Why the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill Matters — and Why It Needs Your Support Now
Tīkapa Moana the Hauraki Gulf is a taonga, a marine treasure that sustains over two million people living along its shores and beyond. But it’s in crisis.
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill, currently before the New Zealand Parliament, is aimed at protecting and restoring the marine environment of the Hauraki Gulf. This is a pivotal moment, and why Live Ocean is standing behind the Bill.
The HGMP Bill will increase true marine protection from 0.3% to approximately 5.9% of the Gulf’s area. Fishers will still be able to fish in nearly 94% of the Gulf under this bill.
This blog explains what the Bill is, why it’s needed, and how you can help protect one of Aotearoa’s most iconic marine environments.
The Bill represents the best opportunity we have to ensure that there will be fish in the Hauraki Gulf in the future.
What is the Hauraki Gulf / Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Bill?
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill, currently before the New Zealand Parliament, is aimed at protecting and restoring the marine environment of the Hauraki Gulf. It proposes:
- Two marine reserve extensions at the existing Te Whanganui-o-Hei (Cathedral Cove) and Cape Rodney–Okakari Point (Goat Island) reserves
- 12 high protection areas (HPAs) to safeguard marine habitats and ecosystems, while allowing customary practices of tangata whenua
- Five seafloor protection areas (SPAs) that protect the seabed but permit non-seabed-damaging activities like non-bottom-contact fishing.
Why Does Live Ocean Support It?
Live Ocean’s network is motivated by the vision of a healthy ocean for a healthy future. We support the Bill as a crucial and long-overdue opportunity to halt the decline of the Hauraki Gulf. We believe the Hauraki Gulf is for all to enjoy and that it can support conservation, recreation, cultural, and commercial interests—but only if the health of its outstanding and globally significant natural environment is placed at the centre.
There are some misconceptions around that the Bill is “anti-fishing”, which it is not. And nor is Live Ocean. The Bill represents the best opportunity we have to ensure that there will be fish in the Hauraki Gulf in the future, and that they will be bigger and healthier than those being caught today.
What makes the Hauraki Gulf so special?
Tīkapa Moana the Hauraki Gulf is one of New Zealand’s most exceptional marine environments, known globally for its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems. It is home to an extraordinary range of marine life and seabirds, making it one of the great marine ecosystems of the world.
The Gulf is a taonga – a treasured natural and cultural asset – with deep significance for mana whenua, as well as immense recreational and economic value. Its ecosystem services are estimated to be worth $5.14 billion annually, highlighting its vital role in supporting fisheries, tourism, coastal protection and more than 2 million people who live on its shores.
Why is the Bill necessary?
The Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill is necessary because the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is in serious decline. Over the past 200 years, and especially in the last century, more than half of its marine life has disappeared due to pressures like overfishing, coastal development, sedimentation, pollution, warming waters, and invasive species such as exotic Caulerpa. Despite the recognition of the area’s significance through the creation of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park in 2000, the health of the Gulf has continued to deteriorate. The Bill is a vital step towards restoring and protecting the Gulf’s ecosystems, ensuring they are resilient enough to face current and future environmental challenges.
How much of the Hauraki Gulf is currently protected?
Currently, only 0.4% of the Hauraki Gulf is protected, a figure that has increased by just 0.05% in the 23 years since the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park was established. While some claim protection levels are higher by including the Cable Protection Zone (6.7%), this area does not meet international criteria for marine protected areas. This figure falls far short of the Hauraki Gulf Forum’s goal of protecting at least 30% and reflects a broader national issue, as less than 1% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine environment is protected – despite international commitments to protect 10% by 2020 (Aichi Targets) and 30% by 2030 (Convention on Biological Diversity Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework).
How much of the Hauraki Gulf will be protected by the Bill?
The Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill will increase true marine protection from 0.3% to approximately 5.9% of the Gulf’s area, according to Live Ocean. This figure reflects only the High Protection Areas (HPAs), which meet international standards for marine protection. Claims of 18% protection under the Bill are misleading, as they include Seafloor Protection Areas (SPAs) – where fishing in the water column is still allowed – and the Cable Protection Zone (CPZ), which does not meet international conservation criteria due to its intentional placement in an area devoid of significant habitat.
How Will the Bill Impact Recreational Fishers?
Fishers will still be able to fish in nearly 94% of the Gulf.
The Bill is designed to balance the need for conservation with ensuring that fish stocks in the Hauraki Gulf are healthy and abundant for both recreational and commercial interests into the future. It is true that by establishing High Protection Areas (HPAs) where all fishing is prohibited, some recreational fishers may lose access to their favourite spots. However Live Ocean believes that the positive impacts of protecting small but significant areas to enable the long-term recovery of fish stocks across the Hauraki Gulf will far outweigh the short-term disappointment.
With 93.7% of the Gulf remaining open to fishing, there is no question that recreational fishers will be able to continue doing what they love.
Critics of the Bill argue that the creation of the HPAs will force fishers into other unprotected areas, potentially causing environmental damage. This is known as displacement of effort. However, data tells us that fishing effort already shifts across the Gulf, and that only 9% of recreational catch of tāmure/snapper occurs in the proposed HPAs, meaning that the displacement of fishing efforts across the remaining 93.7% of the Gulf will be minimal.
