UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Regulating Marine Mammal Tourism Management: Challenges and Opportunities for Effective Enforcement in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.3390/oceans7050085

Authors

Yasmine M. Elmahdy · Mark Bryan Orams · Michael Lück · Heike Annette Schänzel

Reported year

2026

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.795304+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:04:47.795304+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Auckland University of Technology · Unitec Institute of Technology

Reported affiliation countries

NZ

Documentary abstract — original language

Marine mammal tourism (MMT) in Aotearoa/New Zealand operates under one of the world’s most established environmental protection regimes, centred on the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 (MMPA) and Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992 (MMPR). Despite this reputation, persistent non-compliance and weak enforcement have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the MMT industry and the effectiveness of existing regulatory tools. Rapidly changing human pressures on marine ecosystems, including accelerating tourism growth and expanding recreational use of coastal waters, raise questions about the adequacy of static regulatory frameworks. This qualitative study investigates the challenges and opportunities for enforcement within New Zealand’s MMT management system. Drawing on 40 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with four key stakeholder groups—the Department of Conservation (DoC), permitted tour operators, indigenous Māori representatives, and scientists—the research identifies systemic constraints that undermine regulatory effectiveness, including ambiguous legal definitions, difficulties proving intent, limited statutory powers, resource shortages, and outdated provisions inadequate for the challenges of a changing world. The findings reveal an over-reliance on commercial tour operators to perform quasi-enforcement functions, widespread frustration with warning-letter approaches that rarely escalate, and challenges for DoC officers operating in small communities where social proximity reduces their ability to enforce regulations impartially. These enforcement gaps contribute to unresolved stakeholder conflict, reduced regulatory credibility, and weakened conservation outcomes for marine mammals. The study outlines several pathways for strengthening governance, including legislative revision, enhanced compliance mechanisms, expanded enforcement capacity, and the use of external officers to reduce community-based conflicts of interest. The findings demonstrate how enforcement shortcomings can erode the legitimacy and effectiveness of conservation regimes and provide evidence-based recommendations for improving marine mammal protection and governance.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W7221575780

DOI

10.3390/oceans7050085

HANDLE

10292/22126

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Jurisdictions studied — explicit sources

NZ

Natural entities mentioned

Ecosystem

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2 · Record 3

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans7050085
• Handle · https://hdl.handle.net/10292/22126
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W7221575780

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w1525036508 · CITES
• openalex:w1965187157 · CITES
• openalex:w1979290264 · CITES
• openalex:w1986434355 · CITES
• openalex:w2016089631 · CITES
• openalex:w2022588848 · CITES
• openalex:w2032014078 · CITES
• openalex:w2032254920 · CITES
• openalex:w2044608100 · CITES
• openalex:w2045516842 · CITES
• openalex:w2048744680 · CITES
• openalex:w2053265836 · CITES
• openalex:w2054502516 · CITES
• openalex:w2074063889 · CITES
• openalex:w2077063537 · CITES
• openalex:w2078347133 · CITES
• openalex:w2096857294 · CITES
• openalex:w2103106396 · CITES
• openalex:w2115878657 · CITES
• openalex:w2120425416 · CITES

0 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.