2006 media releases
Date: 22 December 2006
DOC is determined to put a stop to illegal fishing in Auckland’s four marine reserves this summer.
Date: 22 December 2006
A new generation of orange-fronted parakeets/kakariki has been successfully established on Chalky Island, ending fears that the critically endangered parakeet could become extinct.
Date: 20 December 2006
People visiting southern Wairarapa’s Onoke spit are being encouraged to leave their vehicles at the end of the formed road to avoid harming nesting Caspian terns and other wildlife and plants.
Date: 21 December 2006
DOC wants people to be aware of the danger introduced pests and pets present to conservation islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Date: 18 December 2006
Rangers are out and about this summer spreading the word to Nelson and Marlborough river users about preventing the spread of the invasive alga didymo.
Date: 15 December 2006
The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station is due to open to the public later this month for more than 13 weeks, weather and road conditions permitting.
Date: 17 December 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
New Zealand has led the largest single diplomatic protest yet against Japan's lethal scientific whaling programme in the Antarctic, Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced today.
Date: 15 December 2006
Dogs should be kept out of the Otaki Catchment in the western Tararua Forest Park for the next six months to avoid the risk of 1080 poisoning.
Date: 14 December 2006
The wreckage of a helicopter that crashed on Monday 11 December at the top of Mt Ruapehu with five people on board was removed from the crash site today.
Date: 15 December 2006
A pioneering survey of the newly established Te Hapua (Sutherland Sound) Marine Reserve has been successfully completed by a team of divers from the Department of Conservation and the University of Otago.
Date: 11 December 2006
Ten year old art competition winner Nadia Matthews travelled over two thousand kilometres to collect her prize on Saturday – a visit to the Murchison Mountains, the home of the endangered Takahe.
Date: 11 December 2006
Three New Zealand artists – Tanya Marriot, Louise Potiki Bryant, and Tracy Duncan – have been selected to take up Wild Creations residencies in 2007.
Date: 07 December 2006
The Department of Conservation is investigating the discovery of a small population of undaria for potential eradication at one of the Subantarctic Islands.
Date: 07 December 2006
The fourteenth Tongariro Taupo Conservancy Conservation Awards were announced at the Taupo Museum on Thursday night, before a large gathering, which included the Tongariro Taupo Conservation Board. In all seven awards were made.
Date: 08 December 2006
Taranaki kiwi chick Cupid was released this week onto Mt Taranaki.
Date: 06 December 2006
Source: From the Offices of the Ministers of Fisheries and Conservation
The Kupe/Kevin Smith Marine Reserve is to be created off Wellington's scenic South Coast providing a showcase for the unique marine ecosystems found there, Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton and Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced today.
Date: 05 December 2006
'Castaway', one of the biggest TV series commissioned by the BBC in 2007 is to be filmed in New Zealand.
Date: 04 December 2006
Two female Maui's dolphins, an adult and a juvenile, were found dead on Kariotahi Beach south of Auckland yesterday evening.
Date: 01 December 2006
Source: From the Offices of the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries
White pointer sharks will be fully protected within the 200 nautical miles of water around New Zealand, and from fishing by New Zealand-flagged boats further a field, the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries announced today.
Date: 30 November 2006
An attempt to establish rare short-tailed bats on Kapiti Island has had a set-back following an outbreak of a mysterious ear infection.
Date: 30 November 2006
This is a rise of 60 cm since the last Crater Lake visit on the 13th November. The dam was created by volcanic debris (tephra) thrown out of the crater during the 1995/1996 eruptions.
Date: 29 November 2006
An adventurous New Zealand fur seal’s foray into inland farming country near Te Aroha has ended in it being chauffeured by Department of Conservation staff back to the coast.
Date: 28 November 2006
Nelson Lakes National Park turns 50 next month and its anniversary is being celebrated with an open day on Saturday 9 December.
Date: 17 November 2006
Members of an international treaty to protect southern hemisphere albatrosses and petrels have launched a three-year work plan to secure the seabirds’ future, at a meeting in Christchurch this week.
Date: 17 November 2006
Two baby dolphins have been found washed up dead in the space of a week, including one critically endangered Maui's dolphin.
Date: 16 November 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
A review of five years of work implementing a national strategy to restore New Zealand's native biodiversity has identified significant progress, and some major challenges for the future, Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced today.
