In 2000, New Zealand established the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. This was the first marine national park in the country, covering 13,900 sq km (5,370 sq mile). The park’s objective was to protect the gulf’s “life-supporting capacity”, its nature and its history. The legislation required local councils and government departments with jurisdiction over the gulf […]

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New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, announced on 28 September 2015 that his nation plans to create a South Pacific marine sanctuary the size of France, saying it would protect one of the world’s pristine ocean environments. The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary would cover an area of 620,000 square kilometers about 1,000 kilometers off New Zealand’s […]

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