While we welcome the decision to make the Otago Peninsula set-net closure permanent, we are concerned by the decision to set a Fishing Related Mortality Limit of four hoiho deaths per year in areas outside of the closure. #hoiho #conservation www.eli.org.nz/updates/hoih...

Appetite for hoiho deaths is ‘too high’ in measures announced by Oceans and Fisheries Minister — Environmental Law Initiative

While ELI welcomes the decision to make the Otago Peninsula set-net closure permanent, we are deeply concerned by the decision to set a Fishing Related Mortality Limit of four hoiho deaths per year…

eli.org.nz

In March we were in the High Court with Lawyers for Climate Action, challenging Minister for Climate Change Simon Watt's emissions reduction plans. From the get-go, it was obvious the plans don't achieve the cuts to emissions necessary to meet Aotearoa NZ's #climate goals & obligations. #nzpol

New Zealand now at risk of missing all its climate targets, Climate Commission warns

New Zealand is at risk of missing all of its climate targets, and time to get back on track is running out, the Climate Change Commission says.

rnz.co.nz

Breaking: High Court WIN in ELI v Minister for Oceans and Fisheries The Court found the Minister’s 2023 orange roughy catch decision to be unlawful because it didn’t properly consider how to protect important habitats, including spawning grounds, from the effects of bottom trawling. #nzpol

Breaking: The Ombudsman has upheld ELI’s complaint about withholding of information of lobbying by Z Energy & Fonterra of the Prime Minister's Chief Policy Advisor. They proposed legislation to ban climate tort cases, including in the case they are defendants, Smith v Fonterra. #nzpol #climate

Ombudsman upholds ELI’s complaint, finding Prime Minister’s Office acted unreasonably — Environmental Law Initiative

The Ombudsman has upheld ELI’s complaint. The report finds the Prime Minister's Office has acted unreasonably. In light of this, ELI says the Government need to pull the Climate Change Response…

eli.org.nz

At stake here is whether powerful corporate interests can secure legislative intervention to avoid scrutiny by the courts, without a fair process and without the public being able to see how that decision was made. #nzpol #climate #SmithvFonterra #climatelitigation www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Climate change activist files High Court proceedings over government ruling

A climate change activist has filed a court case against the government's plans to prevent companies being sued over their greenhouse gas emissions.

rnz.co.nz

A new report commissioned by ELI shows that Wetlands in Aotearoa continue to be converted into farmland, forestry and other modified land uses, despite strengthened national protections introduced in 2020. #wetlands #conservation #Aotearoa #NZ

We've wrapped up our four-day High Court hearing challenging the government’s under-levying of the fishing industry. More science, research and observer coverage is needed to protect marine wildlife and ecosystems from the impacts of fishing. #oceans #conservation #sustainablefisheries

It is good to see the Ministry of Health is reviewing the health effects of nitrate in drinking water. Decisions allowing nitrogen wasted from farms to pollute water often lock in that pollution to continue for years, or even decades to come. #nitrates #freshwater www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/...

Health ministry launches review into effects of nitrate in water

The Ministry of Health has quietly launched a review into the health effects of nitrate in drinking water.

rnz.co.nz

We are underway in the High Court this morning! "The Environmental Law Initiative says successive governments have failed to properly recover the costs of fisheries management, effectively creating a multimillion-dollar subsidy for the commercial fishing industry." www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361...

Next week, we are heading to the High Court in Wellington, to challenge the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and the Minister of Conservation over critical cuts to the fisheries observer programme and the undersized levy charged to the fishing industry.

Vernon Rive, Associate Professor at Auckland Law School, was consulted by the Ministry of Justice ahead of Minister Paul Goldsmith's announcement that will outlaw tort-based climate litigation. He has now released the advice he provided the Govt. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic... #climate #nzpol

'Constitutionally abhorrent': Expert reveals advice to government on climate law change

A legal boffin who was consulted on the government's law change that would prevent companies from being sued over climate change explains his opposition.

rnz.co.nz

In the winter months, deep in the ocean a delicate romance occurs when the long-lived orange roughy assemble to spawn. In recent decades, orange roughy stocks have collapsed. www.eli.org.nz/updates/oran... #orangeroughy #marinelife

Limited orange roughy spawning closure an improvement, but not enough to protect the population — Environmental Law Initiative

In the winter months, long-lived orange roughy assemble to spawn. In recent decades, orange roughy stocks have collapsed. Yesterday, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced a partial clos...

eli.org.nz

Will the proposed changes to the Climate Change Response Act breach NZ's obligations under international law? Oliver Hailes, writing for the Blog of the European Journal of International Law, suggests the answer is yes. buff.ly/V8ELueO

Denial of Environmental Justice: Would a Bar on Climate Tort Litigation Be Inconsistent with New Zealand’s International Obligations?

Like other countries that pride themselves on upholding the rule of law, New Zealand has seen many climate change cases decided by its courts. The most significant is the 2024 judgment of the Supre…

ejiltalk.org

Briefing to the Minister of Justice: "We recommend that the reforms are applied prospectively in line with rule of law principles, the separation of powers, and the convention that legislation does not deprive litigants’ fruits of their victory. This would mean that Smith v Fonterra would continue."

Officials told government not to intervene in a climate court case

The government was warned it would be premature to consider reform while a court case against emitters was under way.

rnz.co.nz

Given the constitutional importance of open government, & the significance of Smith v Fonterra as a major public-interest climate case, we asked the Ombudsman to open an investigation - and today he has confirmed that he has. #nzpol #climate #smithvfonterra www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361...

