Aotearoa cannot have a resilient economy without a resilient maritime network, with the Maritime Union arguing the future of shipping must also recognise the health of Tangaroa and the communities that depend on the moana.
Maritime Union representative Carl Findlay says the concept of oranga moana provides a framework where economic activity on the ocean can operate alongside ecological restoration, cultural wellbeing and social responsibility.
Rather than treating the moana simply as a transport corridor or economic resource, the approach draws on principles including kaitiakitanga and the relationship between people and Tangaroa.
The issue has major implications for Aotearoa because international trade remains overwhelmingly dependent on shipping.
Maritime New Zealand says more than 99 percent of the country’s international trade by volume is carried by sea, making ports, shipping routes and maritime workers essential to the movement of goods into and out of the country.
For an island nation deep in the South Pacific, those connections are an economic lifeline.
Ships carry major exports including dairy products, meat and forestry products to international markets while bringing fuel, machinery, vehicles, manufactured goods and other essential imports into Aotearoa.
That dependence also makes maritime resilience a national security and infrastructure issue.
A strong coastal shipping network can provide another way of moving freight around the country when roads and railways are damaged or disrupted.
The vulnerability was demonstrated during Cyclone Gabrielle, when severe flooding and slips cut road and rail connections across parts of the North Island, leaving some communities isolated and forcing the country to find alternative ways to move essential supplies.
The Government has also identified coastal shipping as an important part of New Zealand’s freight system, particularly because shipping can move large volumes of freight while reducing pressure on congested roads.
For the Maritime Union, however, resilience also means maintaining New Zealand’s own maritime skills and workforce.
That includes having trained seafarers, functioning ports and sufficient domestic shipping capability rather than becoming increasingly dependent on international operators to maintain critical supply chains.
For Māori, the maritime debate carries another dimension.
Te ao Māori views the relationship with Tangaroa through whakapapa and responsibility, meaning economic activity on the moana cannot be separated from the obligation to protect its mauri for future generations.
Oranga moana brings those ideas into the modern maritime economy by asking whether shipping, ports, fishing and other marine industries can generate prosperity while also restoring environmental, cultural and community wellbeing.
That could mean cleaner shipping technology, stronger environmental protections, investment in maritime workers and ensuring iwi, hapū and coastal communities have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their rohe moana.
Climate change is making that conversation increasingly urgent.
More severe weather events threaten roads, railways, ports and coastal communities, while international pressure is also growing for the shipping industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
For Findlay and the Maritime Union, the challenge is therefore bigger than simply keeping cargo moving.
Aotearoa needs a maritime system capable of keeping the country supplied during a crisis, supporting skilled local jobs and international trade, while recognising that long-term economic prosperity depends on the health of the moana itself.
In an island nation, looking after Tangaroa and protecting the shipping lifelines connecting Aotearoa to the world may increasingly become part of the same conversation.
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