This information will help you to make a more detailed submission on the Government’s Te Koiroa o te Koiora Biodiversity Strategy discussion document. After reading this analysis of the strategy, which highlights some areas that need to be strengthened, visit the Department of Conservation's submission page.
Or if you only have five minutes, you can make a quick submission.
Overview
Forest & Bird supports the overall vision and proposed outcomes of the Te Koiroa o te Koiora Biodiversity Strategy discussion document. It provides an overarching philosophy, guiding principles and short and long term goals for protecting nature in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Submitting on the discussion document is an opportunity for New Zealanders to help ensure the settings are right, to strengthen the strategy where it falls short and to show our commitment to restoring nature.
The discussion document acknowledges the central role for Te Ao Māori – the Māori world view which recognises the interconnectedness of all living things. It also recognises the importance of ensuring all branches of government are working together to protect and restore indigenous biodiversity, putting nature at the heart of the economy and allocating adequate resources.
The listed outcomes and goals will be driven by five system shifts. “Getting the system right” is at the centre of these shifts. Crucial to getting this right will be providing sufficient resources and ensuring that all government agencies are committed to the biodiversity strategy.
The other four system shifts are empowering kaitiakitanga and mātauranga Māori, innovation, connecting ecosystems and empowering communities.
One obvious weakness in the strategy is the inadequate attention paid to the marine environment. There is also a lack of focus on the likely impacts of climate change and the opportunities for biodiversity to be a key part of New Zealand’s climate change response. More attention also needs to be paid to the institutional, legislative and economic reforms needed to turn the biodiversity crisis around.
Outcomes will depend on the implementation of the strategy. The previous 2000 to 2020 Biodiversity Strategy was full of good intentions but there were failures in implementation and in measuring progress towards goals. The inevitable result was the continued decline of indigenous biodiversity. The new strategy must be backed up by an effective implementation plan, accompanied by accountability and regular measurement and review of progress.
Below is Forest & Bird’s response to some key questions raised in the discussion document, especially regarding the specific goals. These will be expanded on in our full submission.
6. What do you think of the proposed set of goals? What are the most important things to track or measure our progress? What else should be included?
Forest & Bird supports the identified goals, and would like to add the following:
By 2025:
- Four million native trees have been planted under Te Uru Rākau
- A comprehensive review of marine legislation has been undertaken and law reform has been completed, aimed at reducing environmental harm from marine activities, ensuring a precautionary approach to activities, applying ecosystem-based management, and introducing Marine Protected Areas legislation with a clear goal to fully protect (no-take protection) 30% of marine habitat types in all bioregions in a representative and well-connected network.
- All legislation affecting indigenous biodiversity has been reviewed to ensure consistency with the strategy
- The National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity has been implemented and monitoring is showing all regional councils improving outcomes in accordance with this strategy
- 15% of NZ’s EEZ is fully protected in no take marine reserves
- All fishing vessels have on-board cameras and/or observer coverage
- All degraded river quality is improving, and those rivers resistant to improvement have an action plan in place with set targets
- The Predator Free NZ plan has achieved eradication of predators in at least three major unfenced mainland areas exceeding 5000 ha
- Funding for the Department of Conservation has doubled
- All populations of Nationally Critical and Nationally Endangered species are stable or increasing
By 2030:
- Bycatch of marine mammals, seabirds and corals is reduced to zero (compared with a 2050 target in the discussion document)
- Control of non-indigenous biodiversity is being undertaken in all areas where it is harming indigenous biodiversity
- All priority areas for ecosystem restoration have been identified and work started on 20% of sites
- 30% of NZ’s EEZ is fully protected in no-take marine reserves
- A further four million native trees have been planted under Te Uru Rākau
- Wilding conifers have been eliminated on public conservation land and other high value biodiversity sites
- No further decline in the habitats of all threatened plant and animal species
- All populations of threatened species are stable or increasing
- All dune and estuarine ecosystems have been restored and are protecting habitat from sea level rise and storm surges
- Biodiversity indicators relating to the effects of economic activity are all showing improvement
- Predators have been eradicated from Rakiura and four mainland sites over 100,000 hectares
- All government department work plans have a programme to support the health of indigenous biodiversity
- 50% increase in biodiversity corridors across urban and productive landscapes.
For 2050:
- All government department work plans show they are supporting, restoring and protecting indigenous biodiversity and there are no losses caused by government-sponsored activity
- An additional 20 million native trees have been planted
- One in every 10 citizens is active in protecting nature
- Ungulates, such as pigs and deer, are controlled across all public conservation land and other high value biodiversity sites
- Ecosystem restoration is active across 60% of all identified priority sites
- Populations of threatened species (as listed in 2019) have recovered to non-threatened status and no new species have been listed as threatened
- A further 50% increase in biodiversity corridors across urban and productive landscapes.
7. What do you think about the proposed plan for implementation planning? What do you think are the requirements for a governance structure to oversee implementation planning and delivery?
Forest & Bird recognises that transparent and speedy implementation will be the key to the strategy’s success. It will require commitment from existing government departments active in restoration, as well as others, especially those whose activities contribute to biodiversity loss, such as those related to the primary sector.
It will also be necessary for regional government to have the capacity to implement legislative requirements. Encouragement, support and in some instances regulation will be needed to ensure industry plays its part and communities will require broad direction and support.
The governance structure needs to be accountable across all of government and with successive governments. Its goals and actions must be clearly set and it needs the mandate to ensure they can be delivered. The structure also needs to be relatively independent with some external oversight.
8. What do you think about the proposal for progress reporting and review of the strategy? How do you think this reporting should take place to ensure it is useful, transparent, inclusive, and drives accountability?
The reporting needs to be independent, regular, and able to identify blocks as they occur, rather than waiting for a periodic review. Regular public reports should measure achievement towards goals and identify blocks and remedial action.
9. What do you think about the five system shifts? Are they the right areas to focus on in the near term? Are there other areas that should be included?
The five system shifts are priority areas for action to help reverse the state of our indigenous biodiversity.
The central issue of getting the system right is recognised in the discussion document but its importance is understated. All national and regional agencies must be committed to the strategy and its implementation and have to include them in their work plans.
Resourcing is another issue and the current biodiversity crisis is at least partly a result of perpetual underfunding of the Department of Conservation. There has been an over-reliance on the voluntary work of the public and the approach to philanthropic investment has been haphazard.
Forest & Bird recommends that a different approach is taken to the five system shifts and that getting the system right should be an overarching concept which is broken down into four categories: legislative, governance, economic, and resourcing.