Rare kiwi at Okarito may stop logging

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 3

Rare kiwi at Okarito may stop logging

PA Wellington ‘ The discovery ot a rare sub-species of the South Island brown kiwi in the South Okarito State forest could prevent the limited logging proposed there, said the Minister of Forests (Mr V. S. Young) yesterday. The Okarito kiwi colony is one of only two outside Fiordland. The other is at the Waiatoto State forest, further south.

"The colonies have been isolated long enough to consider the Okarito kiwi as a separate race and therefore possibly one of New Zealand’s rarest birds,’’ Mr Young said.

He was told of the presence of the birds by the Wildlife Service and has been advised by the Forest Service that the discovery of the rare kiwi could mean that parts or all of the

South Okarito forest might now need to remain unlogged to ensure that the colony survives.

“It is unfortunate that we did not know about the kiwi’s- presence before the Government confirmed its recent decision on reserve proposals,” Mr Young said. If logging of South Okarito was prevented, alternative timber supplies would be needed for the regional sawmilling industry, the Minister said.

“The Wild Life Service has been asked to examine the wildlife status of the Waikukupa State Forest, south of Hauraki Creek, over the next two months,” Mr Young said.

“Moves to add Waikukupa to the Westland National Park will be halted until its wildlife values and timber potential are reconsidered.”

The announcement of the discovery of the rare subspecies of kiwi, throws the whole question of milling and reserves south of the Okarito Lagoon into a state of flux again, says “The Press,” Wellington correspondent, Oliver Riddell. Just as the conservationists were about to launch a big campaign to preserve the virgin native timbers of the South Okarito State forest from milling, the battle has been won for them.

The Forest Service is entitled to feel a little sour that this bombshell has been dropped after years of study and discussion. But the Wildlife Service has only two officers to study kiwis throughout New Zealand and so it is natural that the work should be slower than wished.

Even then, the existence of these kiwis must at least have been strongly suspected long enough ago for those involved in setting aside native forest reserves on the West Coast to have been alerted. The delay does not say much for communication within the Wildlife Service.

Replacing the timber to have been taken from South Okarito with timber from the Waikukupa State forest further south is certain to be unacceptable to the conservationists. It had already been announced that this forest was to be the longsouth lowland forest addition to the Westland National Park.

The Minister of Forests has assured the South Westland sawmilling industry that legal timber supply commitments will be met. But it will be surprising if he is able to keep this promise with timber from Waikukupa.