Adapted by Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand to provide for environmental reporting transparency. Dataset used to develop the indicators: "Extinction threat to indigenous freshwater species", "Extinction threat to indigenous land species", and "Extinction threat to indigenous marine species" (available athttps://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extinction-threat-to-indigenous-freshwater-species , https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extinction-threat-to-indigenous-land-species, https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extinction-threat-to-indigenous-marine-species).
We report on the extinction threat to indigenous, resident, living species that have been assessed by expert panels under the ++New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS)++.
Many of New Zealand’s indigenous freshwater, land, and marine species are endemic – found nowhere else in the world – and are our national taonga (treasure). New Zealand species make a significant contribution to global biodiversity, which is important for ecosystem processes and resilience, culture, and recreation. Indigenous taonga species (species of cultural significance) have particular importance to Māori, whose mātauranga (knowledge systems), tikanga (cultural practice), and mahinga kai (traditional food resources) are dependent on the wellbeing of indigenous species. Understanding the status of indigenous species provides vital information for New Zealand conservation and kaitiaki decision-making.
More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf. Summary report available at https://environment.govt.nz/publications/environment-aotearoa-2022/.
