MPA Protection Standard and Classification System

After considering the submissions received in the June 2007 consultation, the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries are pleased to release the finalised Marine Protected Areas: Classification, Protection Standard and Implementation Guidelines.

 Marine Protected Areas: Classification, Protection Standard and Implementation Guidelines (PDF 3MB)
Note: This is a large document and may take some time to download.

The country has been divided into 14 coastal regions to create a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that reflect the diversity of New Zealand’s marine environment. Local groups, or forums will now identify which areas in each region should be protected.

The forums will consist of tangata whenua, and local groups including commercial and recreational users, environmental groups, regional councils and tourism operators. They will work together to recommend new areas that should be protected in each region, which will then be considered by Ministers.

Four of the 14 regions have been chosen to start this work; West Coast South Island region, Otago-Southland region, the Hauraki Gulf area and the Sub-Antarctic region, which covers the Auckland, Campbell and Bounty Islands.

There will be three types of marine protection in these regions:

Marine Reserves – highest form of protection that prohibits taking anything from the water.
Other marine protected areas – allows some activities, but prohibits anything that would significantly change the overall environment, e.g. bottom trawling, dredging.
Other marine protection tools – protects certain plants or animals in the marine environment. 



 MPA Draft Classification and Protection Standard (PDF 758KB)