New Zealanders are increasingly concerned about the
health of the ocean and want action on destructive fishing
practices, new nationwide polling reveals.
Polling
by Horizon research reveals 90% of New Zealanders want
bottom trawling limited in some form and more than half
(55%) support a complete ban in the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa
Moana.
The survey reveals 47% of Kiwis identify bottom
trawling as the top threat to the marine environment – up
from 37% in similar polling commissioned by WWF-New Zealand
in 2024.
Restricting bottom trawling is also now the
top action New Zealanders want the Government to take to
protect the ocean, alongside creating more Marine Protected
Areas. The survey shows 81% of Kiwis want to see marine
protection expanded.
WWF-New Zealand says the survey
is timely ahead of the election – with 71% of New
Zealanders saying a political party’s policies on
protecting the ocean are important when deciding their vote,
and 34% saying they would change their vote as a result –
up from 27% in 2024.
At the same time, concern about
ocean health is deepening, with the proportion of New
Zealanders who are very concerned rising from 27% in
2024 to 33%.
WWF-New Zealand spokesperson
Caitlin Owers says this shows ocean issues could feature
more significantly this election – and parties have a
clear public mandate.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
“David
Attenborough’s incredible ocean film, Jono Ridler’s epic
swim across the North Island, and significant public
opposition to recent fisheries reforms have put ocean issues
firmly in the spotlight far earlier than we’ve seen in
previous election years.
“After three years of
backroom deals with industry and controversial decisions
like allowing commercial fishing in protected areas of the
Hauraki Gulf and scrapping undersize catch limits, it’s
clear that patience is wearing thin.
“This election,
New Zealanders are paying close attention to what’s on the
table when it comes to ocean protection, and political
parties have been given a clear public mandate to take
ambitious action.”
WWF says the findings also
highlight a growing disconnect between public expectations
and the reality of ocean protection in New
Zealand.
“The gap between our identity as an ocean
nation and what we’re actually doing is
significant.
“Less than 1% of our ocean territory is
highly protected, we’re the last country still bottom
trawling on vulnerable seamounts in the South Pacific,
marine mammals are dying in so-called ‘sanctuaries’, and
we’ve allowed commercial fishing in protected areas of the
Hauraki Gulf. Our ocean record is shameful.
“Even
with cost-of-living pressures front of mind, New Zealanders
still expect action to protect the ocean. The public mandate
is clear – now we need to see that matched by political
action,” says Owers.
Ahead of the General Election,
WWF-New Zealand is calling on all political parties to
commit to its 10 ‘Actions
for a healthy ocean’, including protecting at
least 30% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s ocean through
high-quality, Treaty-consistent marine protection; phasing
out bottom trawling in vulnerable marine habitats; and
reviewing New Zealand’s fisheries management
system.
Other key findings in the survey
include:
- Support for marine protection
remains high, with 81% of New Zealanders saying they want
Aotearoa to expand Marine Protected Areas. - 33% of
New Zealanders are very concerned about ocean health (up
from 27% in 2024) - ‘Concerned’,
‘disappointed’, and ‘frustrated’ are the top
feelings people have about how the current Government is
looking after marine life. 36% reported feeling
‘concerned’ – an increase on 32% in 2024. - 71%
say that a political party’s policies on protecting the
ocean are important when deciding their vote – with 34%
saying they would change their vote as a result. - 47%
identify bottom trawling as the top threat facing the marine
environment (up from 37% in 2024). - 47% say
restricting commercial fishing methods such as bottom
trawling should be the top action Government takes to
protect the ocean (up from 33% in 2024) - 90% support
restricting bottom trawling in some form – with 55% saying
it should be restricted in all areas, and 32% saying it
should be restricted in sensitive or vulnerable
areas. - 65% oppose commercial fishing in the ‘High
Protection Areas’ of the Hauraki Gulf. - 78% support
the creation of the Kermadec Rangitāhua Ocean Sanctuary (up
from 71% in 2024)
The Horizon Research survey
was conducted between 9–15 April 2026, with a nationally
representative sample of 1,032 adults. Maximum margin of
error is ±3% at the 95% confidence
level.
