Growing threat of ecological failure
Over the Easter period, like many others, I took advantage of good weather to enjoy the natural beauty of Aotearoa. Over a week, I tramped through a range of valleys, from Lewis Pass to Arthur’s Pass.
The scenery of the Southern Alps was spectacular, the weather warm, and the people I encountered were good-natured and friendly. Enjoyable and uplifting, the experience also brought into sharp focus existing ecological challenges we face as a country.
On my first evening, in a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut, I woke during the night, delighted to hear the calls of kiwi. The other dominant wildlife sound throughout the trip was the constant roaring of stags.
The many hunters I met confirmed that there were lots of deer around. Sizeable deer populations were contributing to successful Easter roar hunting trips, but their negative impact was plainly apparent in the landscape. The understorey of the beech forest was absent, grazed to oblivion by deer, and there was widespread evidence of damage caused by wild pigs.
Later, I spent a night in another DOC hut, alongside six DOC staff, contractors and volunteers involved in the monitoring of great spotted kiwi in the area. Like all DOC staff I have encountered and worked with, they were committed and passionate about their role in protecting and conserving the country’s unique ecological taonga.
Over dinner, our discussion turned to the impact of recent government decisions on long-term conservation outcomes. Recent government announcements mean DOC faces a 6.5% decrease in expenditure and the loss of up to 130 roles. Staff already stretched will be stretched further. Tightened funding will, inevitably, lead to difficult conservation triage decisions.
With potentially less money for predator control and wildlife management, some populations of species classified as threatened will be left to fend for themselves.
Meanwhile, a new Cabinet position has been created. The Minister of Hunting and Fishing has been tasked with overseeing recreational and commercial hunting of introduced pest species on conservation land.
Alongside climate change and landscape modification, the primary threat to our natural environment is that of introduced species. Historically, the hunting community has played a significant role in positive conservation outcomes through their killing of these pest species.
The creation of this new ministerial position points towards an alternative future, in which introduced game species transition from “pests”, requiring strict control and ideally, for best ecological outcomes, elimination, to recognised “herds of special interest”, offered ongoing protection.
Such a shift in philosophy, while popular amongst the hunting fraternity, would run counter to the best evidence of ecological science.
It also sets a different course from the one offered by then prime minister John Key in July 2016, when announcing the goal of Aotearoa New Zealand becoming predator free by 2050.
Most New Zealanders seem to recognise that stoats, possums and rats, as killers of birds and invertebrates, threaten the future survival of the unique species of these islands.
That large populations of deer, goats, and other browsing mammals pose the same risk, threatening the very integrity and longevity of our forests, is less widely understood.
That the area I traversed over Easter was a designated recreational hunting area, with an absence of poisoning, culling, or commercial hunting activities, helps explain the prevalence of deer and pig numbers.
Nevertheless, many hunting friends have indicated to me their perception that in many regions deer herds are burgeoning. Research released at the end of 2023 observed that recreational hunting within Kaweka Forest Park had failed to reduce deer numbers to low enough levels to reduce browsing on seedlings and thus allow forest regeneration. Whether as a result of Covid lockdowns and/or diminished pest-control, this should be of serious concern.
That we are banking on our existing native forests not merely as habitat for our native species and places for recreation, but also as sinks for carbon-capture to offset green-house gas emissions, adds further urgency to ensure their ongoing flourishing.
That the new Minister of Hunting and Fishing has a seat at the Cabinet table while the ministers of climate change and the environment do not points to a failure of the Government to grasp the immensity of the ecological challenges currently before us.
The decisions to repeal the worldenvied Resource Management Act and the planned Fast-track Approvals Bill confirm this absence of ecological nous.
Government decisions about conservation funding and environmental health need to be based on the best knowledge of ecological sciences, not on political choices designed to keep a particular constituency happy, nor to secure votes.
Funding for conservation and the prioritisation of the health of our forests and the broader natural environment is essential for a flourishing future.
Dr Andrew Shepherd is a senior lecturer in theology and public issues at the University of Otago.