Kia ora katoa, and welcome back to the Sea Change podcast!

In March 2023, I was lucky enough to witness the enchanting Waiheke Marine Project breathing life into the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Join us for a remarkable weekend of discovery and enlightenment, where we immersed ourselves in the wisdom of the land and sea.

In these two unforgettable episodes, prepare to embark on a profound masterclass in language, culture, and Te Ao Māori. Our second installment is with Alice, Brianna and Carys as they share their incredible knowledge with us and the part they play in the project.

Through deep wānanga—a process of learning and reflection—we delved into the profound interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world, particularly in Aotearoa. It was a journey that revealed the essence of true connection to one's whenua (land) and the world that embraces us all.

Discover the soul of community-led projects, as we explore the depth of knowledge possessed by those who inhabit the land and the ocean. The Kelp Gardeners and WMP know the intricacies of their local whenua and moana more intimately than any national or regional body ever could.

Join us as we explore Waiheke's marine conservation efforts. The work of the Waiheke Marine Project is a testament to the power of collective dedication and understanding, a testament that will undoubtedly inspire you as it has inspired me.

Tune in to this transformative episode, and let the teachings of Waiheke nourish your spirit and awaken your soul to the beauty of our natural world. This is more than a podcast—it's an invitation to cherish, protect, and celebrate the precious bond between humanity and Papatuānuku.

Check out more about the WMP here. 

Kia ora katoa, and welcome back to the Sea Change podcast!

In March 2023, I was lucky enough to witness the enchanting Waiheke Marine Project breathing life into the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Join us for a remarkable weekend of discovery and enlightenment, where we immersed ourselves in the wisdom of the land and sea.

In these two unforgettable episodes, prepare to embark on a profound masterclass in language, culture, and Te Ao Māori. Our first installment features two extraordinary wāhine Māori, Mereana and Darleen, whose teachings have left an indelible mark on our souls.

Through deep wānanga—a process of learning and reflection—we delved into the profound interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world, particularly in Aotearoa. It was a journey that revealed the essence of true connection to one's whenua (land) and the world that embraces us all.

Discover the soul of community-led projects, as we explore the depth of knowledge possessed by those who inhabit the land and the ocean. The Kelp Gardeners and WMP know the intricacies of their local whenua and moana more intimately than any national or regional body ever could.

Join us as we explore Waiheke's marine conservation efforts. The work of the Waiheke Marine Project is a testament to the power of collective dedication and understanding, a testament that will undoubtedly inspire you as it has inspired me.

Tune in to this transformative episode, and let the teachings of Waiheke nourish your spirit and awaken your soul to the beauty of our natural world. This is more than a podcast—it's an invitation to cherish, protect, and celebrate the precious bond between humanity and Papatuānuku.

Check out more of Waiheke Marine Project's incredible mahi here. 

Kia ora, welcome back to the first interview episode of season rua. We're starting off with an angel of the ecosystem world! Wednesday is the project coordinator at Experiencing Marine Reserves (to name just one of her many many many hats). This is what she is expanding on in this episode - don't worry, you'll see her back later this season to talk about her research on marine megafauna in Tikapa Moana!

Wednesday is an educator, but she is so much more than that. Her passion is inspiring, and her knowledge is astounding, a testament to the time she has spent below the surface (and up streams, on beaches, in wetlands!). It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Wednesday, and I hope it inspires you to volunteer or join in an EMR community day close to you!

P.S. If you're listening before March 31st - go vote for Fish of the Year now! Otherwise, wait til next Seaweek!

YWCA, Y25

Sea Change website

Zinc or Swim

Kia ora all. I am so happy to be back! Lots has happened since we last spoke - there is a lot to catch up on. But first... here are some highlights from our first season to get excited for the next one!

Do you have something to give to those still feeling the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle? Find out where to donate here. 

Glenn Edney - The Ocean is alive

Mandy Kupenga - Spreading the ocean conservation message

Joe Burke - A little bit of everything

Riley Elliot - Shark man

Dallas Abel - Waste not, want not

Mareike Babuder & Nicole Miller - Love Rimurimu

Mā te wā!

Kia ora everybody. Welcome to the final episode for season one. I can’t believe we’re already at 20 episodes. And the exciting thing is that there are many more people to speak to, many more exciting ocean conservation initiatives to touch on - we have barely scratched the surface.

This episode is with Mandy Kupenga. If you’ve seen the Seasick documentary you will know Mandy as the host of that incredible documentary. If not, you might know her from elsewhere – she makes content for ocean conservation for places like LegaSea and Greenpeace. She also is an established fisher, appearing on Matt Watson’s fishing show, The Apprentice, or her youtube channel on fishing, Fishing Advisor. Or even her own fishing show, Get your Fish On! Take your pick.

It was great to get to know Mandy a bit more. She is an incredible communicator with impeccable ability to get across the message of big issues to people who have no background knowledge in the topic.

Mandy inspires me as someone who decided to move from a corporate career into ocean conservation. It’s a bold move but you can tell just by talking to her that she’s followed her passion. Through this change Mandy has educated herself on topics such as commercial fishing, she shares her knowledge and opinions on this huge subject. This conversation again outlines the importance of cameras on commercial fishing vessels.

We speak about petitions and how effective they can be. Namely, a petition on the UN Global Oceans Treaty – 67,000 people have signed this to date. So, if you haven’t yet signed it yourself, go and do it. It does make a difference.

Mandy has the most infectious laugh I have ever heard, and we hear it quite a bit in this podcast. Her ability to speak about serious topics while also keeping it light and entertaining made this a great conversation to be a part of as well as to listen back to. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Lastly, thank you for being part of this journey. Planning for season two is underway and we’re looking to branch out to get people involved in ocean conservation around Aotearoa.

