something about it.
"It took 10 years and 135 hui, because at first people weren't interested but through perserverance and evidence of why it was needed, it was formed," she said.
It was through negotiations with DOC and Ngāti Konohi that the requirement of a 25-year review was born.
"The generational review was set up so we could take a look at if, and how, things have changed... If the hapu have benefitted from it, what the communities take on it is, how the stakeholders have benefitted from it as well," said Edwards.
The process of assessing if any changes are needed is expected to take a year, but Mahora said the committee had recieved lots of positive feedback about the reserve - including from the local school students who had written to them in support.
Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve is about 20 minutes north of Gisborne city and begins at Pouawa Beach. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
Quirk is on the same page, over the years he has witnessed the recovery of fish stocks and improvement of the marine environment.
"Hopefully in the future we will still get to see lots of children out here enjoying themselves, lots of people enjoying themselves.
"Our biggest thing is that in New Zealand we've been really good at looking after our land - 33 percent of our land mass in in national parks and reserves - but we need to do more in the sea and having places like this will show other people the benefits of marine conservation," he said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
