24 March 2000 Ministry document an important scene-setter for sustaining native wildlife and more

The decline in New Zealand's biological diversity has been huge and the state of the country's biological diversity is cause for considerable concern, says Lincoln University's Profesor of Nature Conservation, Ian Spellerberg, who sees a new Government discussion paper as a timely call to action.

Bio-What? has recently been released by the Ministry for the Environment. Is this a plant food, a horticultural guide or a biological quiz? It is none of these.

Bio-What? is a discussion document about sustaining indigenous biological diversity affected by private land management.

It is called Bio-What? because it is believed that most people in New Zealand are not comfortable with terms such as "biological diversity", "ecosystems" and "ecology". While many may find these terms challenging, most of us do however have an interest in and value the native wildlife of this country.

The document focuses on "biological diversity affected by private land management". In contrast, the Department of Conservation is in practice limited in its responsibilities to conservation on public conservation land.

New Zealand's National Biodiversity Strategy has been discussed throughout the country (the final document was released by the Department of Conservation on 29 March). I reflected on the words "private land management" and wondered if once again marine biological diversity conservation issues would not be high on the agenda. Perhaps it is just the use of the word "land" that is misleading me?

Conserving biological diversity is the foundation for sustainable development. Certain kinds and levels of biological diversity can be used as indicators of our sustainability performance. Bio-what? is therefore a timely document and important for everyone. There are, however, some challenges to be faced, and the document recognises this.

Three broad challenges come to my mind – biological diversity means different things to different people; sustaining biological diversity will not be achieved without setting objectives; and whereas sustaining biological diversity can be achieved in part by the protection of threatened species and the control of pests, there also needs to be more restoration of what we have lost.

Biological diversity is diversity of all life. It is an all-encompassing term which embraces variety in the genetic make-up of individuals, variety of species, variety of habitats and variety of biological community types.

Usage of the term biological diversity is common and in many if not most cases it is equated with species. As with other biological jargon, it is surely important for anyone using the term to say what they mean. At the same time there could be better use of the term as defined in the United Nations 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. New Zealand is a signatory to this convention and has already responded with the Biodiversity Strategy. Bio-What? does well to emphasise that biological diversity is not just about species. Sustaining variety within native species, between habitats and biological communities will need to be reinforced many times.

Knowing what biological diversity we have, and knowing where it is (its biogeography), are prerequisites for sustaining our indigenous biological diversity, whether in the conservation estate or that affected by private land.

The decline of New Zealand's biological diversity has been huge. The state of our biological diversity is cause for considerable concern. As the Ministry for the Environment 1997 book The State of New Zealand's Environment tells us, most of the landscape is now ecologically hostile to many native species and alien species threaten a third of our protected forests. About 1000 of our known native species are considered to be threatened (birds being the most endangered).

Sustaining our indigenous biological diversity will require setting specific objectives, setting measurable targets to be achieved within a certain time, for without agreeing what can be achieved and what must be achieved, we will not be able to judge whether or not policies and management have been successful.

We will need to discuss what is desirable in terms of sustaining and restoring different levels of biological diversity and we will need then to debate the priorities. Deciding the priorities will be difficult and we will have to consider both ecological and economic issues.

Slowing the rate of loss of New Zealand's native wildlife has been addressed for many years. Controlling the threats and designating areas for conservation and sustainable use all contribute to sustaining our biological diversity. There is more to be done, and that is restoring what we have lost. Bio-What? includes in the proposed policies the objective of maintaining and restoring populations and ecosystems.

The Resource Management Act 1991, while it provides a framework for environmental management and sustainability of natural and physical resources, does little for the restoration of our native wildlife.

Restoring our native wildlife does not have to be at the expense of introduced species. However we need to talk more about our natural heritage and how much of that heritage is based on introduced wildlife.

Bio-What? is a discussion document and it not only prompts questions for discussion but also lists questions for discussion.

Perhaps the most important parts of Bio-What? are the seven principles and the recommendations. The principles include individual commitment, Maori having distinct relationships to biological diversity, coordination and active management. The recommendations include the development of an accord between key parties at a national level (the New Zealand Accord on Biodiversity and Land Management), a national policy statement under the Resource Management Act and assistance to local communities with the development of local accords.

If any of this seems reminiscent of Agenda 21 activities then I am not surprised. The main message is that sustaining biological diversity affected by private land cannot be resolved by regulatory mechanisms, rather it relies on understanding, acceptance and the combined efforts of all interested parties.

Bio-What? along with the national Biodiversity Strategy will set the scene for actions – without these actions our indigenous biological diversity will continue to be degraded and lost, used unsustainably and not used in an equitable manner. The conservation of biological diversity is certainly the foundation for sustainable development but it will require commitment and resourcing to achieve the yet-to-be-set objectives.

Professor Ian Spellerberg holds a Personal Chair in Nature Conservation at Lincoln University. He has been working on conservation issues for 30 years.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand