Department's Difficulties in Attempts To Conserve Wildlife and Its Habitat

Forest and Bird, Issue 178, 1 November 1970, Page 18

Department's Difficulties in Attempts To Conserve Wildlife and Its Habitat

AS the existence of wildlife depends on the preservation of the habitat in which it lives, the duty imposed on the Department of Internal Affairs by the Wildlife Act, of protecting wildlife as defined by the Act, involves the protection of that habitat. The quickening industrial development of the country imposes ever-increasing threats to habitat. However, the Wildlife Act contains no provisions for the protection of habitat, not even when that habitat is controlled by the Crown. This is pointed out in the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs, which was tabled in Parliament recently. “The coastal beaches and estuaries are being modified by the development of seaside resorts, reclamation, mining of sands, and pollution,” the report states. “The indigenous forests are being replaced by the more rapidly growing exotic conifers. Off-shore islands, once protected by their isolation, are now within the range of the ever-growing fleet of pleasure craft. Even the wildlife of such remote areas as the Chathams and sub-Antarctic islands is potentially endangered by activities incidental to the fishing industry. Similar threats are posed to freshwater fisheries, particularly by large-scale hydro-electric schemes. Areas of Concern “Particular areas of concern during the year have been the Chatham Islands, where helicopters have provided easier access and the possibility of damage to the habitat of extremely rare species; the continuing draining of wetlands throughout the country; the scheduling of forests for development as production forests, and destruction of habitat on Stewart Island by unauthorised burning.

“One of the department’s main difficulties in its attempts to conserve wildlife and its habitat is to obtain information of activities being taken or about to be taken under a great number of other Acts, the administration of which is likely to affect the physical environment through changes in land use. These general Acts are oriented on the activities for which they were created and very few require any consultation with this department, whose responsibilities may be affected by their implementation.

Reliance on Good Will “We are, in general, reliant on the good will and sympathies of officers in departments administering these Acts and this good will and sympathy are appreciated. Nevertheless this is not a satisfactory way to ensure the protection of our wildlife, and the department has tried, by inter-departmental consultation, to improve collaboration and foster integrated use. “It seems to the department that the public notice provisions of such Acts as the Water and Soil Conservation Act are inadequate in that they apparently require constant surveillance of all newspapers in New Zealand to learn what applications for water rights have been lodged that may affect conservation interests. An improved formal consultation and greater integration of relevant legislation seem to be very much needed. “From the inception of the Tongariro and Manapouri hydro projects the department’s officers have been in close liaison with the New Zealand Electricity Department and the Ministry of Works. The raising of the level of Lake Manapouri and the manipulation of the level of Lake Te Anau would cause ecological changes affecting both wildlife and fisheries, but particularly the latter. The department has made full submissions on the effects of this scheme and is represented on the Officials Committee on Lake Manapouri, which has been set up to advise the Government.”

Notice to Contributors to “Forest and Bird”

Contributors to “Forest and Bird” are requested to submit articles in double-spaced typescript in which only one side of the paper is used. If articles have to be supplied in handwritten form through inability to have them typed, they should be written on only one side of the paper and a blank line should be left between every two lines of writing.

Photographs and other suitable illustrative material enhance the attraction of an article and their inclusion with manuscripts would be appreciated. For satisfactory reproduction photographs have to be sharp and show detail clearly. Glossy prints are preferred, but matt prints are acceptable if they are the only ones available.