New listing of the threatened status of New Zealand aquatic organisms
Introduction
DOC seeks submissions about any changes in status of NZ aquatic organisms to inform a revision of the lists for these groups in the NZ Threat Classification System. Consultation closed: 13 April 2013.Consultation closed: 13 April 2013
This is a call for submissions about any changes in stfatus of New Zealand marine mammal, marine fish, marine invertebrate, algal, freshwater fish and freshwater invertebrate taxa, to inform a revision of the lists for these groups in the NZ Threat Classification System. How to make a submission.
Related documents:
These current lists give the status of all taxa:
Marine fish, algae, and freshwater invertebrates were not reviewed during the 2008-11 cycle; the most recent listings (from 2005) for these taxa can be found here:
2004 NZ Threat Classification System (XLS, 2100K)
You can find more explanation in these published papers:
- Marine mammals – Baker et al. 20104
- Marine invertebrates – Freeman et al. 20095,
- Freshwater fish – Allibone et al. 20106,
- 2005 list Hitchmough et al. 20071.
Background information
In 2002, the Department of Conservation developed a new system for classifying organisms according to their risk of extinction (Molloy et al. 2002).
This system allows the classification of conservation status/risk of extinction of all organisms known to occur in a wild state in New Zealand. Endemics, non-endemic natives, migrants, vagrants, and introduced and naturalised species are all included, as are taxa which have not been formally described.
This is not a priority-setting system in the way that the listing of Molloy & Davis (1992, 1994) was, so does not include information on taxonomic distinctiveness, or on human values. It is a resource for priority setting, among other functions, rather than a priority list in itself. Two lists of threatened taxa assessed by these criteria were published (Hitchmough 2002, Hitchmough et al. 2007).
During the course of these listings, opportunities for improvements to the system itself were identified, and as a result a new manual with changed categories and criteria and more explicit procedures has been published (Townsend et al. 2008). These revised criteria were used to generate lists of threatened taxa between 2008-2011.
To provide the most accurate information, the list is to be fully reviewed and updated every three years. The time has come to undertake this process again for marine and freshwater algal, invertebrate, fish and mammal and we now wish to gather data to begin the reclassification of taxa under the new criteria. We would be very grateful for any submissions providing information on marine and freshwater algal, invertebrate, fish and mammal species, subspecies, etc. that you consider to be threatened or at risk, or very poorly known but seldom encountered and possibly threatened.
Expert panels will meet to review the classification of New Zealand frogs, reptiles, bats and birds, on the basis of information supplied.
Please contact us if you need any assistance or clarification about this questionnaire.
How to make a submission
Please note that submissions are intended to provide information to the panel, not to lobby for a particular outcome.
You can complete an online questionnaire [closed].,
Or complete the questionnaire (Word, 40K) or (PDF, 40K) and email or fax to:
Rod Hitchmough
Scientific Officer (Species)
Terrestrial Conservation Unit
Department of Conservation
P O Box 10-420
Wellington 6143
Email: threatstatus@doc.govt.nz
Ph: +64 4 471 3249
Fax: +64 4 381 3057
1Hitchmough R, Bull L, Cromarty P 2007. New Zealand Threat Classification System lists 2005. Wellington, Department of Conservation.
2Hitchmough R 2002. New Zealand Threat Classification System lists. Wellington, Department of Conservation.
3Townsend AJ, de Lange PJ, Duffy CAJ, Miskelly CM, Molloy J, Norton DA 2008. New Zealand Threat Classification System manual. Wellington, Department of Conservation.
4Baker CS, Chilvers BL, Constantine R, DuFresne S, Mattlin RH, van Helden A, Hitchmough R 2010. Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44: 101 115.
5Freeman DJ, Marshall BA, Ahyong ST, Wing SR, Hitchmough RA 2010. The conservation status of New Zealand marine invertebrates, 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44: 129 148.
6Allibone R, David B, Hitchmough R, Jellyman D, Ling N, Ravenscroft P, Waters J 2010. Conservation status of New Zealand freshwater fish, 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 44: 271 287.
7Molloy J, Bell B, Clout M, de Lange P, Gibbs G, Given D, Norton DA, Smith N, Stephens T 2002. Classifying species according to threat of extinction. A system for New Zealand. Threatened Species Occasional Publication 22. Wellington, Department of Conservation.
8Molloy J, Davis A. 1992. Setting Priorities for the Conservation of New Zealand’s Threatened Plants and Animals. Department of Conservation,Wellington. 44 p.