MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Forests & Bird join fight to save mangroveBY JULIA WADE
Deliberation over what to do with Mangawhai’s rambling mangroves continues on, with Forest & Bird’s ensuing ‘court battle’ to protect the plants gaining the backing of a local environmental group. On July 23 Forest & Bird (F&B) released a statement saying they have filed an environment court appeal against Northland Regional Council’s (NRC) proposed regional plan (PRP). The conservation organisation are calling for the council to protect significant bird areas such as mangrove forests, in the same way that important ecological areas are protected from harmful development. According to F&B, mangroves provide a vital habitat for New Zealand’s most threatened bird, the fairy tern, as well as the critically endangered Australasian bitterns and banded rails who also call Northland’s mangrove forests home. Forest & Bird’s northern regional manager Nick Beveridge says fairy tern – tara iti – are ‘just a heart-beat away from extinction’. “There are only about 36 tara iti left in the world, so we need to make sure the places where they feed and breed are not disturbed or destroyed,” he says. “These rare birds could be pushed closer towards extinction if the PRP goes through, as it allows people to remove up to 200 square metres of mangroves.” Beveridge says that mangroves are vital to the bird’s survival as the plants block sediment flowing into the main channels where tara iti forage for small fish. However, when extensive areas of the plants are removed, as in Mangawhai Harbour, the trapped sediment is released into the water, clouding the birds view and preventing them to feed sufficiently, resulting in fewer eggs being laid at the Wildlife Refuge and drastically reducing the general population. “The council plan is terribly deficient when it comes to protecting the habitat of tara iti… it provides better protection for cockle beds… it's just unbelievable,” he says. “The Kaipara and Mangawhai harbours are critically important… it would be disastrous if large areas of mangroves were cleared.” Local tara iti champions the NZ Fairy Tern Charitable Trust will be joining F&B in the appeal, Trust chair Heather Rogan says. “We are pleased they are appealing… and share Forest & Bird’s concerns about the potential threat to the fairy tern habitat, particularly in Mangawhai Harbour,” she says. “This is the bird’s most significant breeding site and breeding success at Mangawhai is vital to the bird’s overall survival.” Rogan says the Trust is also delighted that two rangers have been appointed to Mangawhai for the coming Tern breeding season, thanks to the Department of Conservation’s new recovery programme designed to enhance the birds breeding chances. “It is particularly pleasing to welcome back Keven Drew for his third season as Mangawhai ranger as he has established excellent working relationships with local volunteers and with Reg Whale, who undertakes year round predator control of the Sandspit on behalf of the NZ fairy tern,” she says. “As the fairy terns current total population is only 36 individual birds, their potential extinction is a very real risk and their harbour feeding areas and nesting sites on the Sandspit need all the protection they can get.” “This is the bird’s most significant breeding site and breeding success at Mangawhai is vital to the bird’s overall survival.” - Heather Rogan |