Creating Indigenous-led solutions to protect biodiversity in the Pacific Islands
Conservation International-Aotearoa works closely with Indigenous communities, local NGOs, and governments in Aotearoa and across the broader Pacific Islands to deliver impactful, science-based, culturally sensitive conservation solutions.
Our vision is a resilient Aotearoa, where Indigenous-led conservation drives environmental protection, cultural revitalization and sustainable development.
Aotearoa holds significant environmental and political influence across the Pacific region, presenting unique opportunities for regional conservation leadership. From our base in Auckland, we spearhead programs that benefit people throughout the region — including Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands and the Ross Sea — and further connect to Conservation International’s efforts in Samoa, Fiji, Palau, Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
Our approach blends Māori and Pacific knowledge with cutting-edge science to enable innovative, scalable solutions that benefit nature and people.
Together with our partners, we are supporting Indigenous-led efforts focused on marine protection, sustainable development and regional collaboration.
2014
YEAR FOUNDED
302M
METRIC TONS
of irrecoverable carbon in Aotearoa1
169
VERTEBRATE SPECIES
that are endemic to Aotearoa2
3.3M
SQUARE KILOMETERS
of marine protected areas within Aotearoa’s waters3
Areas we work
Indigenous ocean guardianship
The Hinemoana Halo Ocean Initiative is a joint effort between Māori tribes and Conservation International-Aotearoa to protect and restore ocean habitats and biodiversity while improving climate resilience.
Named after Hinemoana, the Māori goddess of the ocean, Hinemoana Halo promotes the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect, manage, monitor and restore their coastlines and waters.
As part of Hinemoana Halo, Māori and Pacific leaders united with Conservation International to create a 2.2 million-square-kilometer marine protected area that extends from Aotearoa to the Pacific Islands — the world's largest Indigenous-led marine protected area.
References
- Conservation International (2021, November). Irrecoverable Carbon. Retrieved January 2025, from https://www.conservation.org/irrecoverable-carbon
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (2024). Table 8a: Total, threatened, and EX & EW endemic species in each country [Fact sheet]. https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/summary-statistics#Summary%20Tables
- 30x30 SkyTruth. (2024, October). Marine Conservation Coverage. https://30x30.skytruth.org/progress-tracker?layers=6,144,7,145&settings=%7B%2522bbox%2522:%5B-167.96,-61.4,167.96,61.4%5D,%2522labels%2522:true%7D