MEDIA RELEASE

29 January 2007

WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2007

Each year World Wetlands Day is celebrated with a host of events throughout the country when Fish & Game NZ leads a range of organizations in creating varied wetland experiences around that year’s WWD theme, chosen to highlight an issue facing wetlands internationally.

This year’s theme is ‘Fish for Tomorrow?’ - focusing on over-fishing of the world’s marine and inland fisheries, all of which depend on healthy functional wetlands as the nursery grounds for freshwater and marine fish species.

REGIONAL WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2007 EVENTS

NORTHLAND REGION
Fish & Game Northland celebrate WWD on Saturday 17 February with an Open Day at the Bisset Wetlands. Located close to Whangarei, this wonderful wetland has become a showcase for Northland Fish & Game, as a group of dedicated hunters who have balloted stands there, have put in hours of hard work to complete a series of projects with excellent results. Damaged pine trees have been felled to improve the wetland’s flight paths and an annual predator programme has removed remarkable numbers of predators to the benefit of both hunters and wetland biodiversity. In addition, a recent grant from central government’s Biodiversity Fund is enabling the Jack Bisset Wetlands Hunters Committee to plant 9000 trees, shrubs and wetland plants in selected areas of the wetlands. The Open Day walks and talks will be followed by a barbeque, donations welcome.

For further information please phone the Northland Regional Fish & Game office on 09 438 4135.

AUCKLAND WAIKATO REGION
Fish & Game Auckland Waikato celebrate WWD on Saturday 10 February with a Field Trip to the Kopuatai Swamp, giving a rare chance to experience the North Island’s premier example of mature floodplain kahikatea swamp forest on the western side of the Kopuatai Peat Dome. Participants will see an ancient scene: majestic trees much as their ancestors looked over 200 years ago with thick passion vines dangling from branches 40 meters above the ground, epiphytes reaching to the sky, pigeons’whistling amongst branches creaking in the dense canopy, and swards of sedges ringing enormous tangled buttress roots where pools of water persist for most of the year. There will also be a fishing experience in the nearby Waitoa Canal in keeping with WWD 2007’s Fish for Tomorrow?

The WWD field trip leaves from the car park opposite the Rangiriri Hotel at 9.15am on Saturday 10 February in several buses. Participants are asked to be there by 9am and to park in the car parks along each side of the road excluding those in front of the Heritage Café. The buses return by 1.30pm for a barbeque lunch ($6.50 per adult) in the Rangiriri Hotel’s Garden Bar where the National Wetland Trust will give an illustrated talk on the design and development of the National Wetland Centre in Rangiriri.

For further information phone Shonagh Lindsay, Public Awareness Advisor, Fish & Game NZ, on 09 849 3994.

FISH & GAME EASTERN REGION
Fish & Game Eastern is celebrating WWD on Sunday 11 Feb starting at 10.00am at the Te Maunga wetlands in Tauranga. These wetlands are designed as the final stage of the wastewater and effluent systems for Tauranga City, allowing the water to obtain its Mauri before it is discharged to the sea. The day will consist of a guided tour with guest speakers from DoC. Regional Council and Tauranga City Council. A light lunch (BBQ) will be provided. The tour will be a 4-minute walk.

For further information please phone the Eastern Regional Fish & Game office on 07 357 5501.

NELSON MARLBOROUGH REGION
Fish & Game Nelson Marlborough, Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird, Ornithological Society, local landowners and the public celebrate WWD on Thursday 1 February at the Waimea Estuary. They meet at 5.30pm at the Sandeman Reserve at the end of Sandeman Road in Lower Queen St Richmond (near Nelson Pine Industries) to learn about the ecological importance of this estuary and how to enhance the ecological values of the estuary margin.

A series of short talks is followed by some practical hands-on stuff such as native planting and rubbish collection along the estuary fringe (bring boots or a spade if you want to help out here). There will be displays of many examples of life from around the estuary margins and streams as well as opportunities to ask questions of the experts. The event finishes with a sausages sizzle at around 6.30pm (ending at 8pm) so we suggest you bring the family and a picnic. We will also provide information flyers of easy and important things for landowners to do at home.