Date: 16 November 2006
The discovery of a rare New Zealand lizard in the Waitutu Forest, south-east Fiordland, by a group volunteers has given scientists a greater insight into the range and habitat of the alpine gecko.
Date: 14 November 2006
Source: From the Offices of the Ministers of Conservation and Fisheries
A process to protect the marine environment around New Zealand’s subantarctic islands was announced today by the Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton and Conservation Minister Chris Carter.
Date: 13 November 2006
The Tongariro National Park Management Plan has now been approved by the Minister of Conservation the Hon Chris Carter and is in preparation for release.
Date: 12 November 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
About 60 tuatara are to roam free on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) for the first time in over a decade.
Date: 06 November 2006
One of the access tracks to the top of Colonial Knob in Porirua has become blocked by a slip following recent heavy rain.
Date: 05 November 2006
Native wildlife was among the “guests” at a party this weekend to celebrate the 25-year effort that has gone into cloaking Wellington’s Matiu/Somes Island with native forest.
Date: 02 November 2006
History and art will mix as a North Shore historic reserve is transformed into a contemporary New Zealand sculpture show, which opens to the public tomorrow.
Date: 26 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today joined students at Wellington's Otari Primary School to officially launch a new storybook for children about New Zealand's weed problem.
Date: 24 October 2006
The Department of Conservation and the Animal Health Board have jointly lodged their application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) for its Reassessment of the risks, costs and benefits of the use of Compound 1080 poison in animal pest control.
Date: 20 October 2006
Fiordland National Park users can expect tougher didymo controls this summer as the Department of Conservation and Fish and Game work towards keeping the invasive alga from spreading into Fiordland rivers.
Date: 20 October 2006
Kepler Challenge Mountain runners will receive more than just a medal at the end of this year’s event. They will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to the protection of native species from the threat of stoats and rats in Fiordland National Park.
Date: 19 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter has announced the appointments for the Southland Conservation Board.
Date: 18 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today deplored Iceland's decision to resume commercial whaling, and said New Zealand would make its strong feelings about the issue clear to the Icelandic government.
Date: 18 October 2006
Source: From the Project Crimson Trust
In what could be seen as a case of life imitating art, state-owned electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy has become the major sponsor of Project Crimson
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced this year’s appointments to the Nelson/Marlborough Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointments to the Auckland Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced this year’s appointments to the Northland Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointments for the East Coast/Hawke’s Bay Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
A new appointment to the Taranaki/Whanganui Conservation Board has been announced by the Minister of Conservation Chris Carter.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointments for the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointments for the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced this year’s appointments to the Bay of Plenty Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Minister of Conservation, Chris Carter, today announced the appointment of three new members to the Waikato Conservation Board, and the re-appointment of two members whose terms had expired.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced this year’s appointments to the Tongariro/Taupo Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Hon Chris Carter today announced the appointments for the Otago Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced this year’s appointments to the Chatham Islands Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointments for the Wellington Conservation Board.
Date: 16 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced the appointment of four new Guardians of Lake Wanaka, and the re-appointment of one previous member.
Date: 13 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter has turned down an application for restricted coastal activity permits to construct a marina at Paku Bay in Tairua Harbour on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Date: 12 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter has decided not to appeal a High Court ruling overturning his decision to refuse an application for a marina in Whangamata Harbour.
Date: 07 October 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has reduced the high risk warning status around the Crater Lake on Ruapehu to a medium risk warning.
Date: 07 October 2006
Department of Conservation and Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science (GNS) scientists were able to visit Mt Ruapehu’s Crater Lake today and confirm that there had been a small hydrothermal eruption last Wednesday night but that no lahar had occurred as a result.
Date: 07 October 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Fiordland National Park costs almost $9m a year to run but in 2005 it added an estimated $228m to the national economy, a new study published today by Conservation Minister Chris Carter has found.
Date: 05 October 2006
A predatory urban cat has unwittingly contributed the latest species of native wildlife to be transferred to Matiu/Somes Island in Wellington Harbour.
Date: 05 October 2006
Scientists from DOC and GNS Science/Geonet attempted to fly over the Crater Lake and confirm the possibility of a small lahar down the Whangaehu Valley having been generated by an eruption but poor weather prevented any view of the area.
