We use the law to protect the natural taonga of Aotearoa

We have laws to protect our environment and natural taonga.
Too often these are poorly implemented or ignored altogether.

We're changing that.

We use the law to hold regulators and corporate interests to account, for nature and for future generations.

Cases
Protecting Māui and Hector’s dolphins from extinction
Protecting Māui and Hector’s dolphins from extinction

We are taking the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to court for failing to adequately protect Māui and Hector’s dolphins.

Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury: MHV
Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury: MHV

We have filed proceedings against Environment Canterbury challenging its 2021 decision to grant a nitrogen discharge consent to MHV Water Ltd.

Protecting orange roughy from bottom trawling and over-fishing
Protecting orange roughy from bottom trawling and over-fishing

We’re taking the Minister to court for overfishing orange roughy.  

Latest cases

Cases
Protecting Mount Messenger wildlife
Protecting Mount Messenger wildlife

We challenged DOC’s decisions to grant a permit and a consent authorising the incidental killing of wildlife during the Mt Messenger bypass project, and we won.

Holding Environment Southland accountable on wetland loss
Holding Environment Southland accountable on wetland loss

We challenged Environment Southland in the High Court for its failure to take action on wetland destruction, and we won. 

Crayfish case #2: restoring crayfish numbers in Northland
Crayfish case #2: restoring crayfish numbers in Northland

We challenged the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Total Allowable Catch decision for crayfish in Northland, and we won.

Crayfish case #1: Restoring crayfish numbers in Northland
Crayfish case #1: Restoring crayfish numbers in Northland

With Te Uri o Hikihiki hapū, we challenged the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries catch limit decisions for crayfish and we won.

Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury: ALIL
Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury: ALIL

We challenged Environment Canterbury’s decision to grant a problematic nitrogen discharge consent to a major irrigation scheme and we won.

Challenging DOC’s failure to protect marine species from commercial fishing
Challenging DOC’s failure to protect marine species from commercial fishing

We challenged the New Zealand Government in the High Court over systemic failures to apply the law to protect marine biodiversity — and we won.

Recent wins

Follow our updates

The Government’s proposed national standard for wastewater discharges would have "massive implications". ELI’s Legal Advisor, Reto Blattner de-Vries, spoke to the ODT’s Mary WIlliams about the Taumata Arowai-led consultati
We’re taking the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to court for failing to adequately protect Māui and Hector’s dolphins. Māui and Hector’s dolphins were once the most common dolphins in New Zealand waters. Now, there are only an e
The National Party’s proposed bill, which would outlaw the public from taking climate change litigation, is a dangerous attack on legal rights and our collective ability to take action on climate change. This legislation seeks to silence memb
As blobfish went viral, orange roughy was there in support. Because as we said, 'from an ecosystem perspective, a win for blobfish is a win for orange roughy'. One of the biggest threats to blobfish is being killed as bycatch from bottom trawling for