This podcast is bought to you by Zinc or Swim. Natural zinc made right here in Aotearoa. Use the code SEACHANGE to get 10% off your order.

Episode links - 

@mandykupenga

@seachange.podcast

@zincorswim

Fishing Advisor - https://www.youtube.com/c/FishingAdvisorconz

UN Global Oceans Treaty petition - https://petition.act.greenpeace.org.nz/ocean-sanctuary

Seasick Documentary - https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2022/seasick-saving-hauraki-gulf/

Get Your Fish On - https://www.facebook.com/getyourfishontv/ 

New Zealand catch reconstruction study - http://www.nzai.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/our-research/past-research/new-zealand-catch-reconstruction.html

Ultimate Fishing youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/UltimateFishingTV/featured

Greenpeace ban bottom trawling on seamounts -

https://petition.act.greenpeace.org.nz/oceans-bottomtrawling?_ga=2.200572142.1590210791.1664246163-320847325.1664246163

Greenpeace - why NZ needs cameras on fishing vessels - https://youtu.be/KGH9UsS0aT4 

Project Kahurangi - https://www.projectkahurangi.co.nz/

Hands off my bottom LegaSea/Hauraki Gulf Alliance campaign - https://haurakigulfalliance.nz/

Fisheries Amendment Bill late changes - https://legasea.co.nz/2022/09/29/last-minute-change-to-fisheries-amendment-bill-a-win-for-the-environment/

Zinc or Swim - https://www.zincorswim.com 

https://www.seachange-podcast.com/guests-1/mandy-kupenga 

Kia ora everybody, thank you for joining me for another episode. Joe is a good friend of mine and a fellow marine studies student. It’s not uncommon to see Joe walk around in his wetsuit all day. He seems almost half-man, half-fish.

Joe was gracious enough to humour me and my interests in freediving by taking me through a practice session in the pool at Toi Ohomai one day. I will start out by saying Joe isn’t a professional free diver or spear fisher, so we don’t go too deep on the fine details of the sport. I know he would disagree with me here, but from my perspective Joe seems to know what he’s talking about for the most part. His story about getting into spearfishing and freediving genuinely took me by surprise. I thought that this episode could be helpful for anyone wanting to get into spearfishing or freediving, but not knowing much about it or where to start.

Joe and I speak about different freediving concepts such as ‘breathing up’ and negative buoyancy, how he got in to free diving, a few ‘what-not-to-do’s’, how to go about getting gear when you’re starting out, and some exercises you might use if you’re trying to increase your breath hold. Listen to the episode to hear options for learning independently or through a structured program.

From my own experience, I have seen some great improvements by using the Freedive Apnea app and also just practice in the pool (although I haven’t put nearly enough time into it). I can see it being one of those things where you quickly get addicted to seeing improvements. Freediving and spear fishing are a great way to connect with the moana, to use it as a source for food, a great sense of community, and if you throw in the benefits it seems to bring from a meditative lens and I don’t see many downsides!

Check out Joe on Instagram @fins_first

This podcast is bought to you by Zinc or swim – a natural zinc made right here in Aotearoa. Use the code SEACHANGE to get 10% off your order.

Show links –

Back 2 Basics Adventures on Youtube 

Freedive Apnea app 

Ollie Criag – Primal Pursuit Youtube channel

Shallow Water Blackouts, Avoiding Them and Saving Lives | ADRENO

https://www.seachange-podcast.com/guests-1/joe-english 

Kia ora everybody, welcome back to another episode. Some of you may have seen Riley Elliot on the news, on shark week, or maybe you just follow his epic Instagram page @thelifeofrileynz

Riley is a shark scientist. At that title usually people perk up and listen to what he has to say, often they even have a question or two to ask. During our chat Riley and I discuss how he got to be where he is now – he is one of only a few shark scientists that work directly with sharks in New Zealand.

Not only that, but Riley is also a TV presenter and in the campaigns he’s been involved in he has had two big conservation victories when it comes to sharks, he’s an excellent advocate and he is just so incredibly knowledgeable on sharks.

In the last 50 years, shark populations have declined by 70% worldwide. Some species have been hit harder than others, such as the blue shark which have diminished up to 99%. We don’t know exactly how sharks in New Zealand have been impacted because we don’t have enough data on our resident shark friends.

If you’re interested in sharks, listen to the show to hear Riley’s suggestions for internships around the world for anyone wanting to follow a similar path (links below). We discuss how New Zealand is one of five great white hotspots in the world and why we need to have cameras on commercial fishing vessels!

When Riley and I recorded this episode the NPOA for sharks was open for submissions. Submissions closed on the 13th of September 2022, so we will be waiting to see what changes are made based on submissions. We also speak to the role that the government plays in making change in industries like fisheries, and that comes down to education of the public and getting enough people on board that want change.

Thank you so very much for your listener questions for this episode! There were some great questions and Riley has equally fantastic answers.

Check out the sea change Instagram for videos of screen share moments @seachange.podcast

This podcast is bought to you by Zinc or swim – a natural zinc made right here in Aotearoa. Use the code SEACHANGE to get 10% off your order.

Oceans Research in South Africa - https://www.oceans-research.com/

Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas - https://www.biminisharklab.com/

Recommendations:

Petition: Hands off my bottom petition - https://haurakigulfalliance.nz/petition/

Degrowth vs. green growth debate - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YxJrBR0lg6s

Patagonia Founder – Yvon Chouinard – gives away the company -  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/climate/patagonia-climate-philanthropy-chouinard.html

https://www.seachange-podcast.com/guests-1/riley-elliott