"Concerned", "Disappointed", "Frustrated"

New Zealanders are feeling concerned, disappointed and frustrated by the government's management of the country's oceans.

42% also rate its management of marine conservation poor or very weak, while 18% say it is good or very strong.

A poll by Horizon, commissioned by World Wildlife Fund NZ, finds what is described as an overwhelming political mandate for protecting New Zealand's oceans.

Currently 0.4% of New Zealand's oceans are protected. The country has signed an international agreement to protect 30%.

A Kermadec sanctuary, proposed first by National Prime Minister John Key in 2015, would protect 15%.

New Zealand First has opposed this, though the poll finds 70% of New Zealand First voters and three quarters of Act Party voters support this.

In March 2024 the government annoucned it would not go ahead with the sanctuary. It is described as a victory for Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones, of New Zealand First, who has long followed the industry line in opposing the sanctuary.

Overall, 81% (3,142,000 adults think that marine protection should be expanded, 5% say they should not be and 14% (522,000 adults) were unsure.

WWF has released results of the poll to Newsroom, which reports them here.

The WWF media release on the poll is here.

The full Horizon Research Ocean Survey is available here.