Ocean Protection — Green Party's Healthy Ocean Act

The Policy: Green Party Oceans & Fisheries Policy — September 2023 →

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to passing a Healthy Ocean Act to create a legally binding framework protecting at least 30 percent of New Zealand's ocean territory by 2030 — a target known internationally as "30x30." The party also proposes establishing an independent Ocean Commission within the first 100 days of a Green-influenced government, banning bottom trawling on seamounts and vulnerable ecosystems, and creating a $60 million transition fund to help fishing businesses shift to sustainable methods. The policy carries a total costed budget of $265.7 million over three years, including a $100 million Moana Fund for iwi and hapū marine conservation efforts.

The current National-ACT-NZ First coalition government has not adopted the Healthy Ocean Act framework and has moved in a markedly different direction — prioritising fisheries industry interests and passing legislation critics say weakens ocean oversight rather than strengthens it.

What it does:

• Passes a Healthy Ocean Act creating a legally binding 30% ocean protection target by 2030 (up from less than 1% currently in no-take marine reserves)
• Establishes an independent Ocean Commission to guide implementation, aligned with te Tiriti o Waitangi and ecosystem-based management principles
• Bans bottom trawling on seamounts and vulnerable marine ecosystems; phases out commercial set-netting and dredging by 2028
• Creates a $60 million fund to support fishing industry transition to sustainable practices
• Establishes a dedicated Green Minister for Oceans portfolio as a coalition negotiation priority
• Total policy cost: $265.7 million over three years, including a $100 million Moana Fund for iwi and hapū

Where things stand:

The Healthy Ocean Act has not been introduced to Parliament — it remains a Green Party policy proposal that was not realised after the 2023 election, as the Greens did not enter government. New Zealand currently protects just 0.4 percent of its marine territory in no-take marine reserves, according to University of Auckland researchers, placing it well behind its international commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework, which NZ signed in 2022 alongside 195 other countries.

The most significant recent legislative development was the passage of the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act in October 2025, which the Green Party welcomed as "the most significant marine protection proposal in a generation" while criticising a last-minute government exemption allowing commercial ring-net fishing inside high protection areas. The Act increased Hauraki Gulf protection from 0.3% to roughly 5.9% — well short of the 30x30 target but a meaningful regional step.

Moving in the opposite direction, the National-ACT-NZ First coalition introduced the Fisheries Amendment Bill, which passed its first reading in March 2026 with coalition votes. Critics — including Greenpeace and the Green Party — labelled it an "ocean exploitation bill." The legislation restricts public access to on-boat camera footage (with fines up to $50,000 for leaks), extends catch limit review cycles from annual to five-year intervals, and limits public consultation on fisheries decisions. One clause allowing commercial fishers to land juvenile fish was removed after public backlash driven by recreational fishers, but the core bill continues through the select committee process.

New Zealand also drew international criticism in early 2025 for blocking tighter bottom trawling rules at South Pacific fisheries meetings, and has not yet ratified the High Seas Treaty it signed before the 2023 election.

What to watch:

• Whether the Greens re-run the Healthy Ocean Act as a Member's Bill or as a coalition bottom line ahead of the next general election (due by November 2026)
• The Fisheries Amendment Bill's progress through select committee in 2026 — submissions are open, and public pressure already forced one government reversal
• New Zealand's trajectory toward (or away from) its 30x30 Global Biodiversity Framework commitment, with the 2030 deadline approaching and current fully-protected coverage below 1%
• The Green Party's broader 6 July 2026 "Drink Swim Fish" package also adds new drinking-water and freshwater commitments (nitrate limits, wastewater rules, fertiliser phase-out) beyond ocean protection — tracked separately at Drink Swim Fish