Environmental responsibilities

1. Dispose of your waste safely

No matter where you are, you must not:

• throw plastic or synthetic fishing gear overboard
• discharge untreated sewage into the sea:
• within 500 metres of the high‑water mark
• within 500 metres of a marine farm
• in water less than 5 metres deep
• discharge treated sewage within 500 metres of a marine farm or mātaitai reserve.

Always take cans, bottles, paper, and other rubbish back to shore with you and dispose of them appropriately and safely.

Only minimal amounts of food scraps, cut into very small pieces, may be thrown overboard and then as far out to sea as possible. You must be at least 3 nautical miles from shore.

2. Maintain your boat

Take time to check that your boat is in good working condition. Make sure:

• the engine does not leak oil or fuel
• the bilge is kept clean
• if you have an automatic bilge pump, check that there is no floating oil in the bilge
• water does not leak into your boat
• you keep absorbent material underneath the engine to soak up accidental leaks.

If you own an older two-stroke outboard, you should consider upgrading to a modern low emission (direct injection) two-stroke or four-stroke alternative.

3. Take precautions when refuelling

To reduce the chance of a spill:

• estimate the amount of fuel you need before refuelling to avoid overflows
• plug scuppers and breathers with rags or absorbent material
• keep absorbent material on deck and around the fuel filler to mop up spills
• make sure a responsible adult monitors refuelling from start to finish
• do not let children or untrained people refuel your boat
• never leave the fuel pump unattended
• refuel at an approved area using a fuel pump
• avoid transferring fuel in containers.

If you must use a container:

• use a large funnel and pour slowly, or
• use a siphon hose with an integrated pump to reduce spillage.

4. Take precautions with antifouling paint

Antifouling paints are useful for preventing build-up of unwanted organisms on your boat. They are also a key biosecurity tool for preventing indigenous and non-indigenous species from spreading in New Zealand waters.

Antifouling paints, however, are toxic to the aquatic environment and have properties harmful to human health.

If you are using antifouling paint, always:

• read the product label first
• wear protective gear to avoid getting paint on your skin or breathing in vapours
• apply in a restricted work area such as a boat yard or hardstand area (if that is not possible set up a controlled work area and post signs when you are applying antifouling paint)
• prevent overspray if you are spraying

Any waste from antifouling paint must be collected and disposed of appropriately. This includes:

• old paint removed from boats
• scrapings and sanded material
• used paint cans
• rollers
• trays
• gloves
• Overalls.

All waste material from antifouling paint can still be toxic to people and the environment around you.

5. Minimise the spread of marine pests

It can be difficult to tell whether growth on your boat is a biosecurity risk. As a rule of thumb:

• keep your boat hull to a slime layer only
• brush or wipe off the slime layer regularly.

Your boat should also:

• have regular cleans out of the water, and
• have a good coating of antifouling paint.

Ballast water management

If your vessel can carry non‑permanent ballast water and will go overseas, you may need to ensure its ballast water management systems meet international standards.

Find out more about ballast water management on the Ministry for Primary Industries website, including guidance on cleaning your boat.

Oil spills in your environment

Report any spills you see

Most spills in the recreational boating sector result from careless refuelling or pumping oily bilge water overboard. Diesel and petrol are particularly toxic, and lubricant and hydraulic oils are also harmful to the marine environment.

If you see an oil spill in coastal waters, report it immediately to your local authority or council. The sooner the council hears about it, the sooner efforts can be made to minimise damage to the environment, other people, and wildlife.

3: Disposal of garbage

Air pollution rules for recreational boaties

Know what you need for your boat to reduce air pollution.

New environmental rules for air pollution

Marine Protection Rules around air pollution apply to recreational boats used in the sea. Boats that operate only on lakes or rivers do not need to comply with these rules.

These Marine Protection Rules limit emissions of:

• sulphur oxides from fuel use, and
• nitrogen oxides (NOx) from engines.

Both harm human health and the marine environment.

If your boat is large or travels to ports overseas, other Marine Protection Rules may also apply.

Fuel

All petrol, diesel, and gaseous fuels (CNG/LNG/LPG) sold at retail outlets in New Zealand are low‑sulphur fuels to limit harmful sulphur oxide emissions. All boats must use low‑sulphur fuel.

Engines

If you plan to install an engine over 174 HP on your boat, even if it is second‑hand, you must make sure the engine complies with the Marine Protection Rules.

If your engine was already installed on your boat at the end of 2022:

• it does not need to comply until 30 June 2032, and
• if the engine was on the boat before 19 May 2005, it probably does not need to comply.

When you replace your engine, talk to your engine supplier about buying a compliant engine and what documents it must come with.

This info sheet outlines what you need for your boat and by when.

This info sheet sets out the emissions tier the engine on your boat needs to meet.