Latest news with #DepartmentOfConservation
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Girl who died in Fiordland drowning missed 'every moment, every day'
Tegan Chen, 10, drowned in Marian Creek in Fiordland National Park in 2024. Photo: Supplied The mother of a 10-year-old Australian girl who drowned during a visit to New Zealand says the a coroner's report into her daughter's death has spurred feelings of overwhelming sadness as well as some comfort. Tegan Chen, of Lindfield, New South Wales, drowned in the fast-flowing Marian Creek in Fiordland National Park in January last year after she fell in and was swept downstream. In findings released 9 July, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale described Tegan as "a very active and happy girl". Tegan's mother, Deb Fung, said she missed her daughter "every moment, every day". Fung said pictures in the coroner's report showed how easy it was to walk out onto the rocks from the track. The Department of Conservation installed warning signs immediately after the incident, with permanent signs installed later. A viewing platform that had been planned prior to Tegan's death had also been completed in June, covering the rocks that were previously accessible. Barriers had been constructed on all sides of the platform. A viewing platform that had been planned prior to Tegan Chen's death was completed in June, covering the rocks that were previously accessible. The top photo shows the new platform, with the bottom images showing what the site looked like earlier. Photo: Supplied / Department of Conservation "I'm glad that they've done that and, gosh, if that had been in place before ... which, when you think about it," Fung said, tapering off as she considered other outcomes of their visit to the national park. She said the family had been processing their grief and were grateful for the support of their family and friends. "Holding the memories of her very closely ... building memories with her in spirit differently," Fung said. "I guess facing the pain rather than trying to escape and trying to forget has been ... our approach ... and that's really helped." Fung said her daughter's passing had changed the family's perspective on life. "Just learning to try and embrace whatever days we have ahead of us and projects or things that have meaning and purpose rather than just going about life like nothing has changed or nothing really matters," she said. Tegan Chen (middle) with her parents and two older brothers. Photo: Supplied Tegan's father, Adrian Chen, said the family were constantly reminded of what they had lost, but they were also looking at opportunities to make a difference to other people with what they had experienced. "There is a lot of grief and a lot of traumas out there, not just for us, ... that a lot of people are going through," he said. "If we can be an encouragement to others ... and I guess almost helping people to see difficult circumstances is not just something to mourn and grief, but something that can also reshape us. "Like there's strength and resolve even amidst the tears and grief." Adrian Chen said it could be difficult for men to open up if they encountered difficult situations, but it was important for them to "take time out and to reflect and to face those emotions". "I think without the chance to do that, then ... I think what often happens is that we will bottle it up and then we'll have an eruption, like a volcano exploding," he said. Adrian Chen and Deb Fung Photo: Supplied The couple were planning to build a memorial garden outside of Sydney in which people could plant trees to mark the birth and passing of loved ones, which, at the same time, would be a reforestation project that helped the environment, Fung said. Aaron Fleming, director of operations in Southern South Island at the Department of Conservation, said the department looked closely at its facilities, systems and processes following a tragedy like this to identify room for improvement and ensure steps were taken to reduce the likelihood of similar things happening. "On behalf of the Department of Conservation I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Tegan's family and acknowledge the terrible loss they have suffered," Fleming said. "We have an ongoing programme of reviewing of similar sites across public conservation lands to identify any that need further hazard warnings in place."
