Restoring the Hauraki Gulf — DYC supports every effort to restore the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park environment.

In Sir Peter Blake’s final log on board Seamaster he wrote: “We want to restart people caring for the environment…through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment.” 

As boaties with a natural affinity with the sea, we encourage members to get involved with local projects to help to restore the Hauraki Gulf environment for future generations, and to continue Sir Peter Blake’s legacy.

​​​​​​​

Just a note in case you hadn’t heard that there is no controlled area notification for the north coast of Waiheke. so we can anchor at Onetangi, Waiheke again. MPI have updated the bio-security rules for Caulerpa.  Within the Waiheke zone, people will now be able to anchor but must follow equipment cleaning directions before they leave the controlled area.  The law requires boaties to check their anchor, anchor chain and any equipment used in the water for attached seaweed or plant material. This includes, for example, diving and fishing gear, wetsuits and fins. This is a welcome step forward and should help Oneroa being so crowded!! However, for other parts of the coast many of us like to sail to there are regulations, so please see the link below.

For the Controlled Area Notification relevant for December 2024 follow this link.

Dr Laura Jordan-Smith presenting to a capacity crowd at DYC Seatalks 21 November 2024

Notices — Hazards and Highlights


Latest updates – November 2024​​​​​​​ 

Click here for the latest update from MPI.

Unfortunately, for those of us who love to sail the Hauraki Gulf and Northland waters you will see that:

Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill - Submission on behalf of DYC October 2023

More information about this topic: https://www.reviveourgulf.org.nz/2023-10-marine-protections-campaign/

DYC feedback

Whilst we support many elements of the Bill, the membership of the Devonport Yacht Club is concerned the current Bill will not address the decline of the marine environment sufficiently to allow the Gulf to thrive.

Recommendations

Therefore, we would like to see further strengthening of provisions in the Bill, with an increase in the area set aside for marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This should be inline with the aspirations set out in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity - of ‘30 by 30’. There should be more meaningful progress towards 30% protection of the marine environment of the Hauraki Gulf by 2030. The Bill should:

  • Include the proposed Hakamango-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) Marine Reserve.
  • Include The Noises HPA (high protection area).
  • Add provisions to permit the addition of further HPAs and SPAs in the future.
  • Ban seafloor trawling within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
  • Add provisions to monitor the effectiveness of the SPAs and particularly the HPAs, including the effects of customary fishing.

Exotic Caulerpa weed has now been spotted at Kawau and Waiheke as well as at Great Barrier and the Bay of Islands.

Please be aware and alert for sightings of this invasive weed.

Auckland Council are seeking fresh feedback on the Ōrākei Local Board’s vision for The Landing at Ōkahu Bay.

You can see that vision at https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/thelanding2023 and it does not include a hardstand but instead uses that space for dinghy storage.

If you think the hardstand should remain at The Landing then please send your feedback to AC and especially answer the question on the second page of the feedback form:

“Do you support retention of a short stay haul out and hardstand facility for boat cleaning and/or anti-foul application? — Strongly Support”

The timeframe for accepting feedback is now until 24th September so please act now and have your say. The Ōrākei Local Board will close the hardstand unless they hear otherwise from ratepayers.

The hardstand is an Auckland Council-owned facility that Council has heavily invested in with state-of-the-art sand filters so that no waste product runs to the sea, dust covers protect boats and the surrounds during painting and sanding and the yard has an impeccable safety record.

The hardstand is needed because of the biosecurity threat from invasive marine species and the shrinking capacity in Auckland to clean boats annually as suggested by Auckland Council’s biosecurity unit.

There are no Auckland Council funds available or allocated for any upgrades at The Landing and the Ōrākei Local Board controls pricing at the hardstand.

More info at AYBA https://www.ayba.org.nz/the-landing--okahu-bay/ 

Please share with your boating friends and community, and please have your say today.

A very warm welcome to DYC members to attend this event. Complimentary tickets available here: https://events.humanitix.com/state-of-the-gulf-2023.

The Real Watergate : Live Ocean

8 June 2023

This World Ocean Day we've teamed up with ocean and sporting legends to reveal the greatest cover-up in history - The Real Watergate.Through this bold, digital-led campaign, ocean champions from across Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world are speaking out to reveal the ocean for the hero it really is....our greatest ally in the fight against climate change.

