Climate record endangers sea life
NEW BOAT FOR MANUKAU CLEAN-UP
INCREASING TEMPERATURES WILL have disastrous consequences for New Zealand’s wildlife unless the Government acts urgently to cut emissions and fund environmental research, says Forest & Bird.
Recent figures from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) show that 2016 was the hottest year on record for New Zealand, in-line with a new global record announced by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“Yellow-eyed penguins, kea, and tuatara are already showing some signs of climate change induced stress. The consequences for these and many other native species will be severe unless the Government starts leading the way in cutting emissions and funding adaptation research,” says Forest & Bird’s Chief Executive, Kevin Hague.
“In the face of the undeniable and unique impacts of climate change on this country it seems extraordinary and indefensible that New Zealand has been one of the slowest developed nations to act. The situation demands urgency, and our hope is that the new Bill English administration will have the political courage to accelerate the pace of action, to match what is required by the evidence.”
Already hoiho/yellow-eyed penguins are on the verge of extinction. Since 2012, the population has plummeted from 491 breeding pairs to an estimated 190 pairs in 2016. Research suggest one of the reasons for this is mass starvation due to the changing climate.
The sex ratio of baby tuatara changes with temperature. If it is warmer, more males develop. At four degrees warming it is possible that only male tuatara will develop, spelling the end of this species.
Kea will face more predation from introduced predators as warmer temperatures allow pests like rats and stoats to live at higher altitudes.
“Climate change is especially a problem for New Zealand’s wildlife, because so many of our species are found only here. For many native species, already decimated by introduced predators, land conversion, and water pollution, a local extinction will be the end of their entire population,” says Hague.
A warming world for New Zealanders will mean: • More pests and diseases with more taxes being spent controlling them • Increased threats to native species including penguins, kea, and tuatara • More weed infestations of forests and farms • Major risks to marine farming and fishing from warming and ocean acidification • Sea level rise and storms destroying the homes of people and nature • More frequent and worse fires and floods.
WATERCARE HARBOUR CLEAN-UP Trust has a new boat for managing the clean-up of the Manukau harbour.
The 6m aluminium pontoon trailer boat is powered by a 115hp Mercury and was donated to the Sea Cleaners Trust by the Bobby Stafford- Bush Foundation. This philanthropic Trust was set up by the Stafford-bush family of Bayswater, in memory of their 16-yearold son, Bobby, who died in a car accident. Bobby was a passionate environmentalist who loved the sea and the new boat features his own artwork – a fish hook – as well as his name.
Until now, the Trust’s focus has been on removing bottles, plastic and other rubbish from the coastline along the Waitemata Harbour. Now the much larger Manukau Harbour can be cleaned up too. It’s a gigantic task, as the coastline runs all the way from the Awhitu Peninsula, through to the inner city reaches around Onehunga and Mangere Bridge, continuing round the harbour to Blockhouse Bay and on towards Cornwallis.
Bobby’s parents, Paddy and Brian attended the launch ceremony at Mangere Bridge. Mum Paddy says her son would have been thrilled: “He was passionate about everything to do with the sea – whether it was fishing, diving, or establishing marine reserves.”
Since the Trust’s inception in 2002, says chairman Peter Drummond, four million litres of rubbish have been collected.
Sea Cleaners contractors – Hayden Smith and Ben Harris – are assisted by a team of volunteers. Smith says where the Waitemata Harbour vessel – the Phil Warren ll – is a flat-bottom punt, the new boat is a completely different design and opens up new opportunities: “It lives on a trailer and gives us much more flexibility. The Manukau Harbour is notoriously tricky and the weather very changeable, so now we can simply drive to another spot if the wind changes.”
Local kaumatua, Martin Cooper and Toi Katipa from Mangere Marae also attended the ceremony and performed a karakia and blessed the boat. Cooper told the gathering that the marae welcomes the clean-up work and he would be encouraging local hapu to get involved.