For further information please phone the Nelson Marlborough Regional Fish & Game office on 03 544 6382.

FISH & GAME NORTH CANTERBURY REGION
Department of Conservation (DoC) and Fish & Game North Canterbury celebrate WWD on Friday 2 February with a fun family outing for Southbridge School families around Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora. A bus trip will begin by taking parents and children to the shores of Lake Ellsmere (at Yarrs Flat). Local experts will explain the environment and point out interesting birds and plants. The tour proceeds to the Selwyn River (Coes Ford), where children will have lunch, splash around, and learn more about the river environment from DoC and Fish & Game staff.

For further information please phone the North Canterbury Regional Fish & Game office on 03 366 9191.

CENTRAL SOUTH ISLAND REGION
Fish & Game Central South Island, DoC and the Otipua Wetland Charitable Trust celebrate WWD on Friday 2 February with a Planting Day at the Otipua Wetlands. The Otipua Wetland Charitable Trust was established in 1996, after it was suggested that the margins of Saltwater Creek, which were a muddy eyesore, could do with some attention. The idea was popular with Timaru locals, who suggested that the 20 hectares of nearby farmland also be included in the development.

A small group of volunteers raised the $50,000 needed to buy the farmland. They applied for the appropriate consents, had the site surveyed and fenced and then started planting trees. Since those beginnings the Otipua Wetland Charitable Trust has raised almost $500,000 towards the restoration of the wetland, has planted between 60,000 and 70,000 trees and has developed around three kilometres of walking tracks. In 2001 the Trust took out the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Timaru Community Awards. The Trust then went on to be the first group to ever be awarded a Special Judges Award at the TrustPower National Community Awards, after coming a close third at the Nationals.

For further information please phone the Central South Island Regional Fish & Game office on 03 615 8400.

INTERNATIONAL RAMSAR WWD THEME 2007

This year’s theme is ‘Fish for Tomorrow?’ - focusing on over-fishing of the world’s marine and inland fisheries, all of which depend on healthy functional wetlands as the nursery grounds for freshwater and marine fish species.

One billion people rely on fish as their main or sole source of protein. Yet the current state of the world’s fisheries is a matter of great concern.

While 75% of the world’s commercially important marine fisheries and many of the inland stocks are currently being over-fished or are being fished at their biological limits, the demand for fish has doubled over the last 40 years and is likely to continue to grow as global population increases.

In addition, of the 35 million people currently involved in the industry, 95% live in developing countries and the majority are small-scale fishers: their livelihoods dependent on making sure there will be fish for tomorrow.

This is a central issue for Ramsar (the international body that advocates the wise use and management of wetlands) as inland and marine fisheries depend on healthy, functioning wetlands. Near-shore coastal wetlands are the nursery grounds of deeper ocean species and most of the coastal species that make up fish catches, and mangroves and temperate coastal wetlands support marine aquaculture. Inland fisheries, both capture and aquaculture, are equally dependent on healthy lakes, ponds and rivers.

Ramsar briefly summarises the following as important in the solution to our endangered fisheries:

- Better management of capture fisheries at international, national, and local levels, including the implementation of Ramsar’s guidelines on fisheries and FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries amongst many other management approaches;

- Improved marine and inland aquaculture practices, since this now supplies around 40% of the fish (including prawns, lobster, oysters, etc) that we eat;

- A conscientious approach to buying and consuming fish wherever possible;

- A sustainable approach to recreational fishing, which can have significant effects on inland and marine fisheries in some cases.

Wetlands are disappearing worldwide, despite the fact that they are amongst the most important ecosystems on the planet. They store and purify water, replenish groundwater, store carbon and support biological diversity.

According to the United Nations, last century 50% of the world’s remaining wetlands were destroyed, while other wetlands have been significantly modified to fragment and alter water flow in 60% of the world’s largest rivers, compromising many valuable ecosystem functions.
Fish and Game New Zealand is the lead agency for World Wetlands Day, each year coordinating a large number of agencies to hold events that mark the day. Agencies participating this year include: The Department of Conservation, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Mighty River Power, Iwi, Regional and District Councils, and the National Wetlands Trust.

ENDS

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