SPEAKING UP IN THE REAL WATERGATE

International voices including marine biologist Dr Diva Amon; UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Ambassador Peter Thomson; youngest solo round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson; swimmer and UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh; and pro surfer Ace Buchan among others.

In the line-up from New Zealand you'll see whale scientist Professor Rochelle Constantine; champion free diver William Trubridge; Tohunga Waka Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr; and pro surfer Ella Williams feature alongside others in the tongue-in-cheek video.

Sustainability report March 2023

There was an AYBA meeting on 6 March held at PCC to hear Dimitri Coletta from Auckland Council report on Marine Biosecurity. It was an interesting presentation and Q&A. There was discussion on the mismatch of biosecurity requirements and lack of facilities to enable boat owners to comply.

The report is available here

The Noises Secret Fishing Spot — an informal census

Blog post for The Noises by Matt Rayner

November 2022

The Noises has long been a popular fishing spot for Aucklanders and I first ventured there as a teenager in the early 1990s. Mum and dad helped me buy my first boat when I was still at school – a 12ft Parker craft with a 15 hp Mercury outboard – me and my mates would go all around the gulf, camping and fishing, it was choice. We had a legendary “secret spot”; shallow water reef with blue-green water breaking in the swells, fringed in waving green-brown seaweed – it always produced a snapper or two.

Read more

Matt will be presenting at Seatalks in August 2023.

Seasick - Saving the Hauraki Gulf

Seasick - Saving the Hauraki Gulf  is a seven-part series initiated by the release of many bleak reports on the state of the gulf. The alarming decrease in crayfish, paua, scallops, fish stocks – most sealife. How has it come to this? Who are the culprits and what can be done?

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park was the first marine park established in New Zealand. It reaches from Te Arai to Waihi in the North Island, an area of more than 1.2 million hectares which includes more than 50 islands. It is a unique, bio-diverse and a much-loved body of water, but it is in a state of ecological collapse.

Watch the series on Stuff

OTATA ISLAND, THE NOISES IN THE HAURAKI GULF. PHOTO: REPUBLIC FILMS.

You will need a permit to leave after anchoring in Tryphena Harbour, Whangaparapara Harbour, and Blind Bay, Great Barrier Island

To halt the spread of an invasive seaweed species, a Controlled Area Notice and rāhui are in place until 30 June 2022. You will need a permit from Biosecurity NZ to leave these Great Barrier anchorages.

Fishing ban as highly invasive super-spreader seaweed reaches Coromandel Island

The pest seaweed, also known as caulerpa, was first discovered in New Zealand waters last year near Aotea Great Barrier Island, but has since spread to three other bays.

In a bid to control its movements, Biosecurity New Zealand has extended its legal controls to Coromandel’s Ahuahu Great Mercury Island, banning fishing and adding boat-cleaning requirements.

More (links to Waikato Times website)

BLAKE (The Sir Peter Blake Trust)

BLAKE was established in 2004 and is dedicated to continuing the environmental leadership legacy of Sir Peter Blake.

Each year, BLAKE aims to inspire thousands of young New Zealanders to care for the environment through educational programmes designed to encourage and facilitate environmental awareness and leadership, and instil a deeper sense of kaitiakitanga. In keeping with the spirit of Sir Peter, at the core of all of these programmes and events is an essence of adventure, participation, collaboration, and exploration.

Sir Peter called Seamaster an “extraordinary vessel, built to go anywhere there is 1.5 to 2 meters of water.” Sir Peter and his crew had started a five-year journey on Seamaster as part of Blakexpeditions when he met an untimely death in December 2001. His mission was to visit ecologically sensitive parts of the planet to “restart people caring for the environment” and make a difference, with a focus on water.

20 years later, we say, “Kia Kaha Sir Peter, your work goes on.”

BLAKE INSPIRE FOR SAILORS PROGRAMME

In May 2023, DYC’s Mukai Duder-Hera represented the club on the BLAKE Inspire for Sailors programme. His account of this experience is on the DYC blog here.

The Hauraki Gulf marine environment is in crisis owing in part to decades of over-extraction and the impact of land-based activities. But there is something we can do about it.

By protecting special areas of the Hauraki Gulf we can reverse the decline.  On August 30th, all parties in our Government unanimously supported the first reading of the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill. This draft bill is now out for consultation.  It is our final opportunity to influence the shape of this protection, and importantly, express public support for it to the new Government. 

​​​​​​​Make a submission today to show you care about the state of the Hauraki Gulf.