Date: 05 October 2006
A volcanic eruption at 10:26 pm on 4 October has moved the Department of Conservation to place a High Risk Warning on the crater basin on Mt Ruapehu.
Date: 04 October 2006
North Island robin have wasted no time starting a new population on Matiu/Somes Island.
Date: 04 October 2006
The Hon. Chris Carter, Minister of Conservation has made an Order in Council declaring a marine reserve in the Whangarei Harbour. The new reserve will come into effect on the 18th of October 2006.
Date: 02 October 2006
You don’t need to call us for sad-looking seals, say DOC rangers after a recent jump in the number of phone calls reporting seals on local beaches.
Date: 02 October 2006
A fire that destroyed 40 hectares of forest in Te Urewera National Park has been brought under control by Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and the Tuai Rural Fire Force.
Date: 28 September 2006
The recent arrival of a very sick seal on Makorori Beach, north of Gisborne, highlights the need for people to stay away from marine mammals according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Date: 26 September 2006
A dead morepork found near a possum control operation last July at Oruatua near Turangi was not poisoned.
Date: 20 September 2006
Taranaki kiwi chick Cupid, is the last remaining chick of last year’s crop to fledge from Kiwi Encounter, Rainbow Springs where he has been cared for as part of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi’s Operation Nest Egg programme.
Date: 19 September 2006
Kiwi and a special piece of bush are the real winners from this year’s Norsewear Conservation and Heritage Awards according to judge, Robin Hilson.
Date: 19 September 2006
David Attenborough travelled halfway across the world in his failed attempt to find the extremely rare peripatus, believed to be the evolutionary link between anthropods and worms. But a 12-year old boy from Dannevirke found not one, but two, of the caterpillar-like creatures and his efforts to protect their habitat won him a 2006 YHA Young Conservationist Award.
Date: 19 September 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
A total of 94 conservation projects run by private landowners and community groups are to receive government grants for biodiversity restoration, Conservation Minister Chris Carter and Environment Minister David Benson-Pope announced today.
Date: 16 September 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
One third of all the commercial camping capacity in the Coromandel region has been lost in the past decade says a national review of camping areas published today by Conservation Minister Chris Carter.
Date: 14 September 2006
The public can now visit the north end of Kapiti Island under a permitting system designed to safeguard conservation values while enhancing the visitor experience on this internationally-renowned conservation icon.
Date: 11 September 2006
For a small, dark, unassuming fish the Waikato’s black mudfish have some seemingly supernatural powers - they can breathe air and survive without water for several months. This might partly explain why Waikato University student Amy McDonald has spent the money she received from a scholarship established by the Department of Conservation and Environment Waikato studying these fascinating creatures.
Date: 06 September 2006
Support from the Project Crimson Trust is helping local people to re-create a ribbon of red around the coastline of East Cape.
Date: 04 September 2006
After spending the first official weekend of spring jumping from one fire to the next, Canterbury DOC fire fighters are calling for rural communities to act cautiously.
Date: 04 September 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is advising people that there is avalanche risk in areas of Arthur’s Pass National Park and that back country travel is not recommended.
Date: 01 September 2006
Only seven weeks after its official opening, Canterbury’s newest conservation park - Ruataniwha - is under threat as fire fighters battle against rising nor-west winds.
Date: 31 August 2006
Trampers are being advised that the avalanche risk in areas of Fiordland National Park is fluctuating between high and extreme.
Date: 25 August 2006
The Department of Conservation presented two Conservation awards this year for outstanding volunteer work in the Manawatu and Rangitikei region.
Date: 28 August 2006
A new site of a rare agressive weed was uncovered and more than 1300 native plants distributed at weed swaps in Wellington and the Hutt Valley to highlight Conservation Week.
Date: 23 August 2006
Operating a commercial scallop dredge in a Marlborough Sounds’ marine reserve has resulted in a $15,000 fine for a Nelson fisherman.
Date: 21 August 2006
Close to 500 Lakeview School pupils, assisted by teachers, parents and conservationists have expanded the fledgling forest being created around the shores of Henley Lake in Masterton.
Date: 18 August 2006
The world’s rarest duck, the Campbell Island teal, is about to leave the nurturing nest of the Department of Conservation and go it alone on an island the bird is once again calling home after nearly 200 years.
Date: 15 August 2006
The snow on tracks and walkways may have melted but the long-term effect on vegetation can still pose dangers to visitors to public conservation land.
