Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan Extraction of Sand, Shingle, Shell and Other Natural Material Very little extraction of material from the coastal marine area is undertaken within the Marlborough Sounds. A small amount of sand is removed from Shelly Beach and used for beach enhancement and protection works on the nearby Waikawa and Picton foreshores. The effects of extraction will relate to the physical disturbance associated with removing material and the type of operation or technique used for extraction. Disturbance Associated with Coastal Structures and Marine Farms Disturbance of the foreshore and/or seabed will arise as a result of coastal structures being fixed to the beach or sea floor. There are a considerable number of structures in the Sounds ranging from jetties, moorings, log-loading facilities, retaining walls, submarine cables and the structures associated with marine farms. The environmental effects of fixing these (and numerous other) structures to the foreshore and/or seabed are in general, the modification or in some cases the destruction of benthic aquatic life and changes to natural water and sediment movement. In addition, marine farms (particularly sea cage fish farming) can lead to sedimentation as faeces, uneaten feed pellets, and other organic matter cleaned from the cages falls to the sea floor. This, in turn, can alter the habitat of the benthic community. Longline shellfish farming can cause a similar but lesser effect from organic matter dropping to the sea floor. Other Disturbance Numerous other activities which take place in the coastal marine area have the potential to destroy, damage or disturb the foreshore and seabed. These activities include, but are not limited to water transportation activities (eg; ships, conventional and fast ferries, launches and concentrations of smaller boats); the cleaning of blocked pipes (eg; stormwater outfalls); beach tidying and grooming; the removal of vegetation (eg; around structures); and the burial on the foreshore of dead marine mammals and other marine fauna. Alterations to the foreshore or seabed can have adverse effects. Activities which result in alteration of the foreshore or seabed can disturb or destroy Maori cultural values of mahinga maataitai or taonga raranga and spiritual values of waahi tapu and their sites of significance. Natural character can also be degraded, along with landscape values and habitat or ecological values. Modification, interruption or interference with physical coastal processes can also occur, potentially leading to increased erosion and scouring. A temporary decrease in water clarity and quality in the vicinity of the works is common. 9.4.1 Objectives and Policies Objective 1 Protection of the coastal environment by avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects of activities that alter the foreshore or seabed. Policy 1.1 Avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of activities that disturb or alter the foreshore and/or seabed on any of the following: a) Conservation and ecological values; 9 - 16