Māori Co-Management Strengthens Marine Protection

New Zealand has established five marine reserves under its first Indigenous-government co-management model, combining Māori guardianship with long-term protection of important marine ecosystems.

“It’s a model that helps broker the way forward,” says Edward Ellison, Kāi Tahu leader and one of six governors of the Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia marine network.

The five no-take reserves cover 308 square kilometres and protect seabed habitats, offshore canyons, rocky reefs, tidal lagoons and kelp forests. Developed through more than a decade of community and government collaboration, Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation jointly manage them, with six funded marine rangers supporting ecological monitoring, restoration, surveillance and education. The reserves form the first part of a planned network of 12 marine protected areas, creating a new model for combining Indigenous authority, scientific research and long-term ocean conservation.