Date: 11 August 2006
Canterbury fishermen are making sure their gear ‘measures up’ to the job in anticipation of the whitebait season starting on August 15.
Date: 10 August 2006
Tuesday 15th August will mark the start of another whitebait fishing season for areas other than the West Coast of the South Island.
Date: 10 August 2006
A spruced up electric suburban train joins the outstanding examples of cultural and natural heritage restoration honoured in the 11th Wellington Conservation Awards.
Date: 09 August 2006
The answer as to why Southland’s endangered black-billed gull population is being decimated may lie with the people who regularly encounter the birds’ nesting colonies.
Date: 08 August 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced a national partnership between the Department of Conservation and the Enviroschools Foundation aimed at enhancing conservation awareness among school students.
Date: 08 August 2006
Last month, a juvenile (7.2m) female sperm whale washed up at Port Waikato, with some visible injuries inflicted from an interaction with fishing gear.
Date: 08 August 2006
The community is being invited to help revegetate Whitireia Park in Titahi Bay.
Date: 07 August 2006
A ‘Save the Kiwi’ project in the heart of Arthur’s Pass National Park has won the hearts of judges to win ‘Te Waka o Aoraki’ trophy for 2006.
Date: 03 August 2006
The Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk in Te Urewera National Park has been re-opened following closure due to snow damage.
Date: 03 August 2006
Wellington and Hutt Valley residents are being encouraged to swap a garden weed for a native plant at Conservation Week events highlighting the role we all have in protecting our great ‘kiwi’ lifestyle.
Date: 03 August 2006
Operating low impact commercial activities on public conservation land has just become an easier business.
Date: 02 August 2006
Vehicle access into Catchpool Valley and campground at the entrance to the Rimutaka Forest Park has been reinstated after contractors repaired roads damaged by flooding last month.
Date: 02 August 2006
A kiwi that had gone bush in Taranaki has been rediscovered and as a bonus led DOC Ranger, Sid Marsh to the first kiwi egg of the season.
Date: 31 July 2006
Conservation is Everybody’s Business. That’s the message the Department of Conservation wants to get across during Conservation Week 2006, which runs from August 7-13.
Date: 28 July 2006
New Zealand’s native pigeons (kereru) swoop and soar above the Pukaha Mount Bruce forest and also have an essential role to play in sustaining forests.
Date: 28 July 2006
A report into what’s special about the South Taranaki/Whanganui coast will be launched in Patea next week. The report is awash with facts, information and opinions gathered from workshops and interviews with coastal and marine people from Wanganui to Patea .
Date: 28 July 2006
A range of events is planned in Taranaki to celebrate Conservation Week, August 7- 13 , the theme of which is Conservation- Everybody’s Business. Kia ngakau nui te katoa ki te whakaroto.
Date: 28 July 2006
Planting, poetry and Purity Hut are the focus for Conservation Week in the Manawatu which runs from 7th -13th August. This year's theme is "Conservation- Everybody's Business - Kia ngakau nui te katoa ki te whakarato."
Date: 27 July 2006
Enhancing public participation in planning how national parks and other public conservation areas are run is the purpose of a new booklet published by the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Date: 27 July 2006
Delegates from many avenues of rural life attended the recent Workshop on Rural Sustainable Development sponsored by The Northland Conservation Board.
Date: 20 July 2006
The wild and wonderful world of the marine environment came under close inspection by the Department of Conservation during a recent monitoring survey at Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve.
Date: 19 July 2006
The threat to public safety and natural values from unlawful vehicle use at Bream Bay continues to be a problem for the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the community.
Date: 18 July 2006
The Department of Conservation, working alongside local muttonbirders, has successfully spread more than 7 tonnes of bait over four rat infested muttonbird islands off the south-western corner of Stewart Island.
Date: 18 July 2006
A section of the Te Iringa track in the northern Kaimanawa Forest Park has slipped away.
Date: 18 July 2006
A report of a southern right whale off the Mahia Peninsula is a promising sign for Department of Conservation (DOC) staff.
Date: 17 July 2006
A new conservation park that protects some of the most spectacular scenery in South Canterbury was officially opened today by Associate Minister of Conservation, Mahara Okeroa.
Date: 14 July 2006
The Makara Walkway near Wellington is open again but people should take care walking around fenced off sections of track damaged during last week’s storms.
