{"id":70862,"date":"2025-06-13T13:58:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T01:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=70862"},"modified":"2025-06-13T13:58:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T01:58:35","slug":"nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For the past fortnight, the city of Nice in France has been the global epicentre of ocean science and politics.<\/p>\n\n<p>Last week\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/one-ocean-science-2025.org\/\">One Ocean Science Congress<\/a> ended with a unanimous call for action to turn around the degradation of the ocean. And this week, the <a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/conferences\/ocean2025\">United Nation\u2019s Ocean Conference<\/a> agenda focused on better protection of marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and emissions cuts.<\/p>\n\n<p>The message is clear. With only five years to the UN\u2019s 2030 target for its sustainable development goal \u2013 to conserve the oceans, seas and marine resources \u2013 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbd.int\/gbf\">Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a> requirement to protect 30% of the ocean, we need to make significant progress.<\/p>\n\n<p>We all attended last week\u2019s meeting, together with more than 2,000 marine scientists from 120 countries. Here, we reflect on New Zealand\u2019s role and obligations to contribute to these global goals.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-legal-imperatives\">Legal imperatives<\/h2>\n\n<p>Globally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.copernicus.eu\/global-climate-highlights-2024\">ocean is warming<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eea.europa.eu\/en\/analysis\/indicators\/ocean-acidification\">acidifying<\/a> at accelerating rates. New Zealand\u2019s waters are not immune to this, with <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/assets\/publications\/Our-marine-environment-2022.pdf\">more marine heatwaves<\/a> which further <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/publications\/our-marine-environment-2019\/issue-1-native-marine-species-and-habitats-under-threat\/#:%7E:text=Most%20assessed%20native%20marine%20species%20are%20threatened&amp;text=Based%20on%20the%202019%20New,southern%20elephant%20seal%2C%20and%20orca\">stress our threatened marine biodiversity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>We <a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/documents\/facts-and-figures-2025-un-ocean-conference-58101\">depend directly on these ocean ecosystems<\/a> to provide the air we breathe, moderate the impacts of climate change and feed millions of people.<\/p>\n\n<p>New Zealand has significant influence on ocean policy \u2013 from Antarctica to the sub-tropical Pacific, and within its sea territory, which is 15 times the size of its landmass and spans 30 degrees of latitude.<\/p>\n\n<p>The government is required by law to take action to secure a healthy ocean.<\/p>\n\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itlos.org\/fileadmin\/itlos\/documents\/cases\/31\/Advisory_Opinion\/C31_Adv_Op_21.05.2024_orig.pdf\">advisory opinion<\/a> from the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea unanimously found that states, including New Zealand, have obligations under international law to reduce the impacts of climate change on marine areas, to apply an ecosystem approach to marine law and policy, reduce pollution and support the restoration of the ocean.<\/p>\n\n<p>New Zealand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/00908320.2023.2224116\">courts have recognised<\/a> the need to take a precautionary and ecosystem-based approach to marine management, based on science, tikanga and m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori. These legal cases are part of a global upswell of strategic environmental and <a href=\"https:\/\/climatecasechart.com\/\">climate litigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>If New Zealand does not comply with these marine legal obligations, it may well find itself before the courts, incurring significant legal and reputational costs.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px-1024x660.jpg\" title=\"New Zealand sea lions lie on the beach at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, in the New Zealand subantarctic. The Rainbow Warrior lies at anchor in the background.\" alt=\"New Zealand sea lions lie on the beach at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, in the New Zealand subantarctic. The Rainbow Warrior lies at anchor in the background. \" class=\"wp-image-70863\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px-600x387.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px-510x329.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg 1199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">New Zealand committed to protecting at least 30% of the world\u2019s coastal and marine areas by the end of this decade. <br><br>New Zealand sea lions lie on the beach at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, in the New Zealand subantarctic. The Rainbow Warrior lies at anchor in the background. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-international-agreements\">International agreements<\/h2>\n\n<p>In 2022, New Zealand was one of 196 countries that committed to protecting at least 30% of the world\u2019s coastal and marine areas by 2030 under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mfat.govt.nz\/en\/environment\/biodiversity-and-species-conservation\">Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a>. New Zealand was an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mfat.govt.nz\/en\/media-and-resources\/united-nations-general-assembly-national-statement\">enthusiastic supporter<\/a>, but only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/nature\/biodiversity\/biodiversity-in-aotearoa-report\/biodiversity-factsheets\/biodiversity-factsheet-marine-domain\/\">0.4% of its marine territory is fully protected in no-take marine reserves<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Former prime minister Helen Clark has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jun\/10\/new-zealand-is-failing-to-protect-its-vast-ocean-resources-we-owe-it-to-the-world-to-act\">criticised<\/a> the current government for lagging behind on marine protection, especially in failing to ban bottom trawling.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/06\/0828bda5-gp0oc7_web_size_with_credit_line.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-52207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/06\/0828bda5-gp0oc7_web_size_with_credit_line.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/06\/0828bda5-gp0oc7_web_size_with_credit_line-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/06\/0828bda5-gp0oc7_web_size_with_credit_line-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/06\/0828bda5-gp0oc7_web_size_with_credit_line-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crewman on the New Zealand bottom trawler, Waipori, dump a large piece of Paragorgia coral dredged from the deep sea in their net.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>At this week\u2019s UN ocean summit, a further 18 countries have ratified an agreement known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/world\/563603\/what-is-the-high-seas-treaty-to-protect-world-oceans\">High Seas Treaty<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/highseasalliance.org\/treaty-ratification\/\">bringing the total to 50<\/a>, still short of the 60 nations needed for it to enter into force.