WCC 2012 Res 021 - Activity Report

Biosecurity and the control of client invasive species has been a continuing theme in ECO's work, and we have pressed for New Zealand to up its game in successive submissions, conferences and other fora. We have kept the ENGO community informed about funding for invasive species control, of policies and law changes and opportunities to participate, and we have provided a forum for discussion of predator control and methods, pest control and so on.

The awareness of the need to control mammalian predators in New Zealand is high - but not so much the need to protect plants, and to control vectors of diseases to plants and people. Coupled with climate change, these risks are rising and they are severe in the Pacific, including New Zealand.
ECO continues also to press officials to include the control of invasive species in the Southern Ocean in Antarctic Treaty efforts, and in the BBNJ negotiations.

Many ECO member bodies and many other community based groups are working to remove pest plant species and to kill mammalian predators that threaten our birds, reptiles and invertebrates. ECO itself advocates for recognition and support for these efforts. Action in the marine environment is much more difficult for community groups.

ECO's co chair became a member of the BioSecurity 2025 implementation Steering Group which worked with 5 working groups convened by BioSecurity NZ. We have pushed for a variety of decisions to raise support for community-based pest control and monitoring and reporting. We have advocated for greater priority to threats to native species and ecosystems. We've asked the government to prioritise work on the the pathways of marine and water borne invasive species and methods of avoidance and control. In the context of fresh water and waterways policy we have made submissions for the inclusion of attribute monitoring of invasive species and pathogens in water, wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, so far without success. We have pressed for more work on marine biosecurity which is done at a largely regional level in New Zealand. Internal controls are patchy and poor, or in conflict with other objectives -such as marine reserves law that prevents the removal of biological materials without a permit so hammering community based efforts to remove invasive species. ECO advocates that biosecurity be much more integrated into the Resource Management Act and related Acts that are under review, and in Fisheries and other legislation and policy.
In New Zealand mammalian predators are a huge threat to our biodiversity. New Zealand had no land based mammals except bats and marine mammals that hauled out for pupping and resting. Thus the many rats, mustelids and other carnivorous mammalian predators have decimated our native birds, reptiles and invertebrates. This has required the use of toxins. ECO has tried to help with the social licence for this. ECO has also lent support for the use of these where other methods are not feasible. We have also pressed for BioSecurity NZ to adjust the balance of their efforts towards native ecosystems and species. Their efforts have favoured pathogens and pests of concern to primary industry. ECO supports the reivision of their Act.