NEW ZEALAND'S CONSERVATION CRISIS
Many of our native species are in serious trouble. About 4,000 species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction. Of our 168 native birds (93 endemic) 80% are at risk of extinction, and 33% are at serious risk.
In November 2017, the New Zealand government announced no future mining would be allowed on New Zealand's conservation estate. The decision was simple. Assume all mining is harmful to New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity. If that were true it would follow the solution is to stop mining. As with many problems, it's not that simple.
In November 2017, the New Zealand government announced no future mining would be allowed on New Zealand's conservation estate. The decision was simple. Assume all mining is harmful to New Zealand's indigenous biodiversity. If that were true it would follow the solution is to stop mining. As with many problems, it's not that simple.
The kaka is found nowhere in the world but New Zealand. Like many of our native birds, it is endangered.
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The biggest threat many of our native species face today is predation from introduced pests like stoats, rats, and possums.
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OUR UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY
New Zealand began breaking off from what is modern Australia about 85,000,000 years ago. A sensible step. Continents move about as quickly as finger nails grow. By 55,000,000 years ago, the gap between New Zealand and Australia was 2,000 kilometres wide. Several species of bat were our only land mammals, except for the seals and sea lions inhabiting our shoreline. Other than that, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects filled our forests. We were a land without teeth. Many birds stopped flying, and none had great reason to fear other creatures on the ground. Some birds occupied niches filled by mammals elsewhere in the world. When Polynesian explorers arrived about 1280AD, they found no buffalo, but large moa browsing leaves. No lions or tigers on the ground, but Haast's eagle in the sky. Kiwi, not hedgehogs, were digging in the ground at night for worms, seeds, and grubs. Bats crawling on the ground looking for insects, as mice and rats do in other countries. New Zealand is home to plant and animals unlike any other in the world.
New Zealand began breaking off from what is modern Australia about 85,000,000 years ago. A sensible step. Continents move about as quickly as finger nails grow. By 55,000,000 years ago, the gap between New Zealand and Australia was 2,000 kilometres wide. Several species of bat were our only land mammals, except for the seals and sea lions inhabiting our shoreline. Other than that, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects filled our forests. We were a land without teeth. Many birds stopped flying, and none had great reason to fear other creatures on the ground. Some birds occupied niches filled by mammals elsewhere in the world. When Polynesian explorers arrived about 1280AD, they found no buffalo, but large moa browsing leaves. No lions or tigers on the ground, but Haast's eagle in the sky. Kiwi, not hedgehogs, were digging in the ground at night for worms, seeds, and grubs. Bats crawling on the ground looking for insects, as mice and rats do in other countries. New Zealand is home to plant and animals unlike any other in the world.
THE IMPACT OF MAMMALS
Humans brought with them the Polynesian rat, kiore, and kuri - dogs. Rats made tuatara extinct on the mainland. Moa were wiped out within 200 years of human hunting. Originally 80% of Aotearoa was blanketed in native forests. Fires lit to hunt moa and make the land suitable for the cultivation of kumara and fern root cleared forests from the east of the North and South Islands. When Europeans began settling in large numbers in 1840, 6,700,000 hectares had been cleared. From 1840 to 2000, another 8,000,000 was cleared to make way for farming and to a lesser extent due to logging. Today, about 6,200,000 hectares of the original cover remains, though that is largely beech forests in mountainous regions.
The coming of rats, possums, and stoats, along with cats, dogs, weasels, ferrets, mice, deer, pigs, goats, thar, and chamois has meant our native animals have either been directly preyed upon, had their eggs eaten, or their forests have been damaged by grazing and browsing mammals.
This combination of habitat loss and introduced pests has taken its toll. About 53 species of bird have gone extinct along with three reptile and three frog species.