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
World risks losing more of its wetlands, DOC scientist Hugh Robertson tells UN
Department of Conservation freshwater scientist Dr Hugh Robertson is the lead author of the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 report. Photo: Supplied / DoC An international report, led by a Department of Conservation scientist, warns the world is on track to lose even more of its wetlands - but solutions exist that could help wetlands thrive. Dr Hugh Robertson, a DOC freshwater scientist, was lead author of the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 , and chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel of the International Convention on Wetlands. He presented the report to the United Nations in Nairobi yesterday. "New Zealand has lost 90 percent of our wetlands," Robertson said. "This pattern is reflected internationally - over 400 million hectares of wetlands have vanished since 1970. "And if the loss continues at its current rate, a further fifth of the world's remaining wetlands could be gone by 2050 unless we take action." Wetlands provided food, regulated the global water cycle, removed water pollution, served as a buffer from the effects of sea level rise and storm surges, and stored carbon. In New Zealand, wetlands were home to an abundance of taonga species - kahikatea, native ducks, rare orchids and mudfish, to name a few wetland plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. "Losing a further fifth of wetlands globally will have enormous impact on people, nature and economies, amounting to losses of up to USD$39 trillion ($NZ65 trillion)," Robertson said. However, he said the panel behind the report was at pains to lay out a pathway for conserving wetlands. "The report suggests a combination of private and public financing could address the funding gaps , such as biodiversity credits," Robertson said. "Recognising the essential role of wetlands to store, filter and regulate water flows, and treating wetlands as essential infrastructure will also hope to reverse wetlands loss. "Restoration per hectare costs anything between USD$1000 and $70,000 (about NZ$1600 to $115,000), so conserving wetlands is cheaper than restoring them." Global Wetland Outlook 2025 has been published in the lead-up to the Ramsar Wetlands Convention Conference of Parties (COP 15), taking place in Zimbabwe from 23 July. Ramsar was a global treaty dedicated to promoting international cooperation and actions to protect wetlands. At COP 15, countries would make decisions to address wetland loss and degradation and improve management of wetlands of international importance. New Zealand's latest report on its internationally important wetlands (Ramsar sites), published earlier this year, would be tabled at COP15. The report covered the recent, devastating fires at Awarua-Waituna and Whangamarino wetlands , as well as positive changes through the government's Jobs for Nature programme, DOC's Ngā Awa river restoration programme and partnering with tangata whenua to monitor wetland condition. New Zealand had seven wetland sites listed as internationally significant under the Ramsar Wetland Convention and submitted international reporting updates on their condition every seven years. They included Farewell Spit (Golden Bay), Firth of Thames (Hauraki Gulf), Koputai Peat Dome (Hauraki Plains), Manawatū Estuary (Foxton, Horowhenua), Awarua-Waituna Lagoon (Southland), Wairarapa Moana (Wairarapa) and Whangamarino Wetland (Northern Waikato). Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Our Changing World: Our rarest freshwater fish
science conservation 2 Jul 2025 Our Changing World heads to the Mackenzie region in the South Island to meet one of New Zealand's rarest fish – the lowland longjaw galaxias. Dean Nelson, a senior biodiversity ranger at the Department of Conservation, has been looking out for these tiny fish for two decades. Producer Karthic SS has this story, and he joins Dean during one of his monitoring trips at a place called Fraser Stream, near Twizel.
RNZ News
01-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Previously poached West Coast green gecko seen alive and well in wild
The West Coast green gecko was spotted in May. Photo: Alexis DEKEYNE A previously poached West Coast green gecko has been seen alive and well more than a year after being released back into the wild. The gecko was one of three protected native females illegally taken and held in captivity until they were discovered during a Department of Conservation (DOC) investigation in 2022. The geckos required life-saving surgery at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University's Wildbase Hospital to remove stuck eggs and after successful recuperation, the trio were returned to their alpine home in November 2023. In May, a nature photographer saw a striking, bright green gecko on a tree in a West Coast conservation area and uploaded photos to iNaturalist NZ - Mātaki Taiao - to share their observation. The photo was spotted by New Zealand Herpetological Society president Nick Harker who recognised the unique markings along the lizard's back. A check of previous photos confirmed the gecko's identity. He said it was amazing to see the gecko alive and apparently well after the ordeal. Photo: Alexis DEKEYNE "She and two of her friends were stolen, smuggled to the North Island, kept in captivity and then had major surgery - which is a lot to go through. This gecko species is sensitive to changes in its environment and vulnerable to a range of threats, so we were delighted to see her alive," he said. "West Coast green geckos have fragmented populations and often live in isolated pockets, so every individual - and especially every female - is important." DOC senior technical advisor Lynn Adams said the gecko sighting showed the power of citizen science in monitoring and identifying lizards. "Green geckos live in trees and are highly camouflaged, making them difficult to see and monitor. We love it when people share their observations and photos, which in this case confirmed the survival of the repatriated gecko," she said. "Photos of lizards sent to us or posted to iNaturalist and other sites have helped identify new species and new populations we didn't know about." As a result of DOC's investigation, Halcombe man Richard Brosnan was fined $7000 for holding 63 geckos and skinks from 11 different species in 2023. DOC said the photos showed the gecko with wrinkled flanks - a sign it might have given birth - and a faint surgical scar. The threatened West Coast green gecko might only breed every two to three years, producing just one or two young, DOC said. Introduced predators such as mice, rats, stoats, cats and even wasps posed a threat to lizards. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
