You might think as a nation New Zealand would actively protect an environment that contributed over $7 billion to the
economy, but University of Canterbury (UC) Law Professor Karen Scott says we aren’t doing enough to protect New Zealand’s maritime zone – something that could be addressed, in part, with
an oceans policy.
New Zealand started the process of developing an oceans policy 20 years ago, but abandoned it primarily owing to
disagreements between Māori and the Crown over the foreshore and seabed.
In 2012, legislation for New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone – which is a 200-nautical-mile maritime zone extending
from New Zealand’s baselines – addressed some gaps in oceans governance but it is not designed to function as an oceans
policy.
An expert in the law of the sea, Professor Scott, funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation, is researching the question
of whether Aotearoa New Zealand needs an Oceans Policy and whether it would improve oceans governance and environmental
outcomes for New Zealand?
“An Oceans Policy would provide overarching goals, a set of principles and values which can provide the framework that
legislation, initiatives and organisations can work from in order to manage ocean resources and protect the ocean
environment,” Professor Scott says.
“My feeling is that oceans have been neglected in New Zealand. If you think about key environmental issues they usually
focus on freshwater and waterways, agriculture and climate. That’s not to say these aren’t important, they are, but the
ocean is often neglected and one role of an Oceans Policy is to increase its profile and make sure oceans are actively
considered when decisions are made that could affect the ocean.”
Part of Professor Scott’s research focused on how other states have implemented oceans policies and their outcomes.
“Australia and Canada have adopted Oceans Policies with differing results. I’m not suggesting these policies provide a
model for how New Zealand should implement an Oceans Policy, but they do provide a learning opportunity for us,” she
says.
“In New Zealand the development of an oceans policy must involve Māori in a way that is meaningful such as through
co-governance. An oceans policy provides an opportunity to incorporate Tikanga Maori and Matauranga Maori into oceans
governance in New Zealand.”
New Zealand’s maritime zone is 21 times the size of its terrestrial area, that’s 5.7million km² and about 30% of our
endemic biodiversity is found in the ocean. To put it in context, New Zealand has the fifth largest economic zone.
“From a geographic point of view we are lucky that we can claim the maximum extent of international maritime limits,
which typically most states can’t,” says Professor Scott.
“We think of ourselves as having a clean green image, when really it should be a clean blue image where our marine
environment is important to us.
“My hope is that in the future we will see shipping, fishing, offshore oil and gas exploration and recreational
activities managed in a more integrated way. Also I’d like to see a more proactive approach to protecting our marine
environment.”
Professor Scott’s extensive article on the importance of an oceans policy will be published in the 2021 Ocean Yearbook. She also presented her findings to a number of interested groups including Maritime New Zealand.