To feed or not to feed? Is feeding the fish in a marine reserve a bad practice? by Dr J Floor Anthoni www.seafriends.org.nz/indepth/fish_feeding.htm

 
 
 
 

Benefits of feeding If the fishes had their say, feeding them would stay on their menu. In the weekends, some swim from many hundreds of metres away, towards the beach, whereas others find a place to stay, closer to the beach. Whenever people appear on the fishes' underwater horizon, the fish become excited, and jostle for a good position to get close to the food. For most fish, this is quite a daring move, so it is only the ones most motivated or those with the least fear, who take part in the food handout.

 

f022018: Blue maomao watch for signs of people appearing on their underwater horizon. Here you can see them nervously jostling for the best position. Attracted by hunger, but repelled by fear, each gets a chance.

f022122: Snorkellers soon find themselves surrounded by fish who have lost most fear. However, they do not allow themselves to be touched. These fish do not have an interest in us, but in the food we bring.

Not all fish species are corrupted (spoiled, bribed) by feeding. Some don't like the food that people bring (red moki, butterfish, porae, most plankton-feeders), others find the morsels just too small (large snapper), or they are just too scared (leatherjacket, stingrays, marblefish). Most could not be bothered, because they can find their food easily anyway (banded wrasse, parore, butterfish). In a marine reserve for instance, one could have 10,000 blue maomao, but only some 300-400 come to be fed. Of the thousand or so of parore, only ten get attracted to the unusual food. Some fish have lost their friends, and as they are lonely, find consolation with schools of fish of other species. The odd kahawai, or large trevally may stay for an easy meal. That is not a silly idea, because these schooling fish, can find food only when they comb the sea side-by-side in dense formation. A lone kahawai will find it very difficult to catch fish on its own. So, in a way, by feeding the fish, the loners get a longer lease on life. In return, they remain faithful to the reserve.
 

f022024: A school of three year old blue maomao has found a home close to where the food arrives, in Blue Maomao Channel aka Feeding Vhannel, a steep gully in Hormosira Flats. These fish normally feed on planktonic shrimps, but occasionally when such food is scarce, nibble on plants.

f019936: Red moki feed on small crustaceans hiding in the pink coralline turf, out of which they suck these with a loud noise. They have never become interested in the food people bring. For them, food is easy to find.

What people discovered, was that the fishes became tamer than they would have been without feeding. The sea started to look like a real paradise, and this again attracted more and more people to Goat Island. Many came to let their small children experience the excitement of being in the water, close to a lot of friendly fishes.
 

f015827: children particularly were enraptured and delighted to find the blue fishes swarming around their legs while standing in knee-deep water. The protection afforded by the marine reserve meant that this could last forever.

f017921: gigantic snapper like the legendary Monkeyface, stayed around the feeding area, attracted by something to see and the feeling of safety in numbers. It became obvious that a fish fed meant a fish saved. Fish had an economic reason to stay, rather than to spill out of the reserve, where they would be caught.

Attracted by the feeding, schools of fish concentrated near the main access point in the reserve. Because fish feel safe in numbers, it also attracted other fish that were not directly interested in food (large snapper, silver drummer). The sea began to look like an imagined paradise. It gave people an entirely new look on the sea, and it made people favour more marine reserves. The fishes that came for food, became the most effective ambassadors for marine conservation.

Not only did the fish benefit the visitors to the beach, but also local businesses where people hired their snorkel gear, bought food for the fishes and for themselves. The local community of Leigh who had to give up a number of very good fishing spots, finally received some benefits in return. The total increase in the economy was sufficient to feed another four families. Leigh has a permanent population of about 60 families, so the difference was noticeable.

People also came to the Seafriends Marine Conservation and Education Centre where they visited the seawater aquariums with over 100 different species in eight tanks, representing the main habitats around Leigh. They also read books from the extensive library and pored over a thousand photos showing the underwater environment. As long as people kept coming to the reserve, they had a chance to educate themselves further about this newfound charm, the sea. It also provided Seafriends with additional income to fight for saving our seas, which are threatened in various ways.
 
