Otago South Coast MPA proposalsThere have been five marine protection forums established to date tasked with planning marine protection and management of coastal waters in New Zealand. They have all been different in structure and process. Otago South Coast and Hauraki Gulf are currently in the later stages of their process, leading to recommendations to the Government. We have created an information page for each of these processes to assist in learning about the challenges and opportunities for future forums.

Hauraki Gulf Spatial Plan 

South Island West Coast Marine Protection Forum

Kaikoura Marine Management Plan

Otago South Coast Marine Protection Forum

Fiordland Marine Management Plan

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Mimiwhangata aerial photograph (Grace & Kerr)We feature three case studies of marine reserve proposals:

Mimiwhangata Marine Reserve proposal

Bay of Islands Marine Reserve proposal

Great Barrier Island Marine Reserve Proposal

All three of these proposals have not as of 2017 made it across the line to create new marine reserves, but all three have merit for future consideration and offer lessons to learn on the processes involved.

 

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Northland's marine significant ecological areas map

RMA Processes
There was a long debate about whether or not the Resource Management Act has a responsibility in the coastal marine area with regards to managing threats to marine biodiversity and habitats as a result of fishing impacts. In the past, Government sources took a position that this was purely a fisheries issue to be managed under the Fisheries Act. In 2019 Motiti Rohe Moana Trust from Motiti Island, near Tauranga, challenged this 'status quo' in the Courts and won at the Environment Court, the High Court and the Appeal Court. This was an important milestone for marine conservation in New Zealand.
This precedent led to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council establishing spatial closures around Motiti Island that prohibit fishing in three reef areas to protect the marine environment and more recently the rahui tapu in Northland.
Legal basis and precedent
RMA vs. Fisheries Act: The cases established that the RMA's broader purpose of sustainable management, which includes protecting ecosystems, allows for controls like fishing bans for biodiversity reasons, separate from the Fisheries Act's focus on managing fish stocks.
Court rulings: The Court of Appeal confirmed that regional councils have a duty to maintain and enhance marine biodiversity and can control activities like fishing for this purpose, as long as the control is not for a fisheries management purpose.
Environment Court decision: Following the appeal court's guidance, the Environment Court directed the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to implement new rules in its Regional Coastal Environment Plan.

Northland has developed  Significant Ecological Areas for marine protection planning.

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There are 34 no-take marine reserves in New Zealand waters as of August 2011.  

We profile four established and successful marine reserves. Each link contains an archive of the documents that supported the establishment of each reserve. Use these to guide your work in designing and proposing new reserves. This is a small sample of all the hard work behind our existing network. 

Whangarei Harbor Marine Reserve         

 Tapuateranga Marine Reserve

Te Tapuwai o Te Rongokako Marine Reserve

Cape Rodney to Okakiri Point Marine Reserve 

 

Marine Protection Networks outlined in redHow much of our global ocean is protected? The United Nations target for 2020 is ten percent. Currently just three percent of New Zealands ocean waters are in marine protected areas. Another one percent is proposed. More than ninety percent of the world's oceans have no form of protection. Of even more concern is that much of what is described as MPA's are various management arrangements, which do not necessarily deliver biodiversity protection. Only one percent of the ocean is strongly protected in no-take marine reserves.

Go to the MPA Atlas web site to dive into the details of world's Marine Protected Areas. See our case study on Marae Moana and MPA's in the Cook Islands.