New Zealand Creates First Māori Co-Managed Marine Reserves on Otago Coast

Five Māori co-managed marine reserves came into force on July 1, 2026, along New Zealand's Otago coast, protecting 308 square kilometers of coastal waters that previously had no marine protected areas. The network, named Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia, was established through a partnership between Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation (DOC) after more than a decade of planning led by the South-East Marine Protection Forum.

The reserves operate as full no-take zones where fishing, collecting, and extraction are prohibited. They span from Akatore south of the Taieri River mouth to near the Waitaki River in the north, encompassing Ōkaihae Island, Ōrau, Harekeke Point on the Otago Peninsula, and Papanui Canyon offshore. Habitats protected include estuaries, tidal lagoons, sandy beaches, rocky headlands, volcanic cliffs, schist rock pools, giant kelp forests, seagrass and red algal beds, deep offshore canyons, and bryozoan thickets.

Governance is shared between Kāi Tahu and DOC, marking the first time in New Zealand that marine reserves will be jointly managed through a Māori-Crown partnership. Decision-making, ranger operations, and stewardship follow the principle of kaitiakitaka, or guardianship of the natural world. A dedicated team of nine rangers drawn from both partners will conduct daily monitoring and enforcement.

Edward Ellison, Kāi Tahu rangatira and Upoko of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, described the network as an outstanding result rewarding three decades of local advocacy. He emphasized that governance structures recognizing the authority of three local rūnanga — Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, and Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou — ensure management decisions reflect customary practices and local knowledge.

Orders in Council allow Kāi Tahu to conduct wānaka, workshops passing on mātauraka (traditional knowledge), within reserve boundaries. These may include wānaka hī ika, lessons about traditional fishing where limited take of marine life may occur consistently with reserve purposes. This provision aims to keep traditional knowledge alive within iwi, hapū, and whānau while connecting youth to their tribal marine areas.

The reserves are expected to benefit endangered species including hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins), toroa (northern royal albatross), pakake (New Zealand sea lions), kororā (little penguins), and diverse fish populations in kelp forests, reefs, and canyon systems. Forest and Bird Otago representative Chelsea McGaw welcomed the reserves as urgently needed, noting hoiho face a severe risk of local extinction on the mainland.

The 308-square-kilometer increase represents nearly a 50% expansion of mainland New Zealand's total marine reserve coverage and marks the country's first new marine sanctuaries in more than a decade. Scientific monitoring will track ecosystem recovery and compare the co-management model with conventional approaches. A sixth reserve, Te Umukōau, is undergoing boundary reconsideration following consultation and judicial review, with the Minister of Conservation to decide final boundaries.

The network complements existing mātaitai and taiāpure reserves already managed by Kāi Tahu along the coast, forming part of a proposed network of 12 marine protected areas. The approach combines mātauranga Māori with modern conservation science and may serve as a template for future partnerships across New Zealand.