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/54SCENV_SCF_78FF85F3-7991-4963-60B2-08DBA2A4022F/hauraki-gulf-t%C4%ABkapa-moana-marine-protection-bill

(You’ll be taken to the NZ Parliament submission page. You can also upload a letter there if you’d prefer. Submissions must be received by 5pm on the 1st November 2023.)

There is more information available from all of the organisations promoting the marine environment of the Hauraki Gulf, eg https://www.reviveourgulf.org.nz/2023-10-marine-protections-campaign/

Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill - Submission on behalf of DYC October 2023

Our feedback

Whilst we support many elements of the Bill, the membership of the Devonport Yacht Club is concerned the current Bill will not address the decline of the marine environment sufficiently to allow the Gulf to thrive.

Recommendations

Therefore, we would like to see further strengthening of provisions in the Bill, with an increase in the area set aside for marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This should be inline with the aspirations set out in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity - of ‘30 by 30’. There should be more meaningful progress towards 30% protection of the marine environment of the Hauraki Gulf by 2030. The Bill should:

  • Include the proposed Hakamango-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) Marine Reserve.
  • Include The Noises HPA (high protection area).
  • Add provisions to permit the addition of further HPAs and SPAs in the future.
  • Ban seafloor trawling within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
  • Add provisions to monitor the effectiveness of the SPAs and particularly the HPAs, including the effects of customary fishing.

Volunteering Opportunities and Environmental Projects in the Hauraki Gulf

Motuihe Project

Motuihe — Te Motu-a-Ihenga is a natural sanctuary of bush, beaches, and native wildlife. There are many ways to take part in restoring the natural environment and to enjoy the island for relaxation.

Motuihe Project is an initiative of Motuihe Trust and the Department of Conservation.

Volunteers keen on weeding, planting, track maintenance or administrative assistance are especially sought-after right now.

Rotoroa

Rotoroa is a beautiful island sanctuary, predator-free and restored to native bush. The Rotoroa Island Trust care for the island. They encourage visitors to connect with nature here while learning about conservation in a place of recovery and renewal.

We recommend the guided walk — you'll learn about the island's history as well as current conservation programmes.

Rotoroa Island Trust welcomes volunteers — occasional, regular, and corporate.

Rotoroa

The Motutapu Restoration Trust is committed to restoring the natural and cultural landscapes of this beautiful and very special island.

Their project is the largest ecological restoration endeavour in New Zealand. Motutapu and Rangitoto are now pest free islands — and the Trust always welcome volunteers to help keep them that way.

Activities include: tree planting, nurturing plants, and weeding out invasive weeds from the planted forest.

Motukorea

Motukorea — Brown’s Island is a regional park managed by Auckland Council and is home for numerous bird species and native skinks.

Volunteers can work with Council to restore the ecology of the island. Contact FORParks (Friends of Regional Parks) to get involved.

The island is the closest to the mainland and an easy and rewarding day-trip for boaties.

The Noises

The Noises are a chain of islands, rock stacks, and reefs, lying within the inner Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The two larger islands are dominated by pohutukawa forest, rich indigenous vegetation, and native bird species. They are predator-free.

Restoration and regeneration projects here aim to:

  • provide safe nesting for seabirds essential to the marine ecosystem

  • support marine species in serious decline

  • ensure the survival of wētāpunga.

Te Wānanga mussels

Mature mussels filter 150 to 200 litres of seawater a day, taking in phytoplankton for nourishment. They remove pollutants and act as bio-indicators of aquatic health in the harbour.

In June 2021, Auckland Council installed over 600m of rope laden with mussel lines to the underside of Te Wānanga . Te Wānanga is the new public space next to the Ferry Building. It reaches out over the water in Quay Street.

Revive our Gulf

Revive our Gulf work in partnership with mana whenua across the Hauraki Gulf on kūtai / mussel reef restoration projects. Their vision is to restore the mauri/life essence of the Hauraki Gulf ecosystem and return the Gulf to a state of natural biodiversity and bounty.

The project has three core collaborative partners:

  • the Mussel Reef Restoration Trust, an NZ charitable trust specifically set up to undertake the project

  • The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organisation

  • the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Auckland.

Friends of the Hauraki Gulf

The Friends of the Hauraki Gulf is a Waiheke-based Incorporated Society purposed to, ‘research and advocate for the setting aside of marine protected areas, especially no-take marine reserves…’ and ‘to encourage and facilitate the scientific study of marine life and the natural history of the Hauraki Gulf.’