We also know from our network, which includes many recreational fishers, that the vast majority of this group have no desire to cause environmental damage. In our experience, once fishers come to understand that the establishment of HPAs is expected to boost snapper biomass by 380% and egg production by 350% (among many other positive impacts), ultimately benefiting fishing opportunities across the Gulf, they’re happy to take up the challenge of finding a new favourite spot (or a couple!) in the hope that they might one day be able to share them with their children and grandchildren.
How Will the Bill Impact Commercial Fishers?
Only 6% of the commercial tāmure/snapper catch comes from areas that will become HPAs, meaning that displacement will be minimal and that most fishing can continue in 93.7% of the Gulf. Seafloor Protection Areas (SPAs) will allow surface and midwater fishing but prohibit bottom trawling and other damaging bottom-contact methods. Given the overwhelming public support for banning these methods in the Hauraki Gulf (and beyond) – it is likely that commercial fleets will be forced to transition away from them before too long anyway. This day cannot come soon enough!
As above, the positive impacts of the Bill – potentially improving yields and sustainability for fishers through spillover of fish from protected areas – will far outweigh any negative impacts for the commercial sector too. With many harvested species in the Gulf in poor health, declining, on the verge of collapse or already functionally extinct, Live Ocean sees the Bill as a vital step to ensuring that there are in fact fish to be caught in the Hauraki Gulf. However, proposed changes to the Bill to allow for commercial fishing in some HPAs would undoubtedly undermine their effectiveness.
What are the Proposed Amendments that Would Allow Commercial Fishing in High Protection Areas?
The proposed amendments to the Bill would allow commercial ring-net fishing in 2 of the 12 HPAs – specifically Kawau Bay and Rangitoto and Motutapu. These changes go against the select committee’s recommendations and undermine the core purpose of an HPA – to fully protect marine ecosystems and allow them to recover.
While Live Ocean continues to support the Bill and its progress through Parliament, our position on the amendments is clear – an area is not a Highly Protected Area if commercial fishing is taking place in it. We urge Cabinet to reconsider these amendments, as they could compromise the effectiveness of a long-overdue opportunity to restore the health of the Gulf, and set a dangerous precedent for future marine protection efforts here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Why Does the Bill Allow for Customary Fishing?
The Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Bill allows for customary fishing to recognise and uphold the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of mana whenua as kaitiaki (guardians) of the marine environment. Customary fishing is a practice deeply rooted in Māori cultural, spiritual, and historical connections to the moana (ocean), and is carried out under strict tikanga (customs) and regulations. Unlike commercial or recreational fishing, customary fishing is typically small-scale, sustainable, and closely managed to ensure the health of marine ecosystems. It is Live Ocean’s position that these rights and the ability to exercise them are an important part of the legal and customary landscape here in Aotearoa New Zealand that must be honoured. This is in line with numerous examples of modern marine protection across the globe that integrate customary rights and values.
Does the Bill Have Public Support?
Tīkapa Moana, Te Moananui-a-Toi is home to more than 2 million people who live by its shores and is important to many living further afield too. It is a pivotal connection point to the state of Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine environment.
The Live Ocean Barometer 2023 (conducted by Horizon Research), which provides independent research on how New Zealanders value and perceive the ocean, highlights the fact that 92% of adult New Zealanders believe that it is important to protect the health of the ocean and what it produces, that 77% are concerned about the loss of biodiversity, and 77% also believe that marine protection should be expanded – including 67% of recreational fishers. These views are reflected in the fact that peoples, communities, sectors, industries and decision-makers have been coming together for over 20 years to try to increase marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf, and that over 15,000 submissions were received across the consultation and Select Committee process for this Bill alone. Live Ocean believes there is a clear public mandate for increased marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf and that this must now happen with ambition, and with urgency.
Does the Bill Have Support in Parliament?
The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill has received strong cross-party support in New Zealand Parliament. The Environment Select Committee unanimously recommended the Bill, indicating broad political consensus. This support was reaffirmed during the second reading in Parliament, where the Bill passed with 117 votes in favour and 6 against.
What is the Current Status of the Bill?
The Bill passed its second reading in Parliament in December 2024. With cross-party support and only two remaining hurdles to clear – the Committee of the Whole House and third reading – advocates were hopeful that the Bill would pass quickly into law. However, progress has stalled, with the Bill sitting well down the Order of Business in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the Hauraki Gulf is approaching a tipping point, and every day counts. This Bill cannot wait another five months.
What Can I Do to Show My Support for the Bill?
Postcards for the Hauraki Gulf
Create a digital postcard below for your local politician sharing what you love about the Gulf and why you want to see if protected and restored for future generations. Ask all your friends to do it too – Live Ocean is on a mission to send 5000 postcards, to remind politicians what is important to those they represent.
Foil4TheGulf – 24 May 2025 at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Open to all foiling craft, from beginner to expert level, Foil4TheGulf is a community event focused on bringing the wider foiling community together to raise awareness of the Hauraki Marine / Tikapa Moana. Sign up at foil4thegulf.com or come and show your support on the day.
Create a digital postcard for your local politician sharing what you love about the Gulf and why you want to see it restored for future generations.
