New goals for Auckland's maritime playground.

The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is recommending two significant aspirations to help reverse an ecological decline.

First, to protect 20 per cent of the water in the gulf and secondly to restore at least 1000 square kilometres of shellfish-beds and reefs.

The Hauraki Gulf Forum chair, John Meeuwsen, told Mike Hoskingthere needs to be a target to work towards.

He says it will enable the gulf to be the full-on fishing and marine life habitat that it can be.