 
 

Problems of feeding The fish feeding, at its height, took on unsustainable proportions. Busloads of tourists came from Auckland around the low tide, to walk over the rock flats to Blue Maomao Channel, where they stood in line to feed the fishes. For many Asian families, this was a weird but wonderful experience, which back home would have been impossible, even unthinkable. Here were the fishes, known for their good taste, and instead of catching them, people were feeding and admiring them. It brought about a revolution in thinking and feeling about the sea.

f015200: for many Asian families, the view down Blue Maomao Channel, was a first and lasting experience. Here they were able to feed the friendly fishes, and to admire them in their environment.

f015820: Once they were there, children explored the mysteries and marvels of the rocky shore at Hormosira Flats. This boy is feeding the triplefins and shrimps in one of the deep rock pools.

On a nice summer weekend, people were seen feeding the fishes such large quantities of food, that the sea water began to change. All this food somehow had to be broken down by bacteria in the sea, some of which resemble those inside human intestines. The water started to look murky, and currents were unable to cleanse the sand sufficiently to keep up with the supply of food. Some fish swam around with largely extended stomachs. But all in all, the fish were not overly worried, and kept coming for more food.

The purists amongst marine reserve lovers, began to worry and complain that the food was interfering with the area's natural balance. It changed fish behaviour such that they behaved like begging gangs. Swimmers began to complain that they were bitten while feeding the fish. This happens when fish hurry frenzy-like to the feeder, mistaking a finger or two for food. Some people did stupid things, like placing the food inside their masks, only to have their noses bitten. Some people worried that the fishes may suffer from diseases, like cardiovascular diseases, related to eating too much wrong food.

Underwater photographers both loved and hated the feeding. On the one hand it gave them the opportunity to approach fish with ease, and to photograph them in incredible numbers, with and without people. On the other hand, they had these begging fish following them everywhere, making it impossible to take natural photographs without snapper appearing somewhere in the picture.
 
 

f015204: the friendly gesture of feeding was often overdone. People arrived with buckets full of food. The fish, ducks and gulls became saturated. The wastes in the water started to discolour it, and visibility reduced to the extent that people could hardly see the fish in the water.

f022025: incredible numbers of (young) snapper were attracted to Blue Maomao Channel, particularly in the weekends when the supply of food seemed inexhaustible.

A missed opportunity What people didn't realise, was that they missed an important opportunity by feeding the fishes. In a healthy marine reserve, where sufficient amounts of food are available, the fish are well fed, and have some time on hand for lazing in tranquil spots, socialising and watching humans in the water. Yes, they do find us interesting, but also unpredictable and dangerous. When we go in the water, we are not consciously aware that we feel secure, have fed ourselves, have found a place within our friends and family, and that we therefore are ready to discover and play. It is a sequence of conditions, necessary for functioning at the top of our abilities. The American psychologist Abraham Maslow discovered this about a century ago, and he formulated the four rules as shown in the diagram. Surprisingly, these rules apply to fish too!

It is not easy to play with the fishes, because it does not consist of swimming up to them, wanting to touch and stroke them, which most people do. The fish see this unprepared approach as a frontal attack, from which they shy and flee away. By behaving like this, people have shied a number of fascinating species away, like stingrays and leatherjackets. Approaching fish for playing, requires us to behave in a much more careful and patient way. We will discuss this aspect in another Indepth chapter.

In all, it became clear that feeding the fish, however fascinating, brought with it conflict in various ways. A solution had to be found.
 
 

Solutions The solution that the managers of this reserve (the Department of Conservation) took, was that of a complete prohibition of fish feeding. They did so suddenly, without consulting the local community. Their argument was that feeding was a punishable offence under the Marine Reserves Act 1971. However, no feeding is mentioned in the act. The argument is based on this clause: 3a) They shall be preserved as far as possible in their natural state. In 1996 the offences have been extended in clause 18I: Every person commits an offence against this Act ... who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse: (c) Wilfully interferes with or wilfully disturbs in a marine reserve any marine life, foreshore or seabed, or any of the natural features. Feeding is interpreted as an unnatural activity and wilful disturbance, for which no reasonable excuse is acceptable.

