Photo by Jil Beckmann on Unsplash (illustrative)
On 25 October 2025, New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act came into effect, creating 19 new or expanded protected areas in the gulf that borders Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula. The Department of Conservation now manages and monitors the new zones.
Key facts
The law creates 12 high protection areas and 5 seafloor protection areas, and extends two existing marine reserves.
Strongly protected waters in the gulf grow from 0.3% to 5.9%, not counting the new seafloor protection areas.
High protection areas ban commercial and recreational fishing, including taking crayfish and shellfish, and ban dumping waste.
Seafloor protection areas rule out bottom trawling, dredging, Danish seining, mining and sand removal.
Why it matters
The Hauraki Gulf is New Zealand's largest marine park, but successive State of the Gulf reports have documented a long decline in its sea life. Taking pressure off productive reefs and sensitive seafloor is a first step toward bringing that life back.
Worth noting
Some commercial ring-net fishing is still allowed in two high protection areas for part of each year, subject to a three-year review, which scientists have criticized. The law also does little to protect fish and marine mammals that move through open water.