The group has made a formal application for a marine reserve off the north-west coast of Waiheke Island, from Hakaimango Point to Matiatia. Scientists recommended this location as the best feasible site in the coastal marine area of Waiheke.

FoHG welcome your support for this important initiative.

Live Ocean

Live Ocean works with other ocean champions to promote a powerful message about the urgent need to restore and protect the oceans.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke founded Live Ocean — a New Zealand registered charity. Their urgent focus connects and motivates Aotearoa's ocean-loving community to take action.

LegaSea

LegaSea is a non-profit that aims to restore the bounty and biodiversity of New Zealand's marine environment.

LegaSea has three main initiatives:

  • Rescue Fish: petition for an alternative policy to restore the bounty and abundance of the ocean.

  • Kai Ika: a programme to repurpose offcuts from recreational fishing to feed local communities.

  • Fish Care: educational programme to teach best-practice sustainable fishing.

Kai Ika

Kai Ika is an inspiring project that repurposes waste from recreational fishing.

LegaSea, the Outboard Boating Club of Auckland, Westhaven and Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae  teamed up to develop the Kai Ika Project. 

The project re-purposes off-cuts from fish filleting, which previously went to waste, by distributing them to needy families and community groups all over Auckland.

Kai Ika has fish filleting facilities at OBC and Westhaven Marina.

Sustainable Coastlines

Sustainable Coastlines has a vision of restored mauri for our moana.

Their ‘Love your Coast’ programme of beach clean-up events are open to everyone, and they offer a free ‘DIY Clean-up Kit’ for not-for-profit organisations wanting to arrange a clean-up event of their own. 

You can support Sustainable Coastlines by volunteering at an event, donating towards their work, or off-loading your redundant mobile phone through the Re:Mobile recycling scheme.

Green Boating Resources

Look for these environmenally-friendly endorsements on boat cleaning and personal care products you plan to use on your boat.

COMPOSTING ON BOARD AND GREENER BOATING WORKSHOP

Clean Below? Good to Go recommends these new products to note:

  1. Propspeed is a family of foul-release products, including Foulfree and Lightspeed, that work effectively to control biofouling on propellers, shafts, struts, rudders, bow thrusters, keel coolers, swim platforms, transducers and underwater lights. Propspeed products use physical rather than chemical means to reduce fouling.

  2. Easy Cradle is a loating bed of soft rubber strips that form a cradle which attaches at the head of your boat’s mooring, invented by Marlborough man Art Leppens. It is an in-the-water solution to protect your boat from barnacles, marine pests and growth. Check it out at easycradle.co.nz

  3. Coppercoat now has a distributor in New Zealand. It’s a two part epoxy impregnated with copper and effective against biofouling for about 10 years. As non-eroding coating (not paint) it is not harmful to the marine environment and sea life. richard@coppercoatpacific.com

DYC Sustainability Policy

Download our Environmental Policy here

Yachting New Zealand Sustainability Strategy

Yachting New Zealand have updated their sustainability strategy. The new strategy is embodied in their world-leading Clean Clubs Programme.

Through the programme, YNZ encourages clubs to achieve sustainability criteria in five key areas: administration and leadership; waste management; resource conservation; community outreach, and education.

DYC became the first club in New Zealand to become a 3-star accredited Clean Club in July 2022.

Read about DYC’s journey to accreditation on the YNZ website here.

More information about the Clean Club Programme can be found here.

Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Context

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act, 2000 established the Hauraki Gulf Forum.

The Forum promotes an integrated approach to managing the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Their most recent report, ‘State of our Gulf’ was in 2020.

Keep up to date with Hauraki Gulf Forum thinking by listening to their podcast: Hauraki Gulf Kōrero.

HAURAKI GULF KŌRERO STORIES

In 2017, the Sea Change — Tai Timu Tai Pari — Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan (2017) set out a framework for stewarship of the Hauraki Gulf.

READ more about the 'SEA CHANGE' PLAN

In June 2021, the Government committed to the vision set out in the Sea Change Plan. The Government's strategy paper, Revitalising the Gulf, proposed ways to drive change to deliver a healthier Gulf.

READ 'REVITALISING THE GULF'

“We’re absolutely committed to working with any group that’s focussed on restoring and reviving the Hauraki Gulf. It’s our backyard. We must care for it — for now and for the future”

Geoff Evans, Devonport Yacht Club Sustainability Committee