Ombudsman opens inquiry into PM’s office over climate case records

The Ombudsman has opened an investigation into how the Prime Minister’s Office handled information requests linked to a major climate litigation case.

thepost.co.nz

We are calling for an Ombudsman inquiry & a Solicitor-General review into revelations that the Prime Minister’s Office has hidden significant lobbying by Fonterra & Z Energy that lead to the Government’s move to block Mike Smith’s climate case. www.1news.co.nz/2026/05/24/a... #nzpol #climate

'A co-ordinated campaign of secret lobbying' – climate activist

Fonterra and Z Energy confirm in court they met with the Prime Minister's staff – something the PM says he has no record of.

1news.co.nz

"The government should reconsider its intention to amend climate laws to prevent lawsuits, according to an open letter signed by more than 100 lawyers, climate scientists and legal academics. #climate #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/environ...

Climate law changes have 'clearly struck a nerve' - experts

An open letter signed by more than 100 lawyers, climate scientists and legal academics attacks the government's moves to amend climate laws to prevent companies from being sued over damage.

rnz.co.nz

We are deeply concerned with the NZ Government’s announcement today that it plans to change the Climate Change Response Act to prevent courts from hearing claims about climate harm. www.eli.org.nz/updates/clim... #nzpol #climate #climatelitigation

Government move to block climate lawsuits undermines democratic accountability  — Environmental Law Initiative

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) says it is deeply concerned that the Government’s proposed changes to climate law will weaken the ability for people to hold powerful actors to account through t...

eli.org.nz

Our Director, Research & Legal, Dr Matt Hall provided comment to Michael Morrah for this NZ Herald piece. #nzpol #oceans www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/shane-jon...

Shane Jones doubles down after criticism over $50k fine for leaking fishing footage

'I would actually like the fine to be higher,' the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries said.

nzherald.co.nz

We gave a zero-star review. May not be our last. The Fisheries Amendment Bill: 🚩 Gives the Minister too much unchecked power 🚩 Removes environmental safeguards 🚩 Reduces public transparency and accountability You have until 11.59pm on Wed, 06 May 2026 to lodge a submission. #nzpol #oceans

As our sister org, NZ Penguin Initiative, highlights today: ‘‘Kororā are a taonga species, officially classified as at risk — declining, yet the government is still failing to properly address one of their most preventable causes of death: dog attacks.’’ Read: www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin... #penguins

Govt not addressing dog attacks: advocates

The penguin massacre at Long Beach is just the latest chapter in a long list written in blood, an advocacy group calling for more dog control on...

odt.co.nz

Aotearoa NZ's marine mammal sanctuaries should be safe havens for marine mammals. But in the last 2 fishing years alone, 146 marine mammals were killed inside them. It's time for action. Sign the letter to the Minister of Conservation here: only.one/act/save-our... #dolphins #seals #oceans #nzpol

We have obtained new data showing 146 marine mammals, including numerous Hector’s dolphins, Dusky dolphins, & seals, have been killed inside Aotearoa NZ’s marine mammal sanctuaries in the past two fishing years. We're calling for action. www.eli.org.nz/updates/mari... #oceans #marinemammals #nzpol

Minister urged to intervene over 146 marine mammal sanctuary deaths in just two years — Environmental Law Initiative

New data obtained by the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) shows 146 marine mammals, including numerous Hector’s dolphins, Dusky dolphins, and seals, have been killed inside Aotearoa New Zealand’s ma...

eli.org.nz

It was only last year that we spelled out the detrimental impact bottom trawling has on the spawning grounds of orange roughy in the High Court (we're still waiting on the judgment).  It appears that Fisheries New Zealand now accepts that very basic notion, which is welcome progress.  #oceans

Instead of limiting public scrutiny of fisheries decisions, we would rather the Minister prioritise: 🔬Evidence‑based, precautionary decision‑making 🐟️ Environmental protection, and 👥 Transparent processes that allow for public scrutiny and accountability. newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/07/e... #nzpol

Environmental Law Initiative unmoved by attempt to curb judicial reviews

The charity behind a string of successful judicial reviews says a 20-working day timeframe for fisheries reviews leans towards a wider crackdown on the role of the courts.

newsroom.co.nz

The ban on commercial spiny rock lobster fishing comes into effect today across the east coast of Northland. "Aotearoa NZ’s principal fisheries law should have prevented the overharvesting of kōura (#crayfish) & the related collapse of rocky shore ecosystems on the east coast of Te Tai Tokerau.

While the government has done a U-turn on scrapping minimum size limits for commercial fishers, there are bigger problems with the #Fisheries Amendment Bill. 🎣 We are deeply concerned that this bill systematically weakens sustainability provisions in the current Fisheries Act, including: #nzpol

In The Post: "Justice Boldt questioned senior Crown counsel Polly Higbee at length on the closing day of the hearing over whether the minister had the legally-required surety that the emissions plan would meet its target of reducing net carbon emissions by 305 million tonnes over the period.

Quashing emissions plan would create year-long hiatus, Crown tells High Court

A judicial review that has the potential to embarrass the Government, or even send it back to “square one” on its climate policies, has wrapped up in Wellington.

thepost.co.nz

We've wrapped up our 3-day hearing v Minister of Climate Change at the Wgtn High Court. Now we await the Court's decision. Thank you for all the support, from the ELI & Lawyers for Climate Action teams. Our final comments here: www.eli.org.nz/updates/clim... #nzpol #climatelitigation #climatechange

Minister was required to do better than ‘a coin toss’ on climate — Environmental Law Initiative

Three days of hearing in the Wellington High Court in Lawyers for Climate Action and Environmental Law Initiative v Minister of Climate Change, concluded this afternoon. The Minister was required b...

eli.org.nz

We're about to get underway for the third and final day of our hearing against the Minister of Climate Change. If you want to catch up on what happened in Court yesterday, this is a good summary from The Post. Thank you for all the support! #nzpol #climatelitigation #climate