Issue date
By Live Ocean
The Black Foils and Live Ocean Foundation are leading the charge to organise what they hope will be New Zealand’s largest ever foiling event to help get the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill passed into law.
'Foil4TheGulf', set to take place on Saturday, May 24 at Auckland’s Okahu Bay, has been inspired by the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill’s stalled progress in Parliament since December last year.
The event, hosted at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, will bring together foilers (beginners to experienced) from across Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond.
It’s a call to action to join the Black Foils on the water for a foiling challenge and show support for the bill. Attendees don’t have to get in the water to join in the action, with options to learn more about the need to protect the Gulf and an introduction to foiling available on site.
The ambition is to garner public and political attention at the event and draw attention back to passing the important marine protection bill. With a target of up to 200 participants, there is a chance the challenge could become the largest foiling event ever in the Southern Hemisphere.
Black Foils Co-CEO and Live Ocean founder Blair Tuke hoped the event would bring the urgent need to take action in the Gulf to the attention of a wider audience.
“Kiwis have a special connection to the ocean, and so many of us, including foilers, spend hours out on the water, particularly in the Gulf. This event is an awesome opportunity to bring people together to learn about the importance of protecting the Gulf and for the foiling community to take on a challenge doing what they love, in a place they love that’s at a tipping point.”
A public campaign will accompany the foiling event, encouraging participants, spectators, friends and family in attendance, and across all digital platforms to share digital postcard images and messages of what they love about the Gulf, which will be sent to politicians, asking for it to be restored for future generations.
Blair Tuke, Barbara Kendall, and Peter Burling are all supporting the Foil4TheGulf initiative. Photos / Live Ocean
Tuke’s fellow Co-CEO and Live Ocean founder Peter Burling said the passing of the important and historic bill would be a much-needed step forward to halt the decline of the Gulf.
“After decades of work by so many, the bill would be a huge step forward for one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most outstanding areas of marine and seabird diversity. As great as the Gulf looks from the surface, it’s at a tipping point below the waterline. We’re hearing huge concern from scientists and locals about what they’re seeing. Restoring and protecting it will help ensure the health of the Gulf for future generations. The Bill is almost there, let’s get it done.”
New Zealand Olympian and passionate foiler Barbara Kendall said, “I can’t wait to take part in this event and to help raise awareness for this cause. The Hauraki Gulf has been a part of my life since I was a baby, and I want that to be the case for future generations.”
All proceeds of this event will go directly to Live Ocean to support restoration work in the Hauraki Gulf.
Event details
What: Foil4TheGulf
Where: Royal Akarana Yacht Club
When: Saturday, May 24
1200: Registration opens
1315: Welcome and event and safety briefing
1400-1445: Foilers on the water
1500 onwards: Speakers and onsite drinks, food and prize-giving
1630: Ends
Register and find out more at foil4thegulf.com
Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill
The proposed bill plans to introduce 19 new marine protection areas in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. The bill passed its second reading in December 2024; currently awaiting Committee of the Whole House and Third Reading stages.
The network includes:
- 2 new marine reserves, extending the existing Te Whanganui-o-Hei (Cathedral Cove) and Cape Rodney-Okakari Point (Goat Island) reserves.
- 12 High Protection Areas (HPAs) to restore marine habitats and ecosystems, while allowing for customary tangata whenua practices
- 5 Seafloor Protection Areas (SPAs) that safeguard seafloor habitats but allow non-damaging activities like non-bottom-contact fishing.
- Builds on the Sea Change Tai Timu Tai Pari plan and incorporates feedback from tangata whenua, stakeholders, and the public.
- Government amendments announced have proposed allowing limited ring-net fishing in two HPAs previously designated as High Protection Areas.