<\/p>\n\n<p>New Zealand signed this treaty just before the last general election, but is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mfat.govt.nz\/en\/environment\/oceans-and-fisheries\/marine-biodiversity-beyond-national-jurisdiction\">yet to ratify it<\/a>. Foreign Minister Winston Peters represented New Zealand at the UN ocean conference, but focused mainly on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beehive.govt.nz\/release\/foreign-minister-focuses-pacific-resilience-during-visit-france\">issues in the Pacific<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the government announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beehive.govt.nz\/release\/electrifying-growth-infrastructure-and-energy-rma-national-direction-open-consultation\">sweeping changes to the national direction<\/a> on environmental policy, including reworking the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement to better enable the use and development of the coastal environment for \u201cpriority activities\u201d such as aquaculture, resource extraction, infrastructure and energy.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-oceanic-environmental-change-is-real-and-accelerating\">Oceanic environmental change is real and accelerating<\/h2>\n\n<p>Some countries showed that effective leadership can help navigate to a safe future for the oceans. For example, China\u2019s commitment to clean energy has seen carbon dioxide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2480289-chinas-co2-emissions-have-started-falling-is-this-finally-the-peak\/\">emissions begin to fall for the first time despite higher power consumption<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>At the UN ocean summit, French Polynesia\u2019s president announced his administration would establish <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/international\/pacific-news\/563648\/french-polynesia-president-announces-highly-protected-marine-area\">one of the world\u2019s largest networks of marine protected areas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/08\/aa7fcfc9-gp1sz4rz_web_size.jpg\" alt=\"A message reads &quot;Oceans are life&quot;.\" class=\"wp-image-52903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/08\/aa7fcfc9-gp1sz4rz_web_size.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/08\/aa7fcfc9-gp1sz4rz_web_size-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/08\/aa7fcfc9-gp1sz4rz_web_size-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/08\/aa7fcfc9-gp1sz4rz_web_size-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A message reads &#8220;Oceans are life&#8221;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>The cost of inaction <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/roberthart\/2024\/04\/17\/climate-change-will-cost-global-economy-38-trillion-every-year-within-25-years-scientists-warn\/\">far outweighs the economics of the status quo<\/a>. Ongoing ocean warming is already affecting weather patterns, with more extreme storms.<\/p>\n\n<p>It is possible for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/3099993\">marine ecosystems to recover quite rapidly<\/a> if they are protected, at least temporarily. Yet this year, New Zealand\u2019s government found itself in hot water (once again) with both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/542412\/high-court-rules-2023-minister-s-decision-on-crayfish-catch-limits-unlawful\">conservationists<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/te-manu-korihi\/557538\/crown-breached-one-of-oldest-treaty-settlements-by-appropriating-maori-fishing-quota-high-court\">M\u0101ori<\/a> for its management of fisheries.<\/p>\n\n<p>We argue New Zealand has an opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate it can shift the downward spiral of oceanic degradation.<\/p>\n\n<p>The overwhelming message at the half-way point of the <a href=\"https:\/\/oceandecade.org\/vision-mission\/\">UN Ocean Decade<\/a> is that for marine science to transform the state of our oceans it needs to include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unesco.org\/en\/links\/oceandecade\">Indigenous peoples<\/a> who have routinely been <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/why-indigenous-knowledge-should-be-an-essential-part-of-how-we-govern-the-worlds-oceans-161649\">sidelined from ocean policy discussions<\/a> despite their longstanding rights and relationships with the ocean.<\/p>\n\n<p>New Zealand already has a foundation of transdisciplinary and Indigenous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sustainableseaschallenge.co.nz\/\">ocean research<\/a> to develop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sustainableseaschallenge.co.nz\/tools-and-resources\/enabling-ecosystem-based-management-in-aotearoa\/\">ocean policies<\/a> that are fit for local purposes and to answer global calls to action. We have a unique window of opportunity to lead the changes needed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<section\n\t\t\tclass=\"boxout post-61002 \"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Image\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-card-overlay\"\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/create-global-ocean-sanctuaries\/\" \n\t\t\t><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res-1024x724.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res-600x424.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res-481x340.jpg 481w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/09\/3c7346f5-gp018ov_medium_res.jpg 1200w\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 358px, (min-width: 780px) 313px, 88px\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\" title=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n            \t\t\t<div class=\"boxout-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"boxout-heading medium\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Title\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/create-global-ocean-sanctuaries\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPETITION: Create global ocean sanctuaries\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"boxout-excerpt\">Call on the Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters to create new global ocean sanctuaries and protect our blue planet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t                                    <a\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary\"\n                        data-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n                        data-ga-action=\"Call to Action\"\n                        data-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n                        href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/petition\/create-global-ocean-sanctuaries\/\"\n                        \n                    >\n                        Sign the petition\n                    <\/a>\n                \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/conrad-pilditch-1528498\">Conrad Pilditch<\/a>, Professor of Marine Sciences, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305\">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/elizabeth-macpherson-1455327\">Elizabeth Macpherson<\/a>, Professor of Law and Rutherford Discovery