An analysis of the impact on Māori property rights

This study was commissioned by Te Ohu Kaimoana to provide an independent analysis of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Marine Protected Area (MPA) application in Aotearoa – New Zealand.

As the expansion of MPAs in Aotearoa follows from international efforts to establish or expand MPAs and apply the concept of EBM more generally, this project begins by carrying out a critical overview of the adoption of these approaches worldwide. This international context is then used to examine the New Zealand experience and implications for Māori fisheries rights specifically.

Are MPAs actually a successful tool for protecting ecosystems from risks? If they are indeed a successful way of safeguarding our ecosystems, we would need to incorporate this into our policy advice and discussions with iwi. If not, we need to ask: Why are MPAs still proposed as the primary response to ecosystem protection when the adverse impact on Māori rights, local communities and even the long-term effectiveness of alternative responses appears to outweigh the benefits?

The idea of ‘protected areas’ in the marine environment stems from the Convention on Biological Diversity. In Aotearoa, we are grappling with marine protected areas as a management tool: What are they and what problems are they intended to address?

We believe this report makes a major contribution to the discussions necessary to ensure marine policy supports our ongoing relationship with Tangaroa and ensures the Deed of Settlement and Te Tiriti o Waitangi endures.