New Zealand to create massive marine sanctuary the size of France

What's the legality of extraterritorial sea grabs like this?

Nessie, thus one is completely legit. NZ claimed a massive area of the ocean surrounding it under UNCLOS in 1982 as an Exclusive Economic Zone. UNCLOS is a UN treaty recognised by 166 countries globally which lays out who has rights to resources in which marine areas. New Zealands claim to this area has never been disputed, and they are well within therir rights to declare a marine reserve in therir own Exclusive Economic Zone.

This isn't like another well known country arbitrarily deciding that resources in disputed marine areas are theirs . . .

“This decision puts New Zealand back at the forefront of marine protection on the global stage.”

Hats off to New Zealand. Touch wood the area will remain protected.

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Gadget.

It seems the reserve is within NZ's 200-mile EEZ.

Well done Kiwis!

Can't believe a right wing guy would do such a wonderful thing. Sounds suspicious...

`Goodluck

Yep. Probably going to be a private sushi farm, given past form....

Right wing-left wing, what does that matter. Painting with single color is not creative at all.

Bravo NZ!

Thanks to being run by a right wing guy, New Zealand is now rich enough to be able to demarcate this area as for protection.

This is how to save the environment around the world, get rich then you have these luxuries.

Not that I imagine dolphins, whales or turtles being caught in these waters in the first place. Perhaps there was a touch of by-catch, but come to think of it isn't there some dolphin in the coastal waters that is endangered? I give it 24 hours for the left wing people to start highlighting that and calling this a smokescreen.

Most rightist like me, in the US, opposed the UN "Law of the Sea" convention, as we do not trust almost anything coming out of the UN, while Japan seems to love the UN, funding it lavishly over the years, while getting no help with the Southern Kuriles, Senkaku, etc. Good for the Kiwis, though. It's a Teddy Roosevelt kinda move; "Bully!" ;-)

Right wing-left wing, what does that matter.

Completely agree. Nothing worse than people arguing that right/left wing politicians must/must not do this or that. A good politician looks at the facts and makes good decisions for the country based on those facts, regardless of ideology. Well done, Mr. Key.

Not that I imagine dolphins, whales or turtles being caught in these waters in the first place. Perhaps there was a touch of by-catch, but come to think of it isn't there some dolphin in the coastal waters that is endangered?

That would be the Maui dolphin. There has been a lot of arguing about this in recent times. What does the government do... create reserves to protect the dolphin which is critically endangered... or do nothing and allow the small time commercial fishermen to continue making their livelihoods? It is a very hard situation... I for one am on the side of the dolphin but it does mean destroying livelihoods. Still... this reserve just created is a good thing... smokescreen or not. Funny enough... people keep commenting about things like this being moves to hide other things... but nobody really forgets.