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'[[File:Black Robin on Rangatira Island.jpg|right|thumb|The [[black robin]]. Saving the bird was a major conservation success story.]] [[Conservation (ethic)|Conservation]] in [[New Zealand]] has a history associated with both [[Māori people|Māori]] and [[European ethnic groups|European]]s. Both groups of people caused a loss of species and both altered their behaviour to a degree after realising their effect on indigenous flora and fauna. ==Protected areas== {{Mainpoop ology)|endemic]] species, so pest control is generally regarded as a high priority. The [[New Zealand Department of Conservation]] administers approximately 30% of New Zealand's land, along with less than 1% of the country's marine environment, for conservation and recreational purposes. It has published lists, under the [[New Zealand Threat Classification System]], of flora and fauna which is at risk or declining which are included in national and regional plans.<ref>[http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sap236.pdf New Zealand Threat Classification System lists 2005], Hitchmough, R.; Bull, L.; Cromarty, P. (comps) (2007) Department of Conservation, Wellington. 194 p.</ref> ==Legislation== The [[Conservation Act 1987]] is New Zealand's principal legislation concerning the conservation of indigenous biodiversity. The Act established the Department of Conservation, [[Fish and Game New Zealand|Fish and Game]], and complements the [[National Parks Act 1980 (New Zealand)|National Parks Act 1980]] and the [[Reserves Act 1977]]. ==Conservation successes== The [[black robin]] was saved from the brink of extinction by a conservation effort led by [[Don Merton]] of the [[New Zealand Wildlife Service]]. However all black robins that survive today are descended from a single female, therefore the species has little genetic diversity. The two subspecies of [[saddleback (bird)|saddleback]] had each been reduced to a small population on a single island. [[Hen and Chicken Islands|Hen Island]] for the North Island saddleback and [[Big South Cape Island]] off [[Stewart Island/Rakiura]] for the South Island saddleback. After a programme of translocation to other predator free island reserves, the population of the South Island saddleback has increased from 36 birds to over 1,200 birds on 15 islands. The North Island subspecies had increased from 500 birds to over 6,000 birds on 12 islands.<ref name=DistributionAndCurrentStatus>{{cite web|title=The distribution and current status of New Zealand Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus|url=http://www.otago.ac.nz/threatenedbirdgroup/Publications_files/Hooson%26Jamieson_2003a.pdf|publisher=University of Otago|accessdate=20 May 2014}}</ref> This has taken both subspecies from critically endangered on the [[IUCN Red List]] to near threatened for the South Island saddleback and least concern for the North Island saddleback. ==Conservation issues== === Deforestation=== {{Main|Deforestation in New Zealand}} Most of the current 11.9 million hectares of [[agricultural land]] had been cleared{{when|date=May 2013}}, representing around 44% of the total land area of New Zealand.<ref name=ODI/> Initial attempts to decrease the scale of further deforestation, such as Forestry Rights Registration Act 1983 that created 'forestry rights' have been argued to only be moderately successful.<ref name=ODI/> However, they created world class structures of data collection and property rights that made way first for an amendment to the 1949 Forests Act in 1993 and later to the Climate Change Response Act 2002.<ref name=ODI/> New Zealand's patterns of [[greenhouse gas]] emissions are similar to [[Scandinavian countries]], in that land use and land use change and forestry are amongst the most significant contributors.<ref name=ODI>Cox and Peskett 2010. [http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5127&title=redd-deforestation-carbon-credits-carbon-markets Commodifying carbon to reduce deforestation: lessons from New Zealand]. London: [[Overseas Development Institute]]</ref> Forestry came to be seen as main tool in meeting New Zealand's [[Kyoto Protocol]] targets.<ref name=ODI/> Accordingly, [[REDD]] programmes (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) were implemented, whereby reforestation and deforestation was tied carbon emissions credits and traded ([[Emissions trading|ETS]]) and commercial [[Carbon sink|carbon-sink]] forests were planted.<ref name=ODI/> Perhaps due to the government's initial control over REDD and the trade in carbon credits there was initially an increase in deforestation and it was not until private forestry owners gained access to the trading scheme and to [[carbon credits]] that the scheme started to produce reductions in deforestation.<ref name=ODI/> ===Endangered species=== During the relatively short occupation of New Zealand by humans a large number of species have been made extinct due to predation by introduced species, hunting, and the loss of habitat. Many extant species are under threat because of past and ongoing human activities. One example is the [[Cromwell chafer beetle]] (''Prodontria lewisi'') which is on the [[IUCN Red List of critically endangered species]]. A reserve was created in 1983 to protect its habitat. More recent examples are the [[Hector's dolphin|Hector's]] and [[Maui's dolphin]]s which are under threat from the fishing industry. <!