EDS Coast
& Oceans Campaign
New Zealand has a strong maritime history, being settled by some of the greatest seafaring peoples in the world. Since then, we have not lost any of our passion for the sea, with increasing numbers of people drawn to the coast to live, work and play. But are we taking the sea seriously enough?
Our country's ocean is vast, extending over an area 15 times larger than dry land. It teems with life and contains spectacular underwater features such as deep sea trenches, hydrothermal vents and seamounts. It attracts numerous seabirds making New Zealand the 'seabird capital of the world'. The bottom of the sea is not only rich in marine species, but contains extensive deposits of hydrocarbons and minerals.
But are we losing it before we have discovered it? We still know very little about what's in the sea. It is estimated that only 15 per cent of New Zealand's marine species have been described leaving up to 60,000 species yet to be discovered. Less than one two-millionth of our seafloor has been rigorously scientifically sampled. Yet petroleum and mineral permits have been granted over more than a hundred thousand square kilometres of sea floor, an area greater than the North Island. And thousands of kilometers of sea floor are being trawled each year by fishing vessels, a practice which has been compared to the clear-cutting of indigenous forest, because of the significant changes in habitat which can occur.
New marine species are arriving here at a rapid rate, many hitching a ride on oceangoing vessels. They are out-competing our native fauna and flora as well as threatening our growing aquaculture industry. And some of our indigenous marine species are not faring at all well. One of the most threatened is the smallest dolphin in the world, the Maui's dolphin, of which less than 100 still survive. It is not being endangered by foreign invaders however, but by our own fishing nets.
Closer to shore, our harbours and estuaries are filling up with sediment, at around ten times the natural rate, smothering life on the sea bed, reducing water clarity and degrading fish nursery grounds. This can lead to profound habitat changes illustrated by the growing expansion of mangroves into our former sandy beaches.
Unfortunately the management of our ocean bounty has been sadly lacking in some key areas. For the vast bulk of our oceans, which are located outside the 12 nautical mile territorial sea, there is little environmental regulation. There are also no marine reserves in this area. Little urgency has been given to managing the significant effects of wide-scale fishing on our oceans, even though scientists have long expressed concern about the destructive impacts of such activity. And we do not yet have a marine biosecurity strategy.
EDS is working hard to strengthen coastal and oceans management. To support our oceans & coastal work please click here.
