The Government's Marine Protected Areas Policy announced yesterday changes the system for planning where marine areas are to be located and how they are approved.
In future, proposals for reserves will be considered by regional forums, before ministers decide on them. The forums will involve community groups such as fishermen,
scientists and iwi.
Announcing the scheme in Auckland, Conservation Minister Chris Carter described it as "a systematic, scientific and holistic" approach to marine protection.
"We have been successful at protecting our terrestrial environment, but we have not yet banked the biological wealth in our seas in a comprehensive network of protected areas," he said.
Under the programme, a team of experts will classify the different types of marine environment round the country, and subtract areas already protected.
The remaining areas will be "tagged" for consideration by the local forums.
Mr Carter said that New Zealand's ocean area was 15 times the size of its land area, and the Government wanted to see an area the size of Australia protected by 2020.
Current marine reserve applications include Akaroa, Great Barrier Island, Wellington's south coast and the Sugar Loaf Islands, in Taranaki.
Mr Carter said that those applications would continue under the old scheme, but any new applications would follow the new programme.