-- The Department of Conservation maintain the [[New Zealand Threat Classification System]] . add stats from it --> ===Introduced species=== {{Main|Invasive species in New Zealand}} ===Development=== ===Smuggling=== {{Main|Wildlife smuggling in New Zealand}} ===1080=== {{Main|1080 usage in New Zealand}} The use of 1080 poison ([[sodium fluoroacetate]]) is a contentious issue. 1080 is used with carrots and cereal pellets to control the [[common brushtail possum]], an introduced animal pest. ==Funding== As well as government funding for conservation efforts money also comes from numerous [[NGO]]s and private individuals. The [[Nature Heritage Fund]] and the [[Community Conservation Fund]] are both government funded. ==Conservation organisations== {{See also|Environmental movement in New Zealand}} [[Conservation organisation]]s began to form from the 19th century. Scenery Preservation Societies formed in some of the Provinces.<!-- eg http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc06Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d17-d6.html Some good stuff needs digging out of actual books about this. --> An early conservation lobby group was the [[Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand]], which is now the foremost environmental organisation involved in conservation advocacy in New Zealand. In recent years numerous conservation, [[landcare (organisation)|landcare]] and activist groups have formed including: *[[Beech Forest Action Committee]] *[[Native Forest Action Council]] *[[Maruia Society]] *[[Native Forest Action]] *[[Save Happy Valley Coalition]] *Trees for Survival *[[Dancing Star Foundation]] ==Conservation awards== *[[Loder Cup]] *Wellington Conservation Awards<ref>[http://www.doc.govt.nz/by-region/wellington-kapiti/getting-involved/events-and-awards/ Department of Conservation] - Wellington Conservation Awards</ref> *The Don Merton Conservation Pioneer Award (named after [[Don Merton]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beehive.govt.nz/release/dr-don-merton-immortalised-new-award|title=Dr Don Merton immortalised in new award|date=29 October 2011|publisher=New Zealand Government (Beehive)|accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> ==See also== *[[Acclimatisation society (New Zealand)]] *[[Whaling in New Zealand]] *[[Project Crimson]], a conservation initiative to promote the protection of pohutukawa and rata *[[List of extinct animals of New Zealand]] *[[List of extinct plants of New Zealand]] ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==Further reading== *{{cite book|last1=Tobias|first1=Michael Charles |last2=Morrison|first2=Jane Gray |title=God's Country: The New Zealand Factor |url=http://zorbapress.com/?page_id=440 |publisher=Zorba Press|location=Ithaca,New York|year=2011|isbn=0-927379-99-6}} *{{cite book|last=Young|first=David|title=Our Islands, Our Selves|publisher=University of Otago Press|location=Dunedin|year=2004|isbn=1-877276-94-4}} *{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Kerry-Jane|title=Flight of the Huia|publisher=Canterbury University Press|location=Christchurch|year=2004|isbn=0-908812-52-3}} *{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Susan|last2=Price|first2=Robbie|last3=Rutledge|first3=Daniel|title=New Zealand’s remaining indigenous cover: recent changes and biodiversity protection needs|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc284.pdf|series=Science for conservation 284|date=May 2008|publisher=Department of Conservation|location=Wellington|isbn=978-0-478-14403-1}} *{{cite book|last1=Nightingale|first1=Tony|last2=Dingwall|first2=Paul|title=Our Picturesque Heritage: 100 years of scenery preservation in New Zealand|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/OurPicturesqueHeritageentire.pdf|date=October 2003|publisher=Department of Conservation|isbn=0-478-22491-5}} *{{Cite book | publisher = DSIR Publishing | isbn = 0-477-02562-5 | last = Wilson | first = Catherine M | title = Threatened Plants of New Zealand | location = Wellington, N.Z | year = 1989 }} *{{Cite book | author = de Lange, Peter; Heenan, Peter; Norton, David; Rolfe, Jeremy; Sawyer John | publisher = Canterbury University Press | isbn = 978-1-877257-56-8 | title = Threatened Plants of New Zealand | location = Christchurch, N.Z | year = 2010 }} *{{Cite web | publisher = New Zealand Department of Conservation | location = Wellington, N.Z. | title = The value of conservation: Benefits of conservation | date = October 2006 | url = http://www.doc.govt.nz/publications/conservation/benefits-of-conservation/the-value-of-conservation/ }} *{{cite book |last1=Morris|first1=Rod |last2=Ballance|first2=Alison |title=Rare Wildlife of New Zealand |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=DwU6LwAACAAJ |year=2009 |publisher=Random House New Zealand |isbn=978-1-86941-912-7 }} *{{cite journal|last=Duncan|first=Richard P.|author2=Young, Jim R.|year=2000|title=Determinants of plant extinction and rarity 145 years after European settlement of Auckland, New Zealand|journal=Ecology|publisher=Ecological Society of America|volume=81|issue=11|pages=3048–3061|doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[3048:dopear]2.0.co;2}} ==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.doc.govt.nz Department of Conservation] *[http://biodiversity.govt.nz Biodiversity New Zealand] *[http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/research_details.asp?Research_Content_ID=28 Biodiversity and Conservation] at [[Landcare Research]] *[http://www.nzpcn.org.nz New Zealand Plant Conservation Network] *[http://www.conservationvolunteers.co.nz Conservation Volunteers New Zealand] {{conservation of species|state=expanded}} [[Category:Conservation in New Zealand| ]]'