Seaweek’s mission is to provide opportunities for us all to come together to celebrate and discover the ways our lives are connected to the sea.
Each year, Seaweek collaborates with a wide range of groups across Aotearoa New Zealand to organise a variety of opportunities to connect with the marine environment and learn about the ocean. Seaweek inspires people to engage with nature, explore the ocean and develop a deep sense of connection to our environment while inspiring and empowering us to care for our moana.
Creative
Immersive
Educational
Festive & Restorative
Coordination & Collaboration
National coordination of Seaweek is led by Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC) and made possible through grant funding, collaboration, and the work of a large network of volunteers. Seaweek events throughout the country are organised by a wide range of individuals, groups, businesses and organisations. There are opportunities for regional coordinators to get involved in expanding the programme of events in each region.
We see Seaweek as a bridge connecting individuals and organisations across Aotearoa working in ocean recreation, education, creative arts, conservation and restoration. Seaweek gives us the opportunity to come together, elevate each other’s efforts, and broaden our collective reach both locally and nationally.
The challenges facing the ocean and New Zealand’s unique marine life are too big to tackle alone. Coming together during Seaweek can inspire new ideas, relationships and solutions. To inspire strengthened connections to the marine environment, Seaweek coordinates activities that create awareness of the interconnections between ocean health, biodiversity, well-being and climate change.
We achieve this through:
- Coordinating a wide range of accessible events, activities, and inspiring experiences during Seaweek in early March
- Collaborating with organisations, community groups, businesses and agencies that align with our mission and help spread Seaweek key messages
- Creating communication and learning opportunities year-round to deepen awareness, build connection, and empower people to take action for our ocean
History
Seaweek has been a regular fixture in Aotearoa New Zealand for over 30 years, initially beginning as an art competition in 1987 at the Marine Discovery Centre in Victoria, Australia. Following that, it was coordinated by the Marine Education Society of Australasia, reaching New Zealand in 1992.
From the late 1990s to 2019, the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE) coordinated the event through its nationwide network. In 2019 Sir Peter Blake MERC started to work alongside NZAEE to deliver Seaweek, and in 2023 custodianship was formally passed on to MERC. Seaweek has grown to include over 100 events nationwide with over 10,500 participants in locations across the North and South Islands.
Cultural Connections
MERC recognises tangata whenua as kaitiaki. Included in MERC’s strategic priorities is “bring life to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi” through how we operate and in our mission statement: Kia whakaongoonga Tangaroa i to whatumanawa – let the ocean excite your heartbeat. With our Seaweek kaupapa, we embody these same values, growing and strengthening our relationships with iwi across the motu.
‘Toi Moana – Toi Tangata’ was gifted to Seaweek by Kaumatua Joe Harawira (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūhourangi). We are grateful for this whakataukī (Māori proverb) which acknowledges the health of all people is dependent on the moana – and we must all work together to protect it. It captures our interconnectedness and shared vitality with the holistic elements of healthy seas, healthy people and relates to working together to sustain both. This whakataukī can also be interpreted as having an element of responsibility and us being responsible kaitiaki.
Operationally, this is shown in MERC & Seaweek programmes where we have worked in partnership to deliver for kura kaupapa and community events. We are dedicated to amplifying Mātauranga Māori and working with tangata whenua to develop programs promoting an ocean centric vision based in cultural knowledge. We help share the Māuri viewpoint considering the ocean as a living entity with its own rights personified by Hinemoana and seeing the moana and Te Tiao as kin. We are all part of the environmental system. Seaweek values encompass all aspects of hauora; the programmes we coordinate promote physical activity in engaging environments, such as swimming in the ocean and exploring our coasts. For other cultures who call Aotearoa home, we ensure they know that we welcome all.
We work closely with organisations and groups with a reputation for creating safe and welcoming spaces that enable diverse communities to engage in ways that support and value all participants’ roles and contributions. Receiving feedback from our community helps us continually improve the Seaweek programme and identify needs we can meet in each local area.
Ways we strive to embody the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi:
- Partnership – working together with iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori communities.
- Protection – actively protecting Māori knowledge, interests, values, and other taonga – we seek ways to celebrate mātauranga Māori in a way which respects its significance and uniqueness.
- Participation – we encourage Māori involvement in Seaweek in a way that is organic and genuine.
International Connections
We are endorsed by the UNESCO Decade for the Ocean with our messaging and theme linked to Challenge 10 of the UN Ocean Decade: “Restoring society’s relationship with the ocean.” We are committed to increasing Ocean Literacy across Aotearoa New Zealand through our Ngā Kōrero Series of online and in-person events and our Ocean Literacy Educators Guide. We are grateful to the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO for supporting these events.