Humans brought with them the Polynesian rat, kiore, and kuri - dogs. Rats made tuatara extinct on the mainland. Moa were wiped out within 200 years of human hunting. Originally 80% of Aotearoa was blanketed in native forests. Fires lit to hunt moa and make the land suitable for the cultivation of kumara and fern root cleared forests from the east of the North and South Islands. When Europeans began settling in large numbers in 1840, 6,700,000 hectares had been cleared. From 1840 to 2000, another 8,000,000 was cleared to make way for farming and to a lesser extent due to logging. Today, about 6,200,000 hectares of the original cover remains, though that is largely beech forests in mountainous regions.
The coming of rats, possums, and stoats, along with cats, dogs, weasels, ferrets, mice, deer, pigs, goats, thar, and chamois has meant our native animals have either been directly preyed upon, had their eggs eaten, or their forests have been damaged by grazing and browsing mammals.
This combination of habitat loss and introduced pests has taken its toll. About 53 species of bird have gone extinct along with three reptile and three frog species.
MINING'S IMPACT ON CONSERVATION LAND
With so much having been lost, it's natural for New Zealander's to consider any further loss of biodiversity unacceptable. In 2010, the government considered removing some conservation land from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, freeing up access for it to be considered for mining. Schedule 4 includes National Parks, as well as other classifications of conservation land. Thousands of people protested around the country, and the move was abandoned. The 2017 decision to have no new mining on conservation land was hailed by some environmental groups as a win for conservation.
THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR NATIVE SPECIES
Following the protests in 2010, the parliamentary commissioner for the environment of the day, Jan Wright wrote a report on mining on the conservation estate, and a follow up report in 2014. The reports consistently stated the biggest threat to our native species is that of introduced pests, both plants and animals. It also mentions there is a significant conservation funding shortfall. Charged with managing about 33% of New Zealand's land, the Department of Conservation receives about 0.6% percent of government spending. The commissioner noted the crown could use revenue generated from mining companies to offset this shortfall, and that there was room for a "win-win".
With so much having been lost, it's natural for New Zealander's to consider any further loss of biodiversity unacceptable. In 2010, the government considered removing some conservation land from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, freeing up access for it to be considered for mining. Schedule 4 includes National Parks, as well as other classifications of conservation land. Thousands of people protested around the country, and the move was abandoned. The 2017 decision to have no new mining on conservation land was hailed by some environmental groups as a win for conservation.
THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR NATIVE SPECIES
Following the protests in 2010, the parliamentary commissioner for the environment of the day, Jan Wright wrote a report on mining on the conservation estate, and a follow up report in 2014. The reports consistently stated the biggest threat to our native species is that of introduced pests, both plants and animals. It also mentions there is a significant conservation funding shortfall. Charged with managing about 33% of New Zealand's land, the Department of Conservation receives about 0.6% percent of government spending. The commissioner noted the crown could use revenue generated from mining companies to offset this shortfall, and that there was room for a "win-win".
MINING'S IMPACT IS SMALL
Figures on mining’s footprint on conservation land vary. Based on a higher estimate of 3,000 hectares within 8,838,470 ha, the footprint is 0.034 per cent. From deadline to deadline on a rugby pitch, this is little larger than a Springbok-All Blacks scrum. At least 7,733,661 ha, or 87.5 per cent receives no regular pest control. That’s from your own deadline to the other team’s five-metre mark getting no care against the biggest threat.
It’s in these vast, unprotected areas where 95 per cent of kiwi chicks die, largely due to stoats, cats, and other furry foes. How many birds have been killed by diggers and bulldozers? Without tens of millions of dollars in taxes and donations, many more species would be found only in books and museums. Others wouldn’t be far off.
Responsibly done, modern mining can help save New Zealand's endangered species.
It’s in these vast, unprotected areas where 95 per cent of kiwi chicks die, largely due to stoats, cats, and other furry foes. How many birds have been killed by diggers and bulldozers? Without tens of millions of dollars in taxes and donations, many more species would be found only in books and museums. Others wouldn’t be far off.
Responsibly done, modern mining can help save New Zealand's endangered species.
Contact us
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Minerals West Coast Trust
Manager: Patrick Phelps Phone: 021 238 6846 Email: manager@mwc.org.nz |
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