A Tsunami of Claims

The Marine and Coastal Area Act repealed Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed and allows tribal groups to claim customary title to the coast. Hundreds of claims have now been lodged for all areas of New Zealand’s coastline and Territorial Sea.

We have examined the claims and here is what we found: In addition to claims for “the entire foreshore and territorial waters of New Zealand”, there are multiple, overlapping applications, that not only cover the coastline out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit – including all “islands, reefs, tidal rivers, tributaries, estuaries, springs, wet lands” and the “airspace” above – but also extend to the edge of the “200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone”.

Some claimants are planning on “taking” “dolphins, whales, penguins, and seals”.

Many intend ‘taking’ “seabirds” – and their eggs.

All species of “fish” – including “deep sea” varieties – are being targeted, as are all “shellfish, oysters, snails, kina, paua and crayfish”.

Some are claiming protected islands like the Poor Knights – home to the endangered tuatara – with plans for “recreational uses” and the “gathering of natural resources”, while others want “the right to derive commercial benefit” from their areas.

Many claims prioritise “mineral extraction” – the mining of “sand, peat, shingle, aggregate, rocks, stone, and ochre”.

Others specify control of the “landing, launching, anchoring and mooring” of vessels, all “boatsheds”, and all “aquaculture” developments.

Many claimants state they intend imposing “rahui” – to ban others from fishing – and most are planning to declare “wahi tapu” to prohibit public access to the coast, especially sand dunes: “all the sand dunes of our foreshore are wahi tapu…”

You can read the claims HERE. 

*Our main Countering Coastal Claims campaign page is HERE.

Sign the Petition to Restore Crown Ownership of the Foreshore and Seabed 

If you are opposed to tribal claims and believe that New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed belongs to us all, then please sign the petition.