But that area is more likely to decrease than increase after the current consultation process closes on December 20, the forum’s chairwoman, Queenstown environmental lawyer Maree Baker-Galloway, says.
"Spots [proposed protected areas] can disappear; shapes of spots can definitely change; the rules that we composed that we are consulting on can definitely change," she said.
"But in terms of totally new sites, I don’t think we’d be able to recommend that as part of our process without going through more consultation."
On Saturday and yesterday the forum held its last public information sessions in Oamaru, Waikouaiti and at Otakou marae on Otago Peninsula after sessions ran from November 5 covering communities from Bluff to Christchurch.
The forum’s final recommendations must be submitted to the minister of conservation and minister for primary industries for approval by April 28 next year, and Ms Baker-Galloway said it was possible Otago’s first marine reserve could be created within a year after the forum finished its work.
"If they took our recommendations and started the process, the process under the Act, you’d have one in less than a year — if they wanted to do it."
Oamaru-based forum member Dr Philippa Agnew said the 14-member forum, which included environmental, tourism, recreational fishing, commercial fishing, marine science and Ngai Tahu representatives, had been able to work together, but she was aware the proposal remained unpopular with some.
A roughly 85sq km area directly south of the Waitaki River mouth is included as a proposed marine reserve in the consultation document, with a 32sq km area in front of the river-mouth included as an option as well.
Also, a roughly 225sq km area surrounding the proposed marine reserve would restrict commercial operations by prohibiting all trawling, dredging, set netting and Danish seining.
Dr Agnew, who is also the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony marine biologist, said the area was chosen because of its "productivity".
"[Little penguins] represent a lot of what’s going on in the environment in terms of where a lot of other birds go and the hot spots are in terms of productivity. When these little guys here are foraging out at sea for more than a day they head north up to the Waitaki River mouth."
The forum was created to ensure that coastal ecosystems, or marine habitats, are "sustainably productive", "and treasured for their biodiversity, integrity and special nature", the consultation document states.
