NZ has a huge marine territory but lags behind other nations in the protection of the ocean

For the last two weeks, the city of Nice in France has been a global epicenter of ocean science and politics.

Last week Congress One Ocean Science Ended with a unanimous call to action to turn to the degradation of the Ocean. And this week, Ocean’s United Nation’s Ocean Conference The agenda focused on better protection of marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and emissions reduction.

The message is clear. At just five years to the goal of the UN 2030. For its aim of sustainable development – to preserve the ocean, the sea and sea ​​resources– And The global frame of biodiversity A request for protection of 30% of the ocean, we need to make significant progress.

We all attended last week’s meeting, along with more than 2,000 marine scientists from 120 countries. Here we think about the role and obligations of New Zealand to contribute to these global goals.

Legal imperatives

Globally, The ocean is heating and acidifying at speeding speed. New Zealand’s waters are not immune to it, with More sea thermal waves which further emphasize our endangered sea biodiversity.

Me Depend directly on these ocean ecosystems To provide air, inhale, moderate the influences of climate change and feed millions of people.

New Zealand has a significant impact on the Antarctic Ocean policy to the subtropical Pacific Ocean and within its sea territory, which is 15 times larger than its land mass and covers 30 degrees of width.

The government is obliged to take measures under the law to ensure a healthy ocean.

Recent Advisory opinion The International Court of Sea The Law unanimously found that the states, including New Zealand, have obligations to international law to reduce the effects of climate change on marine areas, apply access to the ecosystem on marine law and policy, reduce pollution and support the renewal of the ocean.

New Zealand The courts recognized The need to take over a measure of precaution and approach to Marin management, based on science, Tikanang and Mātaurang Māori. These legal cases are part of the global rise of a strategic environment and climate litigation.

If New Zealand does not fulfill these marine legal obligations, it can be found before the courts, which has significant legal and reputational costs.

International agreements

In 2022. New Zealand was one of the 196 countries that committed to protect at least 30% of world coastal and marine areas by 2030. The global frame of biodiversity. New Zealand was Enthusiastic fanBut only 0.4% of his marine territory is completely protected in marine reserves.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has criticized Current government for the backlog of marine protection, especially in not banning the skin at the bottom.

On this week’s UN Summit Ocean, 18 more countries ratified an agreement known as Automatic Sea Contract,, which has led to 50 in totalstill less than 60 countries needed to enter into force.

New Zealand has signed this contract just before the last general elections, but it is Yet to ratify it. Foreign Minister Winston Peters represented New Zealand at the UN Ocean conference but was mostly focused on Questions on the Pacific Ocean.

In the meantime, the government announced By swinging changes in the national direction About environmental protection policy, including the processing of coastal policy statements in New Zealand to better enable the use and development of the coastal environment for “priority activities”, such as aquaculture, resource, infrastructure and energy.

Oceanic environmental change is real and accelerating

Some countries have shown that effective leadership can help move to the safe future of the ocean. For example, Chinese devotion to pure energy saw carbon dioxide Shows start to fall for the first time despite greater energy consumption.

At the UN Ocean Summit, the President of the French Polynesia announced that his administration would establish One of the world’s largest seaside -protected areas.

The cost of inactivity far outweighs the economy of the status quo. The heating of the ocean is already affecting the time patterns, with extreme storms.

It is possible for Sea ecosystems for a pretty fast recovery If they are protected, at least temporarily. Still, this year, the government of New Zealand found itself in hot water (once again) with both of them Conservators and Māori for his management management.

We claim that New Zealand has the opportunity and responsibility to show that it can move the descending spiral of the ocean degradation.

An overwhelming message halfway Ocean decades Is it that the sea science transforms the state of our oceans to turn on Indigenous peoples which routine were Saved from the discussion of the ocean policy Despite its long -standing rights and relationships with the ocean.

New Zealand already has the foundation of transdisciplinary and indigenous Ocean exploration develop ocean policies which are suitable for local purposes and to respond to global calls to action. We have a unique window of the possibility to keep the necessary changes.

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