The Breaking Wave: A conversation about reforming the oceans management system in Aotearoa New Zealand – Executive summary of working paper

Aotearoa New Zealand is an island nation with jurisdiction over a very large and valuable marine domain. But this important space is at the centre of many conflicting uses, serious environmental degradation and threats of species extinctions. The country’s current legal and institutional framework is failing to address these issues. Importantly, it has no overarching mechanism to help ensure that all
legislation relevant to the marine environment is interacting coherently or producing optimal economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes.

The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) oceans project is about conceptualising Aotearoa New Zealand’s oceans management system and thinking about blue skies options for change. In doing so, it is building on previous work on marine issues and EDS’s recent multi-phase resource management system reform project.