We have filed an appeal against a key part of the recent High Court judgment concerning Environment Canterbury’s (ECan) rule allowing nitrate pollution.

ELI’s appeal focuses specifically on the Court’s interpretation of section 83 of the Resource Management Act, which the Court found prevented ELI’s judicial review challenge.

Although ELI was not successful on the specific grounds of the judicial review, the judgment delivers powerful clarity about the Minister’s legal duties to protect hoiho.

The High Court has found that Environment Canterbury (ECan) made an error of law when it allowed nitrate discharges from farming as a region-wide permitted activity in its regional plan.  

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) welcomes today’s announcement of a significant closure of the Northland spiny rock lobster (kōura) fishery, a long‑overdue response to the ecological crisis unfolding across northeast Northland. 

ELI says Fisheries New Zealand needs to act quickly to improve its long-term options for protecting hoiho, as the urgent hearing on emergency measures wrapped up today in the Wellington High Court.

ELI is in the High Court this week for an urgent hearing challenging the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries’ emergency set-net fishing closure, which ELI argues is inadequate to protect the critically endangered northern hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin). 

We’re calling on the government to take immediate action to prevent fishing-related deaths of critically endangered West Pacific leatherback turtle in New Zealand waters. 

Appeal challenges legal interpretation of HSNO and EPA’s approach to glyphosate risk assessment. 

Z Energy has apologised for any confusion caused by aspects of its advertising campaign, which claimed it was moving with the times and in the business of getting out of the petrol business. 

The High Court has ruled that the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) did not establish “a reviewable error” in the Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) decision that grounds did not exist to reassess the herbicide glyphosate.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) has filed High Court proceedings against the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, challenging a recent decision to close a portion of northern hoiho habitat to setnet fishing.

We are appealing the recent High Court judgment which upheld Environment Canterbury’s decision to allow the MHV irrigation scheme to pollute water for 10 years.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) says today’s announcement of an emergency three-month closure of set-net fishing around the Otago Peninsula by Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones will protect some hoiho, while leaving others unprotected.

The support of Otago set-net fishers for emergency closures of set-net fishing shows action to urgently protect hoiho has broad backing, and it is time for Ministers to act.  

A US Court has ruled that New Zealand fish exports fail to meet the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act – because New Zealand is not sufficiently protecting the critically endangered Māui dolphins from fishing related-deaths. 

The Environmental Law Initiative welcomes Fisheries New Zealand’s proposals to close crayfish fisheries along the east coast of Northland, the Hauraki Gulf, and the Bay of Plenty, to allow recovery of crayfish populations and ecosystems. 

Hoiho are in serious trouble, especially the mainland population, which is in rapid decline and at risk of extinction. We’ve written to Ministers calling for urgent action to protect hoiho.

The Environmental Law Initiative says the Government is under-levying the fishing industry by millions of dollars, which is contributing to the insufficient resourcing of marine conservation research and the decreasing deployment of fishery observers.  

From the shallows to the deep, the oceans surrounding Aotearoa are among the most biodiverse on Earth. They are a taonga — and caring for them is essential. 
 
We’re taking the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to the Wellington High Court for failing to uphold the law in managing orange roughy fisheries.

Environment Canterbury and Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd (ALIL) have withdrawn their appeals against our historic High Court ruling, cementing an important legal victory for freshwater protection.