Heal The Hauraki

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Join us on the journey as we share solutions in actions, pathways & people that are helping to heal our precious moana.

29/07/2026

A bucket of muddy water. A few little kūtai. Sometimes the biggest shifts begin with the smallest things.

One moment of connection to the Hauraki Gulf can change the decisions we make for her future. Do your thang little suckers!!!

Plug in whānau! Listen to the full kōrero with Nicola Rata-MacDonald, (CEO Ngāti Manuhiri) in a podcast conservation with Mandy Kupenga, on Spotify or YouTube.

Watch Heal the Hauraki: Episode 3 on YouTube now - https://www.youtube.com/

Ngā mihi nui: Ngāti Manuhiri Foundation North Clare Foundation New Zealand National Commission (UNESCO) The Bethell Family Trust
Co-Producer: Cassie Roma & Mandy Kupenga
Production credits: The Sugarworks Post Production, Abe Mora, Pitch Media Services

24/07/2026

See more & learn more about the latest State of the Gulf report. 💙

23/07/2026

"It's not just the restoration of the taiao - it's restoration of the knowledge... It's building that knowledge base as well as restoring the mauri." — Dan Hikuroa

Some of the most powerful moments while filming Heal the Hauraki came from our young people.

They spoke with honesty. They led with aroha. They reminded us that caring for te taiao isn't simply about protecting nature—it's about restoring our relationships with it, and with each other.

In this beautiful reflection, Dan Hikuroa (University of Auckland) shares why nurturing the next generation of leaders and healers is not just important—it's critical.

When youth are part of restoration, they aren't just restoring ecosystems. They are restoring knowledge. Every seed planted, every kūtai returned, every story shared strengthens the mauri of both people and place.

We see what becomes possible when our young people grow up knowing they are not separate from nature—they are te taiao.

This is the future we're working towards. 🌿

✨ Watch Heal the Hauraki, now streaming on YouTube, and witness the wisdom, courage and leadership of our next generation.

Ngā mihi nui to the incredible people and organisations walking alongside our rangatahi :
🎥 Uru Whakaaro The Bethell Family Trust

21/07/2026

Never tell a Māori woman the bottom line… you may just end up with deployment of the largest shellfish bed restoration in the world!

Hear the full story from Nicola Rata-MacDonald in a podcast conservation with Mandy Kupenga, on Spotify or YouTube.

Watch Heal the Hauraki: Episode 3 on YouTube now - https://www.youtube.com/

Links in bio.

Ngā mihi nui: Ngāti Manuhiri Foundation North Clare Foundation New Zealand National Commission (UNESCO) Bethell Family Trust
Co-Producer: Cassie Roma & Mandy Kupenga
Production credits: The Sugarworks Post Production, Abe Mora, mike@pitchmediaservices

09/07/2026

Every three years, we pause to ask an important question:

How is the Hauraki Gulf doing?

The newly released State of our Gulf 2026 report is the Hauraki Gulf Forum’s health check for Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi — bringing together science, monitoring, lived experience and mātauranga Māori to understand the state of this extraordinary taonga.

But unlike many environmental reports, this one looks beyond numbers alone.

It asks about mauri — the life force and wellbeing of the moana.

The abundance of fish and birds. The health of habitats. The ability to gather kaimoana. The return of species once lost. The visible signs of care, restoration and connection.

Because the health of the Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui Ā Toi isn’t measured by any one thing.

It is felt as a whole.

This year, the report’s conclusion is Mauri Heke — a system under pressure.

The report warns that the pressures on the Gulf have not eased — they have compounded — and that recovery will depend on whether we can act faster, together, and at the scale the moana needs.

So… there’s no doubt we have lots of mahi ahead, but all around the Gulf, there are signs of hope.

Kelp forests returning. Species recovering. Communities planting, protecting and restoring. Mana whenua leading with generations of knowledge and care.

Recovery is visible where restoration and protection are being applied.

Let’s apply more, together.

Read the full report here : www.gulfjournal.co.nz

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21/06/2026

The Hauraki Gulf Forum (the Forum) welcomes news that any progress on the Fisheries Amendment Bill will be delayed until after the election.

“It demonstrates that the concerns regarding the Bill have been heard, and we can focus on a more considered approach to fisheries reform,” says Nicola MacDonald Co-Chair of the Forum.

“We have consistently advocated for reform that supports long-term ocean health and resilient fish stocks. This decision creates some space to progress this work properly, she said.”

When addressing the Primary Production Committee in May, the Forum said the Bill did not adequately address the most pressing challenges facing marine ecosystems and risked rebalancing fisheries management away from long-term sustainability outcomes.

