Towards Holistic, Justice‐Oriented, and Coordinated Freshwater Fish Science and Governance in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Aotearoa New Zealand faces accelerating loss of freshwater fish biodiversity and growing pressures on culturally significant fisheries. Technical solutions alone have failed because the challenge is not only ecological, but also institutional, cultural, and relational. Change is needed across policy, research, and practice to drive better outcomes for freshwater fish, beginning with how science is conceived and undertaken. Drawing on the Fish Futures five‐year transdisciplinary research programme, we outline how a transformative research approach—focused on strengthening relationships between people and freshwater fish—responds to fragmented and justice‐deficient freshwater fish governance. We highlight where change is needed to better embed justice, holism, and coordination in freshwater fish science and governance. Through hui and knowledge co‐production processes grounded in Te Ao Māori, we articulate six values that guide how research is designed and enacted. Sustaining freshwater fish and fisheries will require more than just more science or better science—it demands transforming the way knowledge is produced, shared, and applied to enable governance that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and reflects the deep interconnections between ecological and cultural wellbeing.

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