The reserves, managed with Māori partners, will also safeguard kelp forests and other marine ecosystems, marking the country’s first major marine protection expansion in more than a decade.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Ömer Faruk Bekdemir;

The protected areas will take effect next month as no-take marine reserves designed to help wildlife recover and strengthen biodiversity. A sixth proposed reserve remains under review following a legal challenge. Conservation groups say the initiative could become a catalyst for further ocean protection across New Zealand.