Of course, no judge in the land will be inclined to fine or jail on this basis, or else there would be something terribly wrong indeed with our justice system. After all, feeding is a nice gesture to the fish, and in moderation, has tremendous benefits. With all the money spent on roading, parking, toilets, signage and so forth, we have done nothing nice for the fish. Instead we have stopped being nasty (like shooting or eating them). One should also remember that the sheer presence of large numbers of people, disturbs marine life, even without feeding the fish. No judge would make a ruling on this basis. So, in effect, DoC has no backing by law on this matter.

The single-handed decision by DoC has been unforgivable because no consultation took place with the local community, who knows the sea best and also the value and damage of fish feeding. Immediately the number of visitors to the reserve (not counting schools) dropped to half of its original value. Local businesses suffered losses. Seafriends for example, made losses amounting to $30,000 for each successive year. The chance of educating people about the value of marine reserves almost evaporated, since also the fishes disappeared. But worse was still to come.

Because people were stopped on the beach when seen with fish food, they resorted to a different method. The sea had plenty of food in the form of sea urchins. With a knife or stone these could be broken open. It was simple and effective. The fish loved the fresh nutricious food. But taking life from a reserve is wrong, and not surprisingly, an offence. By taking urchins, the rocks are no longer grazed, allowing seaweeds to occupy the once barren spaces. The environment changed. Yet worse was still to come.
 
 

f028216: a snorkeldiver holds an urchin and plays with it. Immediately, snapper arrive, knowing that food is about to be offered. Fish now arrive at the mere sound of tapping stones together, which they associate with the breaking of sea eggs.

f030227: a diver follows a trail of broken urchins, and snapper, spotty and hiwihiwi follow in the hope of fresh ones being offered. Because urchins were used as fish food, they have become rare in the area surrounding the beach.

What people do not realise, is that the Goat Island marine reserve experiences a rapid decline in water quality, and with it an equally rapid decline in numbers of species and individuals. Since the late 1980s, erosion from adjacent land has been accelerating, resulting in muddy waters after each heavy rain storm, followed by dense plankton blooms. Because these happen mainly in winter and spring, when few people visit the beach, this has largely been left unnoticed. The mud suffocates water-breathing animals like sponges and fishes. But the fishes can swim away to clearer water, which is what they do. When the water clears up, they return to the beach. But they do so only when food is offered as incentive. In other words, there are two opposing forces at work: the mud repelling the fish, while food is attracting them. Leave the food out, and the fish will stay away, which is exactly what happened.
 
 

f015803: clear waters, many visitors, bountiful sea life. A dream come true?

f013205: muddy waters, suffocated sea life, disappearing fish, rapid environmental degradation. End of a success story?

First of all, we must believe that people who come to the reserve are of a good nature, and willing to help. They just don't know that there are problems, and they don't know what to do. So, the problem should have been presented, as it is here, on a publication panel, complete with options. People can then choose according to their particular situation.

Since the quantity fed was the main problem, people could be encouraged not to buy fish food. People's favourite choice of food consists of frozen peas, because these dispatch in small parcels. Unfortunately, frozen peas are sold in large bags only. Although not their natural food, zooplankton-feeding blue maomao and trevally took to them, as did plant-feeding parore. Snapper and blue cod were more interested in bread and dog-rolls, which for them were the most favoured because of their high protein content.

• People could be encouraged to feed only from their own lunch packs, which is self-stabilising, since feeding all of it, would leave the family hungry.
• Since the fish encounter is most enthralling for children, adults could opt not to feed, but leave the action to their children.

• Feed only in the area directly adjacent to the beach, and not outside it. In this manner, fish will learn quickly that there is no advantage in following divers or swimmers out of this area (they are not that stupid!).
• Do not feed the fish on SCUBA (underwater breathing apparatus). Fish will quickly learn that SCUBA divers (and photographers) do not provide food.

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