Date: 12 July 2006
Lighting a fire without a permit proved to be an expensive exercise for a Bay of Plenty woman after the fire spread to threaten neighbouring land and was extinguished by Whakatane District Council and Department of Conservation (DOC) fire-fighters.
Date: 12 July 2006
Source: From the Office of the Associate Minister of Conservation
A new conservation park that protects some of the most spectacular scenery in South Canterbury was officially opened today by Associate Minister of Conservation, Mahara Okeroa.
Date: 11 July 2006
The discovery of a commercial design crayfish pot inside Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve north of Gisborne has prompted a warning from the Department of Conservation (DOC) that maximum penalties will be sought in any prosecutions for such offences.
Date: 11 July 2006
Reports that a small snipe population is flourishing on Putauhinu Island following a successful transfer last April has delighted muttonbirders and the Department of Conservation.
Date: 10 July 2006
People venturing into forest parks and reserves in the Wellington region are warned to be wary of possible flood damage to tracks and structures and to allow themselves plenty of time.
Date: 10 July 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister Conservation
A major summit is to be held to help set the direction for recreation management on public conservation land over the next 20 years, Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced today.
Date: 07 July 2006
The Makara Walkway has been closed by the Department of Conservation after sections of the track were damaged by heavy rain this week.
Date: 06 July 2006
Heavy rain has washed out the Catchpool Valley Road at the entrance to the Rimutaka Forest Park near Wainuiomata, preventing vehicle access to the top car park or camp ground.
Date: 06 July 2006
The hunt is on to find out whether New Zealand has its own population of ‘homegrown’ southern right whales (tohora).
Date: 06 July 2006
The wind, rain and snow of recent storms have caused considerable damage to eastern North Island tracks on land managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Date: 03 July 2006
The Minister of Conservation, Chris Carter, has recognised the value of working cooperatively with other international conservation and environmental agencies.
Date: 03 July 2006
A major operation to rid a remote Kermadec island of rats was kicked off today by the Department of Conservation.
Date: 02 July 2006
A rat plague triggered by huge numbers of beech seed has prompted the Department of Conservation to step-up control operations in five Operation Ark sites over winter.
Date: 29 June 2006
Heavy snowfall in Te Urewera National Park has damaged the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk to the extent that it will have to be temporarily closed according to Department of Conservation (DOC) Area Manager, Glenn Mitchell.
Date: 28 June 2006
As part of Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi work, key sponsors committed to restoring the Pukaha Mount Bruce forest in the Wairarapa shared in the celebration of the release of three more kiwi into the wild there yesterday.
Date: 26 June 2006
The new Department of Conservation (DOC) Waimakariri Area Office has opened in Rangiora.
Date: 22 June 2006
The Eastern Bay of Plenty hapu, Upokorehe gifted 7 kiwi to Tuhua (Mayor Island, off the coast of Tauranga) facilitated by the Department of Conservation. The transfer was attended by government dignitaries including the Minister of Conservation and iwi representatives.
Date: 22 June 2006
Eastern Bay of Plenty hapu, Upokorehe are gifting kiwi to Tuhua (Mayor Island, off the coast of Tauranga).
Date: 22 June 2006
Following settlement of the Ngati Awa Treaty of Waitangi claim in 2005 a Joint Management Committee was established for Moutohora (Whale Island), Tauwhare Pa Historic Reserve and Ohope Scenic Reserve. These are special areas for natural and wildlife values but are also important to Ngati Awa because of their spiritual, cultural and traditional connections with the places.
Date: 22 June 2006
Full time jobs in Tauranga haven’t stopped Waihi Beach property owners Jacqueline Simpson and Ross Dalton from rallying their neighbours to join them in a massive volunteer weedbusting effort over the last several years.
Date: 22 June 2006
Watch out for cheeky winter visitors looking for lunch in your garden. Kaka are known to venture into town to feed on the ripened fruit, nuts and flowers in our gardens and orchards at this time of year.
Date: 22 June 2006
After 14 years of monitoring and pest control by the Department of Conservation and local community groups locally the New Zealand dotterel has had its most successful breeding season on record with 32 chicks banded on Matakana Island.
Date: 22 June 2006
Efforts by volunteers to rid the Bay of Plenty of nasty environmental weeds have been honoured in this year’s Bay of Plenty regional Weedbuster awards.
