James is from Tāmaki Makaurau and lives in Tītahi Bay, Porirua. He works at the interface of conservation policy, law, and social science, and is most interested in how these fields could interact to re-engage our communities with our relations in the ocean. James is currently the coordinator of the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT) and co-convenor of the Ocean Rights and Kinship Alliance (ORKA). He is a surfer and a sailor of traditional canoes.