Greater endangered species

Press, 26 July 1980, Page 15

Greater endangered species

The over-all situation of endangered species in New Zealand continues to deteriorate, in spite of intense and devoted efforts from a number of people and organisations. Two-thirds of the endangered birds have further declined during the past decade; two have become extinct and few have actually increased in numbers. “This poor record is largely the result of totally inadequate resources available to the Wildlife Service,” according to its resigning director of research, Dr Christoph Imboden. “Unless a firm commitment is made now to meet the real costs of saying the country’s natural heritage, the extinction of further endemic birds is imminent and inevitable.” New Zealand has. a sickening record of bird extinctions. Before 1800, 45 species (including 24 species ofmoa) had become extinct and at least 24 of these were still alive in early Polynesian times. The arrival of Europeans and the massive environmental changes that followed accelerated the process of extinction. Eight species and six subspecies have disappeared since 1800, and 23 species dr sub-species have been .reduced in numbers . and ■ distribution (through numerous local extinctions) to such an extent . that they are now endangered

.— some critically. A further 16 forms have been degraded to a vulnerable status and could become endangered at any time. Now the New Zealand region possesses 11 per cent of those birds in the world internationally recognised as endangered. This is the highest figure for any individual country. It is the Government’s responsibility and the Wildlife Service’s statutory obligation and unenviable task to prevent further species being added to the list of extinctions. In the last 30 years the Wildlife Service has worked very hard and has become a leading international authority on the management of endangered birds. There have been some outstanding achievements:— — Saving the southern race of the saddleback from imminent extinction when rats invaded its last island refuge. — Successful establishment of South Island and North Island saddleback populations on several offshore islands through bird transfers, so greatly reducing their vulnerab'ility. — Long-term research project on the takahe, both in captivity and in the wild, which has led to successful breeding in captivity and the discovery of possible habitat management techniques. — Re-establishment of habitat for Chatham Island

Hack robins on Mangere Island, and the successful transfer there of all the surviving birds from the rapidly deteriorating habitat on Little Mangere. — Control of invading red-crowned parakeets and hybrid red-crowned/Forbes parakeets on Mangere Island, which resulted in . an increase in numbers of the critically endangered Forbes parakeets. — Association in the rediscovery of the Taiko on the Chatham Islands after no confirmed sightings for more than a century. — Extermination of various introduced mammals. including goats, cats, and rats from a number of off-shore islands, making the islands safe refuges for endangered birds. Most of the Wildlife Sendee’s reputation for the conservation of endangered species is based on these and ’ similar projects. They have received wide publicity. However, Dr Imboden now asks whether the conservation of New Zealand’s endangered endemic birds in the last three decades has really been as successful as the public has been led to believe. He considers an examination of the current status and population trends of many species reveals a different story. 1. In spite of 20 years of effort and expense, and discovery of new publicising our show-.

no significant breakthrough has yet been made in the conservation of the kakapo. Numbers continue to decline and the bird’s living habits are still a puzzle. 2. The black stilt has continued to decline steadily and has now reached a dangerously low population level of less than 50 birds. ' 3. Three years ago it was suddenly discovered that rhe kiwis — New Zealand’s national bird — are by no means as safe as was presumed. All indications are that the little spotted kiwi • is extinct in the South Island and survives only on Kapiti Island. The . South Island brown kiwi is restricted to Fiordland and two small Isolated populations in South Westland. Small and isolated populations warrant urgent . conservation measures. 4. Two sub-species, the Stewart Island snipe and Steads bush wren, became extinct in the 1960 s after rats had been introduced on a previously rat-free island which had been the birds’ last refuge. 5. The presumed extinction of several species, particularly in the South Island, is still being questioned by repeated but un- . confirmed sightings. Almost no efforts are being made to search thoroughly and systematically for these species. Dr Imboden says that 14, or almost two-thirds,

of the endangered bird species endemic .to New Zealand receive no special attention at all from the Wildlife Service. They are neither under scientific investigation nor covered by a management programme. There is virtually no knowledge about their living habits and habitat requirements, without which Dr Imboden says, a proper conservation plan cannot be designed. “But birds are not the sole object of our concern,” he adds. “Almost ignored are several rare and highly endangered lizard species with very localised distribution, and a great number of endemic invertebrates, also on the verge of extinction. “One of the saddest examples of neglected invertebrates is two groups of large and unique land snails that have developed diverse endemic forms through long ecological isolation. As a result of lack of attention and protection, many have become extinct in recent times or fallen into such low numbers that efforts to save them may now be too late. . • • “The danger of further extinctions of New Zealand birds and other endemic animals, is very real,” he concludes. “Unless efforts are considerably increased the loss of further species in the next 20 to 30 years is inevitable.”