In July 2026 New Zealand established five new marine reserves covering 308 square kilometres in the country’s southeast — the first in the country to be jointly managed by the government and Indigenous Māori as Treaty partners, with shared decision-making and a joint ranger team.
Advocates see the model as a shift away from top-down conservation toward recognising Māori as rights-holders in the places they have long cared for.
Posted: August 29, 2026