Loved to pieces: Toward the sustainable management of the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf

Abstract

The Waitematā Harbour is a drowned river valley in the south-west of the Hauraki Gulf, on the north east of New Zealand’s North Island. The central business district for the city of Auckland is situated on the southern shore of the central Waitematā Harbour and is New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing city. The Waitematā Harbour hosts a major international port, New Zealand’s primary naval base and international cruise terminal, as well as a large and committed community of recreational users. In comparison with the marine ecosystems surrounding many of the world’s coastal cities, the Waitematā Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf have experienced a relatively short period of human occupation. Nonetheless, rapid and widespread changes have occurred within these ecosystems. Habitat loss and declines in biodiversity as well as impacts on human activities such as safe swimming and recreational harvesting have motivated several conservation and restoration initiatives. Here, we review the natural and social context of the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf, and summarise some of the pressures the region faces. Last, we present three case studies highlighting current participatory initiatives aimed at ensuring more sustainable management of the region’s marine ecosystems. The Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf have provided considerable ecological, social and economic wealth for the people of Auckland; accordingly, conserving these ecosystems and preserving future prosperity should be a collective priority for all sectors of society.