News

For Conservation Week, ESF General Manager Natalie Jessup was guest editor of the Sustainable Future newsletter from Newsroom Aotearoa.

After four decades of careful study, scientists have revealed that Hector’s dolphins, one of New Zealand’s most iconic taonga species, reproduce more slowly than previously understood.

A national hui bringing together iwi, communities, scientists, creatives and advocates will take place in Kirikiriroa this September, responding to the accelerating crisis facing Aotearoa’s most endangered taonga species and their habitats. The Endangered Species National Hui 2026, hosted by Tāngaro Tuia te Ora – Endangered Species Foundation (ESF), will be held on 2–3 September at Wintec, Hamilton, and is focused on moving from collaboration and kōrero, through to collecti

New data from the 2024–25 fishing year shows 67 marine mammals were killed by commercial fishing vessels inside New Zealand’s marine mammal sanctuaries - areas created under law specifically for their protection.

Minister Shane Jones has proposed, massive, sweeping legislative changes to fisheries legislation, including removing minimum fish size limits for commercial fishers, impacting important, community sustaining species such as snapper and kingfish.

The Endangered Species Foundation (ESF) is devastated by the recent discovery of another Māui dolphin carcass on New Zealand’s coastline.

The recent Māui Dolphin Day 2026 at Whaingaroa Raglan, was an important opportunity to connect key groups and engage with hundreds of people to enable stronger dolphin protections and empower people to take action. 

On Saturday 14 March 2026, in the presence of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, over a thousand people gathered at Ookapu Marae in Kaawhia for the 129th Poukai and the formal reopening of three new whare. Alongside the celebrations, the day also became an important moment for marine conservation, wi

On Thursday 30 October, Tāngaro Tuia te Ora – Endangered Species Foundation hosted a screening of Oceans, by David Attenborough, at Te Whare Taonga – the Waikato Museum. The evening brought together trustees, advisors and people from across the motu who care about the future of Aotearoa's marine life.

Four hundred and eighty-five people gathered at Ruakākā, Te Akau Bream Bay last weekend to send an important message: some treasures are too precious to mine. The event, organised by the Bream Bay Guardians, broke an unofficial world record for the most people making sand sculptures simultaneously, surpassing the previous record of 396 set in Belgium.

Today, we’ve launched a new petition demanding that the seafood industry stop bottom trawling in known Hector’s dolphin habitat. Why? Because it’s killing them.

In a landmark win for communities and the environment, McCallum Bros Ltd has withdrawn its High Court appeal and ceased all offshore sand mining at Pākiri and Mangawhai.

Mangawhai community packs venue beyond capacity as David Attenborough's latest documentary ignites passionate discussion about New Zealand's marine future.

Tāngaro Tuia te Ora, the Endangered Species Foundation (ESF) is standing alongside leading environmental organisations, iwi, scientists, and conservation groups in rejecting Seafood New Zealand’s misleading claim that Aotearoa has already met the global target of protecting 30% of its ocean by 2030.

On Saturday 12 July, a full house gathered on Waiheke Island to launch Heal The Hauraki, a three-part documentary series spotlighting the urgent need to restore the health of Tīkapa Moana / the Hauraki Gulf. It was a night of connection, conversation, and commitment to action — led by the incredible people driving this kaupapa forward.

A powerful open letter has been sent to McCallum Brothers Ltd, marking a significant moment in the growing national resistance against...

The Endangered Species Foundation is supporting calls for urgent government action to ban bottom trawling in Aotearoa and the wider South...

Today we stood in solidarity with tāngata whenua, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and local communities at Whaingaroa, opposing seabed mining on the west coast of Aotearoa New Zealand.

With less than 50 Māui dolphins remaining, Pōpoto, Māui Dolphins sadly hold the #1 place on our Top 50 Endangered Species List.

Today, Bream Bay witnessed a huge display of unity and determination as over 50 boats of all shapes and sizes took to protest sand mining