New Zealand’s earlier efforts to safeguard marine or coastal environments, particularly as marine reserves and marine protected areas, typically focused on shallow ecosystems, largely because that is where most data exists. But following the passing of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act last year, it was good to see many deep rocky reefs among the 12 new high protection areas (HPAs).
These areas prohibit recreational and commercial fishing while allowing certain customary practices in ways that reduce or eliminate extractive activities, helping ecosystems recover and rebuild.