01-07-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
Our Changing World: Protecting 'Jaws'
By Karthic SS for Our Changing World Checking traps for the lowland longjaw galaxias. Photo: Karthic SS Tiny, rare and under the radar. Just a few streams in Twizel, in the upper Waitaki catchment, are home to one of New Zealand's rarest fish: the lowland longjaw galaxias. Follow Our Changing World on Apple , Spotify , iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts "If you look closely, you can see the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw - sort of like a bulldog... We affectionately call them 'Jaws'," says Department of Conservation senior ranger for biodiversity Dean Nelson. Unlike their namesake, these 'Jaws' are tiny, growing up to just eight centimetres. Dean has been working to protect these small, brown-speckled fish for more than two decades in Twizel. "They get under your skin a bit, you really get wound up about them. They've become my big passion these days," he says. Dean Nelson checking traps. Photo: Karthic SS There are two genetically distinct lowland longjaw populations: one in the Upper Waitaki catchment and the other in the Kauru Kakanui river in Otago. "They are treated as different species, but both are called lowland longjaws," says Dean. Lowland longjaws are related to whitebait. Both are part of a family called Galaxiidae. This family of fishes is named for the gold flecks on their backs that resemble a starry galaxy pattern. But there's one big difference. The whitebait species are migratory: adults migrate to the coast to spawn, and their young swim back upstream, where they are caught as whitebait. Lowland longjaw galaxias. Photo: Dean Nelson In contrast, lowland longjaw galaxias are homebodies. They are non-migratory, spending all their lives in the same gravely stream they hatch in. New Zealand is home to 12 species of non-migratory galaxiids, plus 13 groups that are yet to be formally described and confirmed as a species. All of them have been classified to be 'at risk' or 'threatened', as most of the populations are fragmented and prone to local extinctions. Lowland longjaw galaxias (the smaller fish, on the left). Photo: Karthic SS The Waitaki lowland longjaws are 'nationally endangered', which means they are at risk of extinction in the short term. Just seven known populations remain. They face various threats such as invasive plants, land use changes, and introduced trout. Brown and rainbow trout from the northern hemisphere were released into the rivers of Aotearoa in the mid-to-late 19th century for sports fishing. They are one of the main threats to the lowland longjaw galaxias. A brown trout eating a bignose galaxias. Photo: Dean Nelson Trout can move through river systems, and when they get into streams and tributaries, they feed on native fish like the longjaw and other non-migratory galaxiids, causing a dramatic decline in their numbers. At a field site near Twizel, Dean has witnessed this decline himself. "We knew trout were here in Fraser Stream and hadn't done anything about it, and in 2009 we suddenly found that we were only getting a handful of fish. "I think we caught 12 lowland longjaw and 25 bignose galaxiids in the stream. And we went, 'Uh oh, that's no good!' So we put a barrier in. That was our first barrier, and we've since modified it and changed it." Fraser Stream landscape barrier. Photo: Karthic SS Martha Jolly, a PhD Candidate at the University of Canterbury, is studying how these artificial barriers and other interventions can help turn things around for the lowland longjaw. "It's quite similar to fenced reserves in terrestrial conservation, where you might put a fence around a precious species and do predator removal to protect that species." The barriers are designed to keep trout out of the habitat by creating a drop they can't jump. There are now 12 built barriers in the upper Waitaki catchment. The barrier at the Waterwheel Wetland. Photo: Martha Jolly "Some of our galaxias species just really cannot co-occur with trout. They tend to get predated on, and end up going extinct pretty quickly. "Nobody is saying that we want to get rid of trout from our waterways at all. And what we're finding with the non-migratory galaxiid habitat is that actually it's tiny fragments, which isn't ideal for trout fishery, anyway. "There's plenty of room for everybody. There are just some habitats where these introduced sports fish are really not helpful, and have a negative impact on our native fish." Flood over the trout barrier at Fraser Stream, August 2022. Photo: Dean Nelson Frequent monitoring of streams is crucial. Extreme weather events can result in floods that flow over the top of barrier, meaning trout get back into longjaw habitat. Both Martha and Dean believe that the barriers alone might not be enough, and in the future, they might have to consider other conservation efforts. In the meantime, Dean says, they are using environmental DNA to help them search for more tiny 'Jaws'. "I still hold hope that one day we'll find another population that we didn't know about that's surviving somewhere." Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.
