Compromise on heron colony

Press, 1 December 1988, Page 4

Compromise on heron colony

A compromise between conservation and tourism has been reached for the white heron colony near Okarito Lagoon, on the West Coast. The Conservation Department has granted a concession to allow a commercial operator to take guided parties by jetboat to the colony in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve. The concession would make the colony more accessible to visitors, said the Minister of Conservation, Ms Clark. People used to have to walk a long way on muddy tracks and row up the river if they wanted to see the herons, she said.

Now they could travel in by jetboat. The new boardwalk and hide put in by Conservation Department staff were also welcome additions. The department would continue monitoring the white herons, and conditions attached to the concession would ensure the effects of the increased number of visitors on the colony were minimised. The concession had been granted to White Heron Sanctuary Tours, set up by the Arnold brothers of Whataroa, and was an example of how conservation and tourism could work together, said Ms Clark.