Conservation well placed to meet challenges ahead
Conservation Minister Chris Carter said today that the Department of Conservation’s briefing paper to the government
highlights several major challenges ahead if New Zealand is to maintain and restore our natural ecosystems and their
unique indigenous wildlife.
Mr Carter said the Biodiversity Strategy (approved in February 2000) and the $187 million funding package behind it had
placed the Department of Conservation in the best position ever to halt the decline in indigenous biodiversity.
Notable successes include: Establishment of five kiwi sanctuaries on the mainland Eradication of rats from Campbell
Island Establishment of a new national park on Stewart Island/Rakiura Successful breeding of kakapo on Whenua
Hou/Codfish Island. Protection of 132,000 hectares of former Timberlands rainforest on the West Coast Establishment of
the Chinese Conservation Education Trust Significant increases in the area of Maori land being managed for conservation
“Conservation has been put on a sound footing and given the resources and political backing to succeed after years of
being a Cinderella department,” said Mr Carter.
The Briefing paper highlighted several areas where more work is required.
“Marine conservation will be a priority as there has been real difficulty in establishing marine reserves under the
current Marine Reserves Act. This issue will be addressed by the Marine Reserves Bill introduced by my predecessor,”
said Mr Carter.
The paper stressed the need for a renewed focus on freshwater conservation with one third of the 29 species of
indigenous fish being classed as threatened species. Rivers, lakes and wetlands in lowland areas are under the greatest
stress.
Mr Carter said one set of statistics that New Zealand should not be proud of was that we had 2400 threatened species
with 770 species in the acutely and chronically threatened categories.
“Introduced pests together with habitat loss and degradation are the biggest problems facing indigenous species.”
The paper encouragingly reported that with habitat protection and intensive pest control rare species can recover. The
increase in the kokako breeding population in “mainland islands” over the last decade is listed as one outstanding
success story. The critical contribution made to the protection of native wildlife from the use of 1080 and other
poisons in pest control is stressed in the briefing.
Other identified issues include:
the important role of national parks and reserves in attracting tourists to New Zealand and the growing pressure on
conservation areas from increased visitor numbers; the benefits for conservation from integrated management frameworks
and policies for biosecurity currently being developed under the Biosecurity Strategy; a growing interest and active
participation in conservation amongst tangata whenua, landowners and the community generally.
“I am delighted to see that DoC is actively engaging with a range of local communities. Conservation is not just the
responsibility of any one government agency – it is up to us all,” said Mr Carter.
Briefing paper available on http://www.doc.govt.nz/Whats-New/001~New-on-the-Site.asp.