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Our oceans are home to an incredible variety of life, from whales and dolphins to seabirds and fish.

Overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and rapid changes in ocean temperature and acidity are running down the health of our oceans. We need our oceans to be healthy and we need to protect them.

The National Government’s proposals for new marine protected areas legislation leave 94% of New Zealand’s marine environment open for exploitation by oil and gas drillers, seabed miners and fishing companies. The new proposals will make it impossible to create deep sea marine reserves and marine protected areas in the Exclusive Economic Zone (a huge area of ocean 12-200 miles off-shore), except by special legislation.

New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone map

We need a network of marine reserves and protected areas in our deep oceans and close to the coast to keep our marine communities, habitats and species safe. We need to tell the Government that our oceans are worth protecting.

Make a submission to tell the Government we need to protect our deep oceans

Outside of the Kermadecs, the Government’s proposals fail to provide any serious protection for our deep oceans and the unique habitats they provide for species which range from giant squid and whales to small brittle stars and sea pens, from sea birds to many different fish species.
Proposals which leave 94 percent of our marine environment unprotected from overfishing, oil drilling and seabed mining cannot seriously be considered ‘marine protection’.
I want genuine reform that ensures New Zealand’s unique marine life is protected and preserved for present and future generations.
New legislation needs to include a simple process for creating new deep sea marine reserves in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Requiring Parliament to have to pass special legislation to create each new marine protected area in the EEZ is too slow and cumbersome. Such bills could take years to pass.
Companies with oil and gas drilling and mining permits should not be given special powers to veto proposed marine protected areas in our territorial seas.
The proposed Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary is a good start but we need a network of permanently protected marine areas to safeguard the full range of marine communities, habitats and species in New Zealand waters. It’s not enough to just have reserves close to the coast and around the Kermadec Islands.
I support marine reserves being no-take and being able to be established for reasons other than scientific purposes.
We need new marine parks.
I don’t support so called ‘recreational fishing parks’ being included in the bill as a measure for marine protection. They belong in the Fisheries Act as a fisheries management tool, or as part of a marine park.
Outside of the Kermadecs, the Government’s proposals fail to provide any serious protection for our deep oceans and the unique habitats they provide for species which range from giant squid and whales to small brittle stars and sea pens, from sea birds to many different fish species.

Click here to read our submission points.

Click here for more information on our marine reserves.

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