New Zealand once led the world in marine protection. Now it looks like we will fail to meet our international promise to protect 30 percent of our ocean estate by 2030. Why is stopping fishing so politically fraught? How might our ideas about marine protection need to change? And why, when our seas are in need, is it taking us so long to learn to talk to each other?
This episode was first released 4 April 2024.
Updates/Learn more:
- Read the New Zealand Geographic article by Kate Evans, with photography by Richard Robinson.
- The proposed Hauraki Gulf marine protections had a last minute amendment by the government in October 2024 to allow some commercial fishing. A change that has drawn a lot of criticism from a number of parties.
- A judicial review was filed by the Otago Rock Lobster Industry Association Inc. with regards to decisions around the South Island marine reserves. As a result, they have not yet come into force.
- One of the new High Protection Areas proposed for the Hauraki Gulf is around The Noises Islands, which Our Changing World travelled to early in 2023.
- To learn more about the background of the now-extinct Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, listen to this episode of The Detail from June 2023.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
