You can help
Enjoy the reserve
The public is welcome and encouraged to enjoy marine reserves. You may dive, snorkel, take photos, swim, kayak, and navigate through marine reserves; picnic on the beach; build sand castles, and investigate rock pools.
Island Bay beach
Anchoring
Anchoring is also allowed in the Taputeranga Marine Reserve but please do so without dragging anchors through reef habitats.
Dogs
Wellington City Council dog control by-laws apply when walking your dog on beaches within the reserve.
Rules and regulations
All marine life is protected in the reserve, which extends from the mean high water springs to approximately 2.3 km out to sea. Fishing and the removal or disturbance of any living or non-living marine resource within the reserve is prohibited, except as necessary for permitted monitoring or research.
There are penalties for:
- Fishing from either a boat or shore.
- Taking marine life, including shellfish and seaweed.
- Feeding fish. This disrupts their natural behaviour.
- Discharging toxic substances or pollutants.
- Disturbing wildlife such as marine mammals and birds.
- Wilfully damaging marine life or the natural features of the reserve.
- Building an unauthorised structure.
- Littering.
- Using anything that you know has come from the reserve.
- Failing to give your correct name and address to a ranger.
- Threatening or bribing a ranger.
Research and monitoring
A major benefit of marine reserves is that they offer an opportunity to study marine environments in a close to natural state. Monitoring of any changes to the area over time will be carried out. If you come across any research equipment in the reserve please do not disturb it.
A community asset
The Department of Conservation has a statutory responsibility for managing the marine reserve to ensure that its marine life and natural values are protected. It hopes that the reserve will be the community's reserve, an asset to the city that the people of Island Bay and the Greater Wellington region will be proud of. The continued protection of the reserve depends on the care and vigilance of all visitors.
What to do if people remove anything from the reserve
Please report the activity to the DOC HOTline (0800 362 468).
Environmental protection
Report pollution, oil spills, navigation hazards, and dangerous boating to Greater Wellington Regional Council's Environmental Protection Hotline (0800 496 734)
Visit the Greater Wellington Regional Council's website to find out more about its environmental protection responsibilities.
back to top