The proposed Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill threatens to strip regional councils of their ability to regulate fishing impacts under the Resource Management Act (RMA). This shift would place decision-making solely in the hands of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)—an agency primarily focused on fisheries extraction rather than ecosystem health.
This change ignores a key legal distinction: RMA-based marine protections are not about fisheries management but about safeguarding biodiversity, cultural values, and ecosystem integrity. The Motiti Decision confirmed that councils have the authority to protect marine habitats from fishing when necessary to maintain indigenous biodiversity.
The Fisheries Act has failed to protect marine biodiversity, as evidenced by the expansion of kina barrens in Northeastern New Zealand and the complete collapse of the commercial scallop fishery. If councils lose the ability to implement marine protections under the RMA, these problems will only worsen.
New Zealanders overwhelmingly support better marine protection, yet only 0.4% of our oceans are fully protected, placing us behind international standards. The Bill would make it harder to achieve meaningful protections, contradicting both public expectations and international commitments like the 30×30 initiative.
The RMA already allows for 10-year marine protection areas, providing a practical and adaptable tool for ecosystem recovery. Removing this mechanism would take away a proven, community-driven conservation tool.
We oppose the Bill and urge the Select Committee to reject these restrictions, retain regional councils’ ability to manage fishing impacts, and ensure marine protection remains in the hands of local communities—not just the fishing industry. Now is the time to strengthen protections for our oceans, not weaken them.