Date: 22 June 2006
Over the 4th - 5th of May the Department of Conservation Rangitaiki area office led a scenario to practice its response to incidents using the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS).
Date: 20 June 2006
Recent court cases in Hawke’s Bay send a very clear message that people who endanger native wildlife in protected areas will be prosecuted according to Department of Conservation (DOC) solicitor, Kevin Smith. Mr Smith was commenting on recent cases that related to incidents in Te Angiangi Marine Reserve, Boundary Stream Mainland Island and Waitere Kiwi Reserve.
Date: 19 June 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister Conservation
Japan has won a simple majority on a significant vote at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for the first time, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said today.
Date: 17 June 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister Conservation
The numbers at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) remain too close to call, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said today shortly after arriving at the Commission's annual meeting in St Kitts.
Date: 17 June 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister Conservation
Nations supporting whale conservation at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have won the first two major votes at its annual meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said today.
Date: 16 June 2006
A Department of Conservation investigation into the Raoul Island eruption in March has found DOC worker Mark Kearney’s death was a work place accident that could not have been prevented.
Date: 15 June 2006
Two of the world’s rarest wading birds are dead and one still missing after Monday’s heavy snows collapsed an aviary at the kaki/black stilt breeding centre near Twizel.
Date: 15 June 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) will the officially launch the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve on Tuesday the 19th of September 2006.
Date: 15 June 2006
Six takahe are soon to be transferred from their current homes on offshore islands around New Zealand and from the Burwood Captive Rearing Facility near Te Anau. Four of these birds will be released into existing populations on Mana, Maud and Tiriti Matangi Islands as part of an annual process of reducing genetic inbreeding.
Date: 10 June 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today announced his decision to proceed with a marine reserve proposal running from New Plymouth to the mouth of the Tapuae stream.
Date: 09 June 2006
Predator control has played a large part in two major seabird conservation achievements on the Chatham Islands.
Date: 09 June 2006
The Fiordland National Park draft Management Plan was signed off by the Southland Conservation Board earlier today.
Date: 06 June 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is closing the Mount Manaia short return track due to public risk.
Date: 06 June 2006
People visiting Mt Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park are advised not to enter its craters, following increased seismic activity under the volcano.
Date: 04 June 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Te Papanui Conservation Park is providing the Otago region with water for free that would cost an estimated $136m to get from elsewhere, a new economic study has found.
Date: 31 May 2006
“Plant a tree where we clear the weeds” is the message from Kirsty Maclaurin who has taken over from Dr Sarah Boyle as the new Weedbusters coordinator for Gisborne. Miss Maclaurin is keen to get schools involved with other local organisations to “adopt a spot” in a reserve near them.
Date: 31 May 2006
The Minister of Conservation, Hon. Chris Carter has made two appointments to the Guardians of Lakes Manapouri, Monowai and Te Anau.
Date: 30 May 2006
The death of a kiwi this week is a significant blow to the Tongariro Forest kiwi sanctuary says the Department of Conservation.
Date: 30 May 2006
Artists from around New Zealand have the chance to go wild in 2007. Applications are now being taken for the 2007 Wild Creations artist residency programme, and artists have until August 31 to submit their applications.
Date: 29 May 2006
The Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park is closed beyond the first swing-bridge for two weeks from today, while rock-fall protection work is carried out.
Date: 29 May 2006
Careful thought must be given to the impacts on ecosystems of moving native wildlife around, Wellington restoration groups have been told.
Date: 15 May 2006
Egmont National Park’s long-standing deer free status has been compromised. An intensive hunting effort by DOC staff on Mt Taranaki in recent weeks has confirmed that several deer have made their way into the park.
Date: 22 May 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) advises that Cook’s Cove Walkway near Tolaga Bay has been closed due to structural damage to a pedestrian footbridge.
Date: 19 May 2006
There are a lot of misconceptions about a proposed Animal Health Board pest control operation due to take place in Te Urewera National Park this winter.
Date: 18 May 2006
Nominations are being sought for the 11th Wellington Conservation Awards, honouring community involvement in conservation.
Date: 17 May 2006
The Minister of Conservation, Chris Carter, is pleased to announce that a Department of Conservation staff exchange agreement has now been signed with Italy.
