Response to our recommendations about processes to protect marine environments

18 August 2022: We asked the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai and the Ministry for Primary Industries Manatū Ahu Matua for an update on their response to recommendations we made in 2019 about marine protection planning processes.

We requested an update because we want to provide public transparency on progress with addressing our recommendations.

Cover photo of the report In 2019, our report Using different processes to protect marine environments examined how effective two processes were in developing marine reserve proposals in New Zealand, with a specific focus on the processes’ implementation guidelines, inclusiveness, quality of available information, and transparency.

We found that the guidelines for implementing the Marine Protected Areas: Policy and Implementation Plan 2005 were limited, making it difficult for agencies to know what was expected of them. The process undertaken by Te Roopu Manaaki ki te Toka (South-East Forum) met expectations for inclusiveness, although it had particular issues with participation and confidence. The process undertaken by Te Korowai o Te Tai ō Marokura (the Kaikōura Marine Guardians) did not meet policy expectations for inclusiveness, despite having broad community support. We found that the information provided by the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries was consistent and high quality, but there were issues with timeliness.

We recommended that the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries:

consider how any reform to marine biodiversity protection legislation, policy, or planning could support greater collaboration between parties, and ultimately provide more timely, appropriate, and sustainable protection for New Zealand’s unique marine biodiversity; and
work together ahead of time to collect and collate all available information on an area that is being considered for marine protection or management to ensure that it is available to members of Marine Protection Planning Forums or working groups in a timely way.

Read what the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries have said about their progress with implementing those recommendations:

We note that the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries explain in their response that the Ocean and Fisheries Work Programme includes an action to reform legislative tools and processes for marine protection. The agencies told us the timeline for Marine Protected Areas reform is still to be determined.

We have suggested to the agencies that information about the Ocean and Fisheries Work Programme is made more readily accessible to the public.

We have not audited the information in the progress report. However, as with all our work, we might choose to carry out a formal follow-up audit on our recommendations, or any aspect of the 2019 audit, in the future. Our Sector Managers will seek further updates from the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries as part of their usual engagement, and we will raise any relevant matters with Select Committees as part of our annual review process.