Press release

AUCKLAND - A collaborative effort powered by Ōrākei Local Board funding and community passion is helping protect one of Auckland’s most vulnerable freshwater species.

Whakamana te maunga, whakamana te wai, he mauri o ngā tangata, ngā mea katoa he pai If we look after the water from the mountains to the sea, it will look after us. That whakataukī has guided Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust for over 20 years, and it sat at the heart of Wai Connection - Tātai ki te Wai, our national freshwater capability programme delivered with the Ministry for the Environment's Essential Freshwater Fund from 2023 to 2026. While we don’t often blow our o

The Northland mudfish has completed a remarkable victory in Fish of the Year 2026, having first taken the lead with less than 24 hours left to run. It takes the crown from the blobfish, whose viral 2025 victory took the competition to an international audience. The mudfish prevailed despite vigorous campaigning from its competitors, with scales flying in schools, dive shops, and on airwaves and social media across the country. All up, 5896 New Zealanders cast their vote, a ne

Man re-writes rulebook as longfin eel and whale shark take the lead An unprecedented late entrant has shaken up New Zealand’s favourite aquatic popularity contest. Whale shark and longfin eel/tuna are neck and neck, with big-belly seahorse/manaia currently rounding out the top three on the Fish of the Year leaderboard. However, the registration of ‘honorary fish’ Jono Ridler has left some fellow contenders feeling salty. While ineligible for the overall crown, members of the

Community celebrates success of hapū led marine protection More than 250 locals and visitors have been left in awe at the abundance of marine life at Maitai Bay in the Far North. The bay has been under a strict ‘no take’ rāhui for nearly nine years, since local hapū Te Whānau Moana me Te Rorohuri took action at the alarming decline in fish numbers. To see the impact of the protections, the bay’s annual community snorkel day was hosted by Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust

Based on extensive peer-reviewed science and recent High Court rulings, we’re urging the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to implement the maximum feasible reductions in Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and introduce targeted spatial closures. This is the only way to restore the ecological balance our reefs and marine ecosystems desperately need.

400 catchment and community organisations reached with tailored support and capacity-building. See the video below to learn how farmers...

Fish of the Year is o-fish-ally back for 2025 and ready to make a splash, with Kiwis and conservation groups up and down the country...

The 2023/24 financial year was an incredibly busy one for Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, with a significant injection of funding...

Enter our colouring competition to celebrate Conservation Week and go in the draw to win epic prizes!

As part of an ongoing journey into te ao Māori Manuel was able to utilise mātauranga and tikanga to help assist the trust to ...

Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) was stoked to run the fourth annual Fish of the Year | Te Ika o te Tau 2024 campaign.