Date: 16 May 2006
The Department of Conservation first moved great spotted kiwi/roa to the area in May 2004 to set up a kiwi population in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project in Nelson Lakes National Park. It was the first reintroduction to the project of a species that had disappeared from the area.
Date: 15 May 2006
Te Anau School student Kail Huber joined DOC Biodiversity Rangers Jane Tansell and Pete Kirkman last week to monitor the growth of a kiwi chick as part of the Bank of New Zealand’s Save the Kiwi’s work.
Date: 12 May 2006
A day of collecting shellfish from Te Angiangi Marine Reserve resulted in a one month prison sentence for Damien Daly in Hastings District Court today. Mr Daly was convicted and sentenced by Judge Adeane on a charge of taking marine life from a marine reserve for an offence that took place on 2nd April 2006.
Date: 11 May 2006
Weka are being returned to Totaranui in the Abel Tasman National Park with the first birds to arrive there tomorrow.
Date: 10 May 2006
Three new huts in the western Tararua Forest Park are testimony to the park’s stunning views, its challenging weather conditions and a community commitment to recreation facilities.
Date: 09 May 2006
A fundraising initiative by two Mossburn organisations has resulted in over 15 km of redundant fencing being removed from the Eyre Mountains/Taka Ra Haka Conservation Park.
Date: 09 May 2006
Source: A media statement from the Department of Conservation and the Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust
The first two kiwi chicks conceived in the wild at Pukaha Mount Bruce for more than a century were released into the forest today.
Date: 04 May 2006
The Department of Conservation has today called for new or updated submissions on a marine reserve proposal for a part of Akaroa Harbour, Banks Peninsula.
Date: 04 May 2006
The second national park management plan to come out under the new General Policy for National Parks was released in draft form today by the Department of Conservation.
Date: 02 May 2006
Four survivors of the volcanic eruption on Raoul are on their way back to the island this week to finish the last six months of their contracts.
Date: 01 May 2006
There have been a number of dolphin deaths this summer including the endangered Hector’s dolphin, found only in the coastal waters of New Zealand.
Date: 27 April 2006
Any people visiting the New Zealand outdoors must come prepared – that’s the message from the Department of Conservation.
Date: 21 April 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
New Zealand was one of twelve countries that delivered a formal diplomatic protest to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry in Oslo yesterday over Norway’s plans to increase its whaling activities.
Date: 21 April 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
New Zealand's Conservation Minister Chris Carter and Australia's Environment and Heritage Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, today announced a collaborative effort to further the protection of whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.
Date: 12 April 2006
Source: From the Offices of the Minister of Conservation and the Associate Minister of Energy
Conservation Minister Chris Carter and Associate Minister of Energy Harry Duynhoven have approved permits under the Wildlife Act to enable a population of Powelliphanta Augustus snails to be moved from the Mt Augustus ridgeline on the West Coast.
Date: 07 April 2006
Another bumper breeding season for Cook’s petrel on Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) has juvenile birds inadvertently crash landing around Auckland.
Date: 06 April 2006
Kakariki were among the welcoming party when 21 North Island robin from Kapiti Island were released onto Matiu/Somes Island yesterday.
Date: 06 April 2006
The Department of Conservation (DOC) remains confident in that the new Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve will be launched successfully in the coming months.
Date: 05 April 2006
The Department of Conservation is looking into a minor spray drift thought to have occurred during the aerial spray programme at Mid Dome which, at this point, looks confined to a localised area.
Date: 05 April 2006
Strong community support and dedication from Department of Conservation staff are behind the conservation achievements that have won Australasian recognition for Pukaha Mount Bruce.
Date: 03 April 2006
Wanted – Energetic people with an interest in conservation to fill four vacancies on the Wellington Conservation Board.
Date: 31 March 2006
It’s the dark side of the moon tonight, the perfect time for the newest intake of bats to Kapiti Island to venture out into the wild.
Date: 31 March 2006
A rescue mission has been mounted for a population of weevils living on a knife edge on Wellington’s south coast.
Date: 30 March 2006
Bay of Plenty beach goers have recently reported a large number of dead or sick looking little blue penguins washed up on our shores, prompting concerned calls to Department of Conservation (DOC) offices.
Date: 29 March 2006
A recent trip with Department of Conservation (DOC) staff to Ogilvies Bridge in the Waimana Valley, Te Urewera National Park, proved popular with senior students from Opotiki College.
