The Green Party is calling for stronger rules and response plans to protect New Zealand beaches from oil spills.

New figures released by Maritime New Zealand show almost 4 tonnes of oil have been spilt into New Zealand's oceans since the Rena disaster in 2011.

Green Party MP Eugenie Sage said the boating industry has recognised that it needs to do more to prevent oil spills but the fact that there's still a significant amount going into New Zealand's waters is a concern.

"Every care is needed both by recreational boaties and by the commercial industry and it's particularly the commercial fishing and the oil industry which have been responsible for most of the spills which have been reported."

Since the ship ran aground on Astrolabe Reef off Mt Maunganui in 2011, spilling 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, a further 363 spill-related incidents have been recorded.

Sage said that's not good enough.

"I think it is a concern because New Zealanders love our beaches, we've got summer coming people expect to be able to enjoy clean water, lie on clean sand not sand that's got oil slick and globules on it."