Foundation North has created the Gulf Innovation Fund Together (G.I.F.T) to help ignite innovative environmental solutions and kick-start projects that demonstrate the potential to deliver intergenerational benefit and wide impact in the Gulf.
EnviroStrat received a grant from the G.I.F.T to investigate the feasibility of impact investment in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park in order to facilitate transition to a high value, low impact seafood sector.
Fisheries is emerging as an important growth sector for impact investment with the potential to generate significant change in fisheries, through a mix of private and public sector investment. Globally, impact investments in fisheries to date show potential to generate equity returns between 5% and 35%, (through increased value from sustainably caught fish, increased volumes linked to stock recoveries, supply chain efficiency, branding and marketing opportunities that result from improved fishing practices, etc).
Sea Change Tai Timu Tai Pari is the first marine spatial plan developed in New Zealand; it is non-statutory and non-binding with implementation largely dependent on the resources the partner agencies can make available. Impact investment could potentially generate relatively rapid change toward a higher value, low impact sustainable fishery in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park that benefits commercial, recreational and cultural users. This project also considered the feasibility of options identified in Sea Change that could possibly be implemented through impact investment.