Law Commons^™

Integrating Indigenous Cultural Traditions In The Management Of Protected Marine Resources – The Fiordland Example, James Mize

James Mize

Indigenous communities that rely upon natural resources for their cultural practices and livelihood depend on the health of the ecosystem for traditional practices to continue. Yet government efforts to protect ecosystem integrity by “locking up” resources in spatially-explicit management regimes that prohibit resource use risks the disruption of indigenous cultural traditions compatible with sustainability. This tension can be seen in the Te Wāhipounamu / South West New Zealand (Fiordland) area, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, subject to increasing pressure from visitors and other non-traditional use. New Zealand statutes governing the management of adjacent marine resources recognize and incorporate Māori …