NZ conservation succeeds on land, fails at sea: report

AUCKLAND: New Zealand has been singled out for its conservation leadership in a new global report that paints a sorry picture of efforts elsewhere.

However, this country has still fallen short on 2020 targets to protect its large and unique marine environment.

The Aichi targets were set in 2010 at a meeting of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Japan.

The BirdLife International report uses data about birds to report on 18 of the 20 targets, concluding that birds around the world continue to decline and face extinction.

‘‘The report shows the world has failed to meet biodiversity targets, but this is not a reason to give up,’’ Forest and Bird chief conservation adviser Kevin Hackwell said.

‘‘There are many reasons for hope in this report, including the incredible leadership from New Zealand on efforts to tackle invasive species.’’

The organisation is BirdLife’s partner organisation in New Zealand.

Invasive species such as rats and cats pose a threat to onethird of the world’s threatened species, including 49% of threatened island species.

‘‘This report acknowledges New Zealand’s work on the international target of tackling invasive alien species. New Zealand has successfully eradicated introduced mammals from more than 100 offshore islands,’’ Mr Hackwell said.

New Zealand’s orangefronted parakeet — kakariki karaka or Malherbe’s parakeet — was also highlighted in the report; BirdLife data showed it was about 65% likely the bird’s extinction had been prevented by conservation actions in the past 10 years.

‘‘New Zealand is particularly good at using conservation efforts to save species on the brink of extinction,’’ Mr Hackwell said.

‘‘However, we’re not so good at reducing the direct pressures that put birds and other species at risk in the first place . . . We need to reverse the trends like continued wetland clearance, unsustainable fisheries, and freshwater pollution in New Zealand.

‘‘New Zealand’s National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity and improved freshwater rules will go some way to achieving this if they are successfully implemented.’’

On other targets, New Zealand had underperformed. For example, target 11 called for 10% of coastal and marine areas to be protected, but less than 1% of New Zealand’s oceans were protected.

‘‘We really need the next government to put nature at the heart of everything we do in New Zealand so we can meet our international targets and save our amazing wildlife,’’ Mr Hackwell said. — The New Zealand Herald