Fellow, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/joanne-ellis-2410580\">Joanne Ellis<\/a>, Associate Professor of Marine Science, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-waikato-781\">University of Waikato<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/karen-fisher-1443971\">Karen Fisher<\/a>, Professor in Human Geography, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305\">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/karin-bryan-2410556\">Karin Bryan<\/a>, Professor of Coastal Oceanography, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305\">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/rachael-mortiaux-2204595\">Rachael Mortiaux<\/a>, PhD Candidate in Law, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-canterbury-1004\">University of Canterbury<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/simon-francis-thrush-403820\">Simon Francis Thrush<\/a>, Director of the Institute of Marine Science, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305\">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean-258470\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-beige-100-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\">This article\u00a0is a guest post and doesn&#8217;t necessarily represent the views of Greenpeace.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conrad Pilditch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Elizabeth Macpherson, University of Canterbury; Joanne Ellis, University of Waikato; Karen Fisher, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Karin Bryan, University of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":70863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[25],"p4-page-type":[6],"class_list":["post-70862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-oceans","p4-page-type-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Conrad Pilditch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Elizabeth Macpherson, University of Canterbury; Joanne Ellis, University of Waikato; Karen Fisher, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Karin Bryan, University of&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.nz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1199\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"773\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nick Young\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nick Young\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nick Young\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221\"},\"headline\":\"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\"},\"wordCount\":987,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Oceans\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Greenpeace\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\",\"name\":\"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg\",\"width\":1199,\"height\":773,\"caption\":\"New Zealand sea lions lie on the beach at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, in the New Zealand subantarctic. The Rainbow Warrior lies at anchor in the background. Greenpeace has been documenting the extraordinary wildlife of the Auckland and Snare Islands, World Heritage areas, to show what is at risk if planned deep sea oil drilling goes ahead.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/\",\"name\":\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\",\"description\":\"Our mission is to ensure Earth\u2019s ability to nurture life in all its diversity.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221\",\"name\":\"Nick Young\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/a\/ACg8ocJXAN_-aMrfD7T6ibEnGzjWzprHxw_WFoPiQQUe__I7aSNfu5_q=s96-c\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/a\/ACg8ocJXAN_-aMrfD7T6ibEnGzjWzprHxw_WFoPiQQUe__I7aSNfu5_q=s96-c\",\"caption\":\"Nick Young\"},\"description\":\"I've been doing digital at Greenpeace since before Facebook. Now the head of communications at Greenpeace Aotearoa. Follow me on Bluesky or Threads\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.nz\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/author\/nyoung\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean","og_description":"Conrad Pilditch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Elizabeth Macpherson, University of Canterbury; Joanne Ellis, University of Waikato; Karen Fisher, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Karin Bryan, University of&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/","og_site_name":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.nz","article_published_time":"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1199,"height":773,"url":"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nick Young","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GreenpeaceNZ","twitter_site":"@GreenpeaceNZ","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nick Young","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/"},"author":{"name":"Nick Young","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221"},"headline":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean","datePublished":"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/"},"wordCount":987,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg","keywords":["Oceans"],"articleSection":["Greenpeace"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/","url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/","name":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-13T01:58:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-13T01:58:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/b8729bd3-gp04gzc_medium-res-1200px.jpg","width":1199,"height":773,"caption":"New Zealand sea lions lie on the beach at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, in the New Zealand subantarctic. The Rainbow Warrior lies at anchor in the background. Greenpeace has been documenting the extraordinary wildlife of the Auckland and Snare Islands, World Heritage areas, to show what is at risk if planned deep sea oil drilling goes ahead."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/nz-has-a-vast-sea-territory-but-lags-behind-other-nations-in-protecting-the-ocean\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"NZ has a vast sea territory but lags behind other nations in protecting the\u00a0ocean"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/","name":"Greenpeace Aotearoa","description":"Our mission is to ensure Earth\u2019s ability to nurture life in all its diversity.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/cd74b3cb7be5f23213b8b83730534221","name":"Nick Young","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/a\/ACg8ocJXAN_-aMrfD7T6ibEnGzjWzprHxw_WFoPiQQUe__I7aSNfu5_q=s96-c","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/a\/ACg8ocJXAN_-aMrfD7T6ibEnGzjWzprHxw_WFoPiQQUe__I7aSNfu5_q=s96-c","caption":"Nick Young"},"description":"I've been doing digital at Greenpeace since before Facebook. Now the head of communications at Greenpeace Aotearoa. Follow me on Bluesky or Threads","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.nz"],"url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/author\/nyoung\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70862"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70865,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70862\/revisions\/70865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70862"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=70862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}