Context

The two main types (by size) of marine areas managed by the Department are marine reserves (established under the Marine Reserves Act 1971) and marine mammal sanctuaries (established under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978). Marine reserves provide a high level of protection for marine life and serve important scientific and conservation purposes. Efforts are being made to expand the coverage of marine reserves and other marine protected areas, to ensure representative coverage of New Zealand’s marine habitats and ecosystems. Such efforts aim to achieve national and international targets, including those stated in the Marine Protected Areas Policy and New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy. Marine mammal sanctuaries are one statutory tool for the conservation management of New Zealand’s whales, dolphins and seals: they can facilitate area-based measures focussed on identified pressures (such as fishing, oil and gas exploration, navigation and tourism) or protected species (such as the threatened Hector’s and Maui dolphins, southern right whale/ tohorā and NZ sea lion/ rapokā).

Key findings

New Zealand has 44 marine reserves covering 17 698 km². However, only 3.5% of this area is situated around the mainland coasts, and so many of New Zealand’s coastal marine biogeographic regions are significantly under-represented. New Zealand also has eight marine mammal sanctuaries, five of which primarily exist to help protect Hector’s dolphin. No new protected areas were established in 2018/2019, but completion of marine protected area (MPA) planning processes for all regions of New Zealand remains a priority.

• Approximately 9.8% or 17 698 km² of New Zealand’s marine area inside the 12 nautical mile territorial limit is protected within 44 marine reserves (Figure 1). However, almost all of this area (96.5% or 17 083 km²) lies within the ecologically important offshore island marine areas of the Kermadec and Subantarctic groups, with only 3.5% (615 km²) existing around the New Zealand mainland coasts. Thus, most of New Zealand’s 14 coastal marine biogeographic regions remain significantly under-represented in marine reserves (Table 1).

• New Zealand has eight marine mammal sanctuaries (Table 2 & Figure 1). Five of these around mainland New Zealand have primarily been established to help protect Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori, including the Maui dolphin subspecies C. h. maui), while the Auckland Island sanctuary mainly aims to protect southern right whale/ tohorā (Eubalaena australis) and New Zealand sea lion/ rāpoka (Phocarctos hookeri). In addition, two sanctuaries occur near Kaikōura: one to protect whales and one to protect a New Zealand fur seal/ kekeno (Arctocephalus forsteri) breeding colony.

• No new marine reserves or marine mammal sanctuary areas were established in the 2018/2019 year (Table 3 & Figure 1).

• Completion of the MPA planning processes for all regions of New Zealand remains a priority. As part of this, the South-East Marine Protection Forum’s MPA recommendations for an area of the Southern biogeographic region have progressed to the stage of preparing marine reserve applications and other MPA proposals for government approval.

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500 km

300 mi

Marine mammal sanctuaries
Marine reserves

Leaflet | Tiles © Esri — Sources: GEBCO, NOAA, CHS, OSU, UNH, CSUMB, National Geographic, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, and Esri

Figure 1: Marine reserves and marine mammal sanctuaries managed by DOC, as at 30 June 2019.

Definitions and methodology

This measure reports on the area (and percentage area) of New Zealand’s marine environment that is within marine reserves and marine mammal sanctuaries, which are two of the main types of marine areas that are actively managed by DOC. It is assessed in the context of (a) coastal marine bioregions; (b) marine areas within the 12 nautical mile territorial limit; and (c) marine areas within the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) limit.

This measure does not include: (a) marine areas managed by DOC under other land status types that are not specific to the marine environment (e.g. nature reserves, wildlife reserves and other public conservation land); or (b) marine protected areas (MPAs) that are not managed by DOC (e.g. those established under the Fisheries Act).

Data quality

Biogeographic regions are as described in the MPA Policy (Department of Conservation and Ministry of Fisheries, 2011) and as defined on DOC’s NaPALIS GIS system. Marine mammal sanctuary names and establishment dates are from the relevant Order in Council or Act. Areas are calculated from DOC’s GIS system (‘NaPALIS’), which uses NZTM projections. Please note that the figures stated may differ from other reported figures, such as the areas stated by Orders in Council (as used in annual reports prior to 2016/17).

This measure is classified as a national indicator. There have been no changes to the true extent of marine reserves or marine mammal sanctuaries during the 2018/2019 year.

Relevance

This measure relates to indicator 1.6.1 - Ecosystem representation and protection status.

Accuracy

Area calculations for this indicator are now sourced wholly from the Department’s GIS system. Annual report figures prior to 2016/17 were less accurate, some having been taken from Orders in Council dating back to when the reserves and sanctuaries were established (as early as 1975).

These are the computer-generated (GIS) area calculations of the spatial boundaries held within LINZ Land Online datasets, calculated in WGS84 coordinate system. They are the optimum representation of the ‘perfect’ world, where spatial boundaries align. The GIS area may differ greatly from the legal area stated in the survey office plan, although the boundaries and vertices remain in the same location. This is because spatial boundaries have been digitized from original record sheets and transformed through multiple projections. They have the possibility to change with future transformations.

This measure complies with the data quality guidelines used in New Zealand’s Environmental Reporting framework.

Outcomes Monitoring Framework

The Department of Conservation’s (DOC’s) Outcomes Monitoring Framework provides a platform on which DOC and others can assess outcomes in a clear, structured and transparent way (Lee et al., 2005). It has been developed as a logical hierarchy that is based on broad, overarching Outcomes, beneath which are nested Outcome Objectives, Indicators, Measures and Data Elements to provide ever increasing levels of detail. The framework is scalable, as the indicators and measures remain compatible and consistent whether applied locally, regionally or nationally. The framework provides a roadmap for gathering information to meet the specific objectives of DOC and other agencies (McGlone and Dalley, 2015). The provision of a national framework with agreed outcomes, indicators and measures supports collaboration with land management and regulatory agencies, allowing for more integrated environmental policy and ‘State of the Environment’ reporting. DOC has partially implemented a national monitoring and reporting system, whereby priority indicators and measures are routinely used to report on progress against the objectives and outcomes. This factsheet reports on a measure for the 2018/2019 year.

Glossary of terms

Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.

GIS means ‘Geographical Information System’.

LINZ means ‘Land Information New Zealand’.

Marine protected area (MPA) are protected areas of seas or oceans. MPAs restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, typically to protect natural or cultural resources. Note that the strict definition of ‘MPA’ can vary: this report addresses only marine reserves and marine mammal sanctuaries that are managed by the Department of Conservation.

NaPALIS means ‘National Property and Land Information System’ and is DOC’s GIS system.

NZTM means ‘New Zealand Transverse Mercator’.