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Credit: Ayushi Kachhara

Enhanced blue economy

Enabling Aotearoa to transition to a blue economy by developing BE principles, enhancing opportunities, and supporting adoption.

Activity LeaderDuration
Jodie Kuntzsch (Moananui)2022-2024

Overview

The ‘blue economy’ is a new way of doing business with the ocean and goes beyond the traditional, purely economic concept of GDP. 

It is marine activities that generate economic value and contribute positively to ecological, cultural, and social well-being. It has the potential to encompass a wide range of activities including offshore renewable energy, ecotourism and biotechnology as well as sustainable aquaculture and fisheries. 

Our research has laid the foundation for much needed innovative solutions aimed at helping Aotearoa to transition to a new era where economic activity is inextricably linked to ongoing, long-term ecological resilience, which supports a blue economy.  

We are weaving together insights from across our 75 research projects through the following activities:

1. Blue economy principles (BE1) 

Working with businesses, investors and regulators to identify a set of core principles that help guide their decision-making in building a blue economy in New Zealand.

2. Sustainability reporting (BE2) 

Connecting our research on the blue economy, ecosystem-based management (EBM), ecosystem services, restorative economies, Māori economy and co-governance to support marine sustainability measures into nature-related disclosures, and business metrics and reporting initiatives.  

3. Building a blue economy in place (BE3) 

Identifying value creation opportunities from connections among different blue economy activities across sectors, different types of business and economic activity (from corporate to community scales) and developing strategies for place-based blue economy development. 

4. Activation and uptake (BE4)

Enabling our research to support transitioning to a blue economy, driving uptake of outputs that empower existing agencies and sector entities to transition, attracting new participants into the blue economy, and increasing accessibility of financial instruments for investment in and development of an Aotearoa-centric blue economy.

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Research Team

Jodie Kuntzsch (Moananui)
Cerasela Stancu (EnviroStrat)
Katherine Short (Terra Moana)
Bill Kaye-Blake (NZIER)
Nick Lewis (University of Auckland)
Shaun Awatere (Manaaki Whenua)

Related News

Location

This is a national project.

Tools & Resources

This activity has produced or contributed to:

Developing blue economy principles for Aotearoa New Zealand
Report
This report reviews blue economy principles and their implementation internationally to inform the development of blue economy principles for Aotearoa New Zealand. Short K, Stancu C, Peacocke L & Diplock J (January 2023)
View
Building an interconnected blue economy in place
Report
This report briefly reviews the blue economy Sustainable Seas programme to date and identifies three main gaps for further attention in the proposed ‘creating a blue economy in place’ synthesis project. Kaye-Blake B, O’Donnell J & Prichard C (March 2023)
View
Sustainability disclosures in the blue economy
Report
This report provides a stocktake of sustainability disclosure practices and initiatives globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a focus on the blue economy/marine sectors. Peacocke L, Stancu C, Diplock J & Short K (April 2023)
View
Blue Economy Principles for Aotearoa New Zealand
Summary
This summary provides guidance on what the blue economy principles mean in practice to inform implementation (June 2023)
View
Nature risks and opportunities in Hawke’s Bay
Report
A place-based approach to understanding nature risks and business readiness for nature disclosure (June 2024)
View
Nature reporting in New Zealand’s financial sectors
Summary
Summary of nature-related disclosure developments, their implications for the financial sector, and the emerging opportunities in the field of nature markets (June 2024)
View
Pathways to develop a blue economy
Report
Summary report produced by NZIER (June 2024)
View
A guide to developing place-based, community-led, restorative marine tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand
Report
Developed by OD&Co with support from the Cawthron Institute (July 2024)
View
Developing place-based, community-led Restorative Marine Tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand
Summary
The current state of Restorative Marine Tourism in Aotearoa (June 2024)
View
Experimentation and enactive research
Academic publication
Lewis N & Le Heron R (2022)
View
Rent as a regional asset: Rent platforms and regional development in Kaikōura, Aotearoa New Zealand
Academic publication
Lewis N, Le Heron R, Hikuroa D & Le Heron E (2023)
View

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Whai Rawa, Whai Mana, Whai Oranga: Creating a world-leading indigenous blue economy
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