Instead, the Forum recommended the Bill be rejected in favour of a comprehensive review of the Fisheries Act 1996, grounded in an ecosystem-based approach.

“Resilient fish stocks depend on healthy functioning ecosystems where marine life exists in balance. The effects of overfishing are being keenly felt in the Marine Park where ecosystems are tipping out of balance,” says Co-Chair Warren Maher.

The Forum emphasises that current fisheries management tools are often reactive, with closures and interventions occurring only after significant depletion has occurred. The submission also highlighted that ongoing pressures such as overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change, and cumulative impacts are continuing to undermine ecosystem health in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

“We owe it to all New Zealanders to design a fisheries management system that is fit for the future, that restores ecological balance and supports abundance. We can get it right if we take the time to get clear on a shared direction that balances a range of views,” concluded Ms Rata-MacDonald.

The Forum’s submission on the Bill can be read online https://l1nq.com/6ronqge

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Councillor Victoria Short - Albany Ward Robyn Sinclair - councillor for Thames Auckland Council Waikato Regional Council Councillor Sarah Paterson-Hamlin Charmaine Bailie Bianca Ranson Christine Fletcher Beth Rose

10/06/2026

When the ocean speaks, who listens? More importantly, what opportunities unfold when we do?

Inspired by the Ngā Huhua exhibition, this kōrero explored our relationship with the moana and the future we are creating together. Many of us care deeply about the ocean but can be left wondering where we fit, what role we can play, or where to begin.

At its heart was a simple idea: that our wellbeing is connected to the mauri of the moana and that each of us can contribute to the protection and restoration of Tīkapa Moana, Te Moananui-ā-Toi.

Bringing together voices from science, advocacy, activism, mātauranga Māori, policy, and transition economies, our panel explored what it means to be in relationship with the moana and the role each of us can play in shaping a healthier future for the Gulf.

What inspired me was the reminder that while the challenges facing our moana are real, so too is the collective commitment to her wellbeing. Across the Hauraki Gulf, people, organisations, communities, and mana whenua are dedicating their energy, wisdom, and leadership to her protection and restoration.

A heartfelt thank you to our panellists — Dr Rochelle Constantine (University of Auckland), Moana Tamaariki-Pohe MNZM, Rebecca Barclay-Cameron (Envirostrat), and Bianca Ranson (Forest & Bird) — for sharing your time, lived experiences, wisdom, and aroha.

Healing the Gulf is not the responsibility of any one person, organisation, or sector. It is a shared invitation to care more courageously and act together.

While none of us can restore the Hauraki Gulf alone, together we have the ability to shape her future.

Thank you to my bestie boo, Cassie Roma, co-producer of Heal the Hauraki, and Bianca Ranson, Forest & Bird& Greenpeace for helping make this conversation possible.

And thank you to the New Zealand Maritime Museum for partnering with Heal the Hauraki and hosting this special gathering inspired by the Ngā Huhua exhibition.

Mauri ora. 🌊

08/06/2026

🌊 HEAL THE HAURAKI PODCAST LAUNCH 🌊

Today, on World Oceans Day, we're proud to launch the first episode of the Heal the Hauraki Podcast.

In this opening conversation, Nicola Rata-MacDonald, Chief Executive of Ngāti Manuhiri, Environmental Hero of the Year 2024, Co-Chair of the Hauraki Gulf Forum invites us to see the Hauraki Gulf not simply as a body of water, but as a living ancestor, a source of identity, wellbeing and connection.

The moana has shaped generations of people who call Tīkapa Moana home. It nourishes us, teaches us, restores us and connects us to something much greater than ourselves. Yet many of us are only beginning to understand the challenges it faces — and the role we can play in its future.

This conversation is an invitation to listen more deeply.

To hear the stories, mātauranga, science, hope and action that are helping shape a healthier future for the Hauraki Gulf. Because when we strengthen our relationship with the moana, we strengthen our relationship with each other.

🎙️ Episode One featuring Nicola Rata-MacDonald is available now on:
Heal the Hauraki You Tube - https://youtu.be/blXC76678DE
Heal the Hauraki Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7dLT76PJC0NaTxiTuY67vY?si=27a43cb154324ca2

This episode was made thanks to Foundation North, Clare Foundation, Bethell Family Partnership, ‪UNESCONZ, The Mahurangi West Community.

Produced by Cassie Roma 🌟🌟🌟

06/06/2026

The wonderful Dr Rochelle Constantine will be joining our panel conversation this Tuesday evening at the New Zealand Maritime Museum

Join us for an insightful and thought provoking discussion - tickets are limited so book yours now.

https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/events/when-the-ocean-speaks

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http://www.healthehauraki.com/

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