New Zealand (NZ) is blessed with a unique, quite wild nature and its endemic biodiversity. Also, NZ as a relatively small nation with c. 5.1 mio inhabitants features the world's 4th largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ). But modern NZ also entails many governance problems. Indigenous concepts are becoming now more dominant in NZ, and commercial fisheries there have a governance stronghold. Many of the fisheries products are actually for export, e.g. U.S., Asia and the EU/UK.

Like found in many fisheries nations, e.g. Japan, Norway and Iceland, the set up of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) get widely opposed and marine protected areas make just for s very tiny fraction of the EEZ and its conservation.

This podcast elaborates on an article by journalist Andrea Vance (2022) presenting an overview of the MPA process in NZ and specifically for the southeastern coastline -the South East Marine Protection (SEMP) network process initiated already in 2013 - featuring great ecosystems and conservation species like yellow-eyed penguins, royal albatross, dolphins, sea lions and rock lobsters.

Reference

Vance A (2022) A decade of wrangling, but dolphins and seabirds off the South Island's east coast remain unprotected.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130147040/a-decade-of-wrangling-but-dolphins-and-seabirds-off-the-south-islands-east-coast-remain-unprotected.

05:00, Oct 29 2022. Stuff, New Zealand