WWF-New Zealand is celebrating the five new marine reserves in the southeast of the South Island as a major win for ocean protection after years of delay and debate.
Named Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia by Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation, the new network will cover 307 square kilometres of Otago’s coastal marine area.
“This marks a long-overdue step forward for a region that was previously the only part of the country without marine protected areas,” says WWF-New Zealand’s Conservation Impact Manager, Jamie Fowler.
“For Otago’s wildlife, this will be game-changing,” she says. “These protections will give some of our rarest and most threatened species the breathing space they desperately need and provide genuine safe havens for hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin), pakake (New Zealand sea lion), and tutumairekurai (Hector’s dolphin).”
The new reserves will also safeguard important biogenic habitats, including kelp forests and bryozoan beds, which support diverse sponges, anemones, and juvenile fish – ensuring a healthy marine ecosystem into the future.
Six marine reserves were first approved in October 2023, but implementation was delayed following legal proceedings initiated by the Otago Rock Lobster Industry Association. While the boundary of one site - the Te Umukōau Marine Reserve - will undergo limited reconsideration following targeted consultation, the other five marine reserves are now confirmed to come into force on 1 July.
WWF New Zealand has been a party to the legal proceedings due to its long-standing interests in seeing the southeast marine reserves implemented and ensuring the integrity of the wider marine protected areas network.
“These reserves are the result of years of sustained effort by mana whenua, scientists, conservation groups, local communities, and government, and their co-management recognises Kāi Tahu’s deep knowledge of and connection with the ocean”, says Fowler. “Marine protection is incredibly hard to achieve in New Zealand, which makes this outcome even more significant.”
Despite having one of the largest ocean territories in the world, less than one percent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine environment is highly protected.
“This is absolutely a moment to celebrate, but it must also be a catalyst for further action,” says Fowler.
“Even with these new reserves, less than one per cent of New Zealand’s ocean remains highly protected. If we are serious about reversing biodiversity loss, we must build on this momentum and work towards protecting at least 30 per cent of our ocean in well-managed, Treaty-consistent protected areas.”
“After years of delay, these new reserves are proof that marine protection is possible in New Zealand. Now the challenge is making sure this is the beginning of a new wave of ocean protection, not just more dither and delay.”
The five new marine reserves were gazetted on 28 May and will come into force on 1 July.