First we recognise and respect the territories of the iwi and hapū who are kaitiaki of the coasts of Aotearoa New Zealand. We further acknowledge the strong connections the diverse communities of Aotearoa New Zealand have with the lands, waters and people that surround them. The interdependence of lands, waters and people enables us to create a more complete picture of what is happening on our coasts and why it also highlights where potential solutions might be found and who needs to be engaged to implement them successfully.
In asking advanced university students to provide a ranked list of threats to the marine environment, the top choices were overfishing, invasive species and climate change. Only one student in the class, who clearly paid attention to one of our lectures last year, mentioned run-off from the terrestrial environment. Their perceptions were no doubt influenced by the emphasis that years of teaching and the media have had on these issues.
