Updates
May 2026 – Changes to the NES-MA
The Government has made changes to the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture (NES-MA), which will take effect on 4 June 2026.
These amendments will streamline consenting, while maintaining environmental safeguards and upholding Treaty settlements.
The key changes to the NES-MA:
- Define “research or trial activity”.
- Expand where the NES MA applies.
- Create a controlled activity pathway for certain research or trials in new locations.
- Allow more changes to monitoring conditions.
- Enable changes to structure through a controlled activity pathway.
- Better enable finfish farming, within environmental limits.
- Provide more opportunity for Undaria farming within existing consent conditions.
- Technical amendments.
Councils will need to apply the amended rules when making decisions on marine aquaculture consents, or assessing permitted activity applications, from 4 June 2026.
Media release: Rule changes to support aquaculture – Beehive
September 2023 – Year 3 review of the NES-MA
The terms of reference for the planned Year 3 review of the effectiveness and implementation of the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture (NES-MA) were agreed by the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in March 2023.
Fisheries New Zealand undertook targeted engagement to inform the review between April and July 2023. This engagement formed the basis of the report on the review, which was provided to Ministers in August 2023. The report was made public in September 2023.
The review found that, overall, the NES-MA has been effective and met its objective. However, the review does identify issues that were not anticipated when the NES-MA was made. The review makes various recommendations about where potential amendments to the NES-MA could be considered, additional guidance be developed, or further engagement undertaken, to improve outcomes for the environment, mussel spat supply, and industry innovation, and improve implementation of the regulations.
Ministers have agreed that agencies provide further advice in late 2023 on urgent issues identified in the review. This advice will focus on how the NES-MA or alternative regulatory or non-regulatory options could:
- provide for the realignment of existing marine farms during the transition between operative and proposed regional coastal plans, and
- provide improved short-medium term regulatory certainty for the Wainui Bay spat catching farms while important planning is undertaken in the region.
Agencies will also provide ministers with advice in late 2023 on progressing proposed minor and technical amendments to the NES-MA identified in the review. Advice on the other potential amendments the review recommends be considered will be provided to ministers in 2024.
The review identifies that further engagement with iwi/hapū and other Māori groups, councils, and Te Ohu Kaimoana be undertaken to assess the viability of a strategic process to consider the effects on tangata whenua values of all existing farms in each region. Fisheries New Zealand will commence this engagement, in coordination with other central government agencies, in 2023/2024.
The review also identifies several areas where improved guidance or further support to councils could be beneficial. Fisheries New Zealand will progress this work in 2023/2024.
To contact Fisheries New Zealand about the Year 3 review, email aquaculture@mpi.govt.nz
