New Zealand's maritime territory is 15 times its landmass -- here's why we need a ministry for the ocean

• The recent failure of the proposed Kermadec ocean sanctuary is a striking reminder of the need for leadership around New Zealand’s ocean policies.
• The “no take” ocean sanctuary was meant to be one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.
• But last month Te Ohu Kaimoana (which represents Māori fisheries interests) voted against the latest proposal.

New Zealand’s vast ocean territory

• Aotearoa is surrounded by a sea territory 15 times the size of its landmass.
• This extends from the shorelines of the main islands to the Kermadecs (Rangitāhua) in the northwest, the Chathams (Rēkohu) in the east and the subantarctic Campbell Island in the south Pacific ocean.
• Two in three New Zealanders live within 5km of the shore and many use the ocean and coasts for recreational and cultural activities.

An ecosystem approach to marine policy

• This involves managing the marine environment in a way that reconciles competing values without degrading the ocean ecosystem.
• A more holistic and relational ecosystem-based approach to managing human activities in the ocean would acknowledge the inter-dependencies between living and non-living marine ecosystem components, including people.
• Read more:
  Our oceans are in deep trouble – a 'mountains to sea' approach could make a real difference

Fundamental principles driving oceans policy

• Our research found we already have legal and policy “hooks” (or promising reform initiatives underway) that can support ecosystem-based management across the four key marine policy areas of fisheries, conservation, coastal planning and Māori rights and interests.
• Each of these policy areas operates on different time and geographic scales and is working towards (sometimes vastly) different policy objectives, with varying budgets and resources.
• To overcome this, our research confirmed we need to agree on fundamental marine principles to “anchor” ecosystem-based management and ensure our policy objectives are complementary and consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A ministry for the ocean

• Marine policy is still spread across multiple laws and institutions working for different purposes.
• Recent environmental reforms have focused on land-based issues of resource management, conservation and climate adaptation, taking a sector-by-sector approach and overlooking the interconnected threats facing our ocean.
• We go further and argue Aotearoa needs a ministry for the ocean to match the ministerial portfolio, reflecting the complexity of marine management and departing from the terrestrial bias of our existing laws and institutions.
• A dedicated ministry could ensure oversight, coordination and alignment of marine policy.