Prioritising multiple objectives in marine spatial planning for Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Aotearoa (New Zealand) is a global hotspot of marine biodiversity and has a productive commercial fishing industry. Despite the importance of sustainably managing biodiversity to support fisheries, less than 1% of Aotearoa's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is protected in marine reserves, and Benthic Protection Areas, which cover 28% of the EEZ, are inefficiently placed, providing limited biodiversity and fisheries benefits. Here, we provide a spatial analysis of the Aotearoa EEZ, determining optimal areas that balance marine conservation with the minimal displacement of fishing. We define the minimum length of a big old fat fecund female fish (BOFFFF) for three commercially important exploited species, and use boosted regression trees to determine areas of high reproductive potential. Model results were then used to incorporate reproductive potential into systematic conservation planning. We used the decision-support software Zonation to consider the distribution of threatened species hotspots, biodiversity, and BOFFFFs against fishing catch (all commercially exploited species) and high-value fisheries (10 commercially exploited species) to determine priority areas for marine protection. Results showed that threatened species, biodiversity, and areas with high reproductive potential could be conserved with little impact on fishing catch (86% maintained) and value (87% maintained), though high-value fisheries were found to have greater overlap with biodiversity. Our research indicates that trade-offs with fisheries need not impede the designation of protected areas required to achieve conservation and fisheries sustainability goals.