David Bainbridge-Zafar, Opportunity Party candidate for Dunedin, is championing the party's Healthy Oceans policy as central to Dunedin's future prosperity and environmental stewardship.

"Dunedin's identity is inseparable from the ocean," says Bainbridge-Zafar. "Every morning, I look out from my bedroom window and see the ocean. Every day, my wife cycles to work along Te Ara Moana - The Ocean Path from West Harbour. Our seas define us as Kiwis, and always have. From the first Māori voyagers arriving on their ocean going waka, to the first pakeha settlers to Dunedin arriving on the John Wickliffe and Philip Laing after long ocean voyages. And after a long weekend for Easter, how many recreational fishermen went out on the water for a fish? But our marine ecosystems are under threat. Fish stocks are collapsing. We protect just 0.5% of our ocean territory. This isn't sustainable, and it isn't acceptable."

Opportunity's Healthy Oceans policy represents a generational investment in marine conservation and economic opportunity. The policy commits to protecting 30% of ocean territory as marine reserve by 2035, ending destructive bottom trawling, transforming fisheries management through ecosystem-based approaches, and generating $500 million per year in additional blue economy revenue through sustainable practices.

"This isn't just environmental policy," Bainbridge-Zafar explains. "It's economic policy. It's about creating jobs in sustainable aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and tourism. It's about protecting our fishing heritage while building a thriving blue economy."

The policy also commits to restoring 10,000+ hectares of coastal habitat and establishing integrated ocean governance through an Ocean's Secretariat and community-level oceans planning.

"I've spent my career managing complex infrastructure projects. I understand long-term planning. I understand how to deliver outcomes. Healthy Oceans is evidence-based policy that works. It's been proven in other countries. It can work here," says Bainbridge-Zafar.

For Dunedin specifically, the policy has direct relevance to Port Chalmers, the fishing industry, and coastal communities. The commitment to marine conservation aligns with Dunedin's identity as a coastal city and university hub focused on marine research and sustainability.

"Dunedin and the wider Otago Southland region has the expertise, the location, and the community commitment to lead New Zealand's blue economy. Look at the great work that Great South are doing with their Aquaculture Pathway. We know how to do it, Opportunity's Healthy Oceans policy gives us the framework to do it all around New Zealand's coastal communities and oceans," Bainbridge-Zafar concludes.

© Scoop Media