Date: 28 March 2006
The Ahuriri Estuary Walk on the outskirts of Napier City has been levelled and compacted to provide a harder surface for the 35,000 pairs of feet that use it each year.
Date: 27 March 2006
Thirty years after the idea was proposed in an official document, the Ruakituri Wilderness Area in Te Urewera National Park has finally been gazetted.
Date: 25 March 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter is to lead New Zealand's delegation to COP 8, the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba, Brazil.
Date: 24 March 2006
With two weeks to go until the closing date, no nominations have been received for five vacancies on the East Coast Hawke’s Bay Conservation Board.
Date: 24 March 2006
A small DOC team is to remain on Raoul to continue to monitor volcanic activity on the island over the coming weeks.
Date: 22 March 2006
The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station is to stay open this week after rainfall yesterday eased the fire danger.
Date: 22 March 2006
The five survivors of the Raoul Island eruption today viewed the crater where their fellow team member Mark Kearney went missing last Friday.
Date: 21 March 2006
The vessel Brave Heart arrived at Raoul this morning at day break and the Department of Conservation, police and GNS Science expedition team have landed on the island.
Date: 21 March 2006
The Raoul crater is still potentially volatile according to GNS Science volcanologists aboard the Airforce Orion flight over the island.
Date: 20 March 2006
Nominations close in three weeks for three vacancies on the Taranaki/Whanganui Conservation Board.
Date: 20 March 2006
An Airforce Orion P3K aircraft is to fly to Raoul tomorrow to help assess whether the island is safe for people to land.
Date: 20 March 2006
A record 11 chicks have been produced this season by Chatham Island taiko (Magenta petrel), a rare seabird once thought to be extinct.
Date: 18 March 2006
A mission to assess the status of Raoul Island and for police to assess the feasibility of recovering missing Department of Conservation staff member is being mounted by DOC and the Police with assistance from GNS Science.
Date: 17 March 2006
Twenty Kapiti Coast teachers explored Kapiti Island and scoured its coastal shores today, in preparation to bringing scientific information and conservation messages to their classrooms.
Date: 17 March 2006
A significant fine handed out to a man convicted of throwing stones at fur seals on Wellington’s south coast is a warning that harassment of protected marine wildlife will not be tolerated by the courts, says the Department of Conservation.
Date: 17 March 2006
The National Rescue and Coordination Centre (NRCC) evacuation flight has reached Raoul Island and will endeavour to search by air for the missing person if conditions allow.
Date: 17 March 2006
The Department of Conservation has ordered the evacuation of staff from Raoul Island in the remote Kermadec Island group due to a volcanic eruption that occurred this morning.
Date: 16 March 2006
Instead of quenching their parched throats this St Patricks Day, DOC is praying for rain and extending a total fire ban over most public conservation lands in Canterbury.
Date: 16 March 2006
The Acheron Road through Molesworth Station is to close on Wednesday, 22 March, due to extreme fire danger.
Date: 15 March 2006
Researchers will begin a study of underwater noise levels in Milford and Doubtful Sounds next week to identify if engine noise from vessels has any impact on marine mammals, in particular bottlenose dolphins.
Date: 14 March 2006
The Department of Conservation team who have been on the Subantarctic Campbell Island for the last three weeks have come back to terra firma today in Invercargill with excellent news for some of our most enigmatic wildlife.
Date: 13 March 2006
Source: From the Office of the Minister of Conservation
Conservation Minister Chris Carter today released a discussion document canvassing options for protecting the great white shark in New Zealand waters.
Date: 14 March 2006
Source: A joint media statement from the Department of Conservation and Greater Wellington Regional Council
The connection between the land and sea was highlighted at an event at Pukaha Mount Bruce today, where close to 30 students and five parents and teachers arrived from Mauriceville School to celebrate Seaweek.
Date: 14 March 2006
Eighty-six Hutton’s shearwater/titi chicks got new digs last week, being moved from the Kaikoura mountains where they hatched to Kaikoura Peninsula where it is hoped to establish a new breeding colony for the seabird.
Date: 08 March 2006
Recent moves by the Director General of Conservation, Hugh Logan, and the Otago Conservation Board, will allow a public discussion of the Milford Dart tunnel proposal between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks.