National environmental standards for marine aquaculture

Update

7 July 2026 – Changes to the NES-MA

Changes to the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture (NES-MA) came into force on 4 June 2026. The amendments:

fix known problems with the re-consenting process for marine farms
enable aquaculture research or trials through new consent pathways, both on existing farms and in new areas (including allowing some activities as permitted)
make consent changes easier by providing a more lenient activity status for certain changes to consent condition applications.

Councils will need to apply the amended rules from 4 June 2026 when making decisions on resource consents or assessing permitted activities.

Media release: Rule changes to support aquaculture – Beehive

National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture – Ministry for the Environment

Read the factsheet on the NES-MA amendments – Ministry for the Environment

Read the Regulatory Impact Statement for NES-MA – Ministry for the Environment

National environmental standards

National environmental standards are regulations made under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), which:

set out technical standards, methods, or requirements relating to matters under the RMA
provide consistent rules across the country by setting planning requirements for certain activities.

A national environmental standard replaces regional plan rules, except, as in the case of the NES-MA, where it allows certain regional council rules to remain in force.

Purpose of the NES-MA

Marine aquaculture is managed under the RMA. Prior to the NES-MA, councils managed aquaculture rules, which created regulatory uncertainty for developers. There was also a risk that council consenting processes may not always have considered the same things.

The NES-MA originally came into force on 1 December 2020 (with subsequent amendments taking effect on 4 June 2026). The NES-MA aims to:

increase regulatory consistency and certainty
ensure environmental effects are appropriately managed
increase industry confidence to promote investment.

How the NES-MA works

The NES-MA enables marine farms to meet best environmental practices while providing a more certain and efficient process for:

replacement consents for existing marine farms
realignment
change of species applications
specific change or cancellation of consent condition applications
research or trials.

Parts 2 to 4 of the NES-MA

Make applications for replacement consents for existing marine farms a restricted discretionary activity if the farm is in an area that a regional coastal plan has not identified as inappropriate for existing aquaculture.
Specify what councils must consider when determining replacement consent applications for existing marine farms.
Allow small-scale realignments and changes in species and structures during applications for replacement consents.
Establish a process for engaging with tangata whenua to find out what they think about a consent application and take this into account when the application is determined.

It allows regional councils to:

make it easier to get a replacement consent for existing marine farms where a plan process determines that is appropriate
make applications for replacement consents for existing marine farms a discretionary activity if the farm is in an area that a regional coastal plan has identified as inappropriate for existing aquaculture
make it harder to get a replacement consent for existing marine farms in areas where regional coastal plans have determined that existing aquaculture is inappropriate.

It restricts public or limited notifications for replacement consent applications except:

applications that include realignment
species changes that require changes in surface structures
species changes that involve finfish
applications in areas that a council has identified as inappropriate for existing aquaculture.

Parts 5 and 6 of the NES-MA

Enables aquaculture research or trial activities through new consent pathways. These pathways would apply both to existing farms and new areas, and could allow certain activities within existing farms as permitted activities, subject to conditions.
Makes applications to change consent conditions simpler for specific changes to species or structures and changes to monitoring conditions.

Year 3 review of the NES-MA

Fisheries New Zealand undertook targeted engagement to inform the review between April and July 2023. The report was made public in September 2023.

Report on the Year 3 Review of the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture [PDF, 821 KB]

Terms of Reference for the Year 3 Review of the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture [PDF, 152 KB]

The review found that, overall, the NES-MA has been effective and met its objective. However, the review identified issues that were not anticipated when the NES-MA was made.

Findings from the Year 3 Review informed the June 2026 amendments to the NES-MA.

Guides to support the NES-MA implementation

Fisheries New Zealand has developed 3 guidance documents to support the implementation of the standards. The guidance is targeted at the primary users of the NES-MA, who are:

regional councils
the aquaculture industry
research providers
tangata whenua
interested stakeholders.

Depending on your role, different parts of the guidance will be more relevant to you.

NES-MA – User guide [PDF, 1.8 MB]

NES-MA – Plan alignment guide [PDF, 626 KB]

NES-MA – Consenting guide [PDF, 1.5 MB]

These guidance documents are being updated to reflect the June 2026 amendments to the NES-MA. If you want to be alerted once revised guidance documents are available, email aquaculture@mpi.govt.nz

About the NES-MA guides

The user guide provides high-level guidance outlining the purpose of the NES-MA, how it relates to other legislation, roles and responsibilities, key concepts, and its application.

The plan alignment guide provides detailed guidance for council policy planning staff.

The consenting guide provides detailed guidance for council consent staff and applicants to assist with the processing of applications under the NES-MA.