Latest news with #ConservationAct
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Call For Public Information On Auckland Marine Mammal Cases
DOC investigators are asking people to come forward with any information they have on two concerning incidents involving protected marine mammals in the Auckland region. Eva Obushenkova, an Investigator with DOC's National Compliance Team, says the first incident occurred between 11.20am and 12pm on May 21, and involves a recreational boat skipper seen steering his vessel through a pod of bottlenose dolphins. 'One witness has seen the vessel launched at Waiake Beach on Auckland's North Shore,' Eva says. 'They reported seeing the boat head straight toward the dolphins, which were clearly visible, and get very close to them. 'Our witness has also stated the boatie later changed direction and began following the pod, steering his vessel among the dolphins and eventually stopping the engine to take photographs.' Under the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations, vessels cannot travel through a pod of dolphins. Eva says the boat involved in the incident is a Haynes Hunter named Plaisir. 'We'd like to talk to the owner or skipper of Plaisir, and encourage them to come forward,' she says. Anyone who saw the incident, or can share information on the vessel, can contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE Works case number 9189. Any information offered by members of the public is kept confidential by DOC. In a separate incident at Muriwai in Auckland in early June, members of the public discovered two dead kekeno/NZ fur seals with their heads removed on the beach. The discovery was reported to DOC. DOC science staff who've seen the images say the decapitations are the result of human actions, and not predation by another species. Anyone with information on the decapitation of the dead seals at Muriwai - whether it's eye-witness reports of incidents, or other potentially valuable evidence – is asked to contact 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE Works case 9390. Although DOC staff acknowledge the seals were discovered dead on the beach, there is still no justification for removing the animals' heads. The Marine Mammals Protection Act clearly states it is illegal to take any part of a marine mammal. 'It's not acceptable for people to tamper with protected wildlife, and it's illegal to remove a protected species' head,' Eva says. DOC protects and nurtures more than a third of New Zealand's landscape, marine areas, and thousands of endangered species – a role guided by several key laws like the Conservation Act, Wildlife Act, and National Parks Act. These legal frameworks ensure our unique biodiversity is properly safeguarded. When people or organisations don't follow the rules, it further threatens our special places and native wildlife. DOC takes these responsibilities very seriously and has a range of enforcement tools to hold rule-breakers to account. However, DOC can't be everywhere, so public eyes and ears make a real difference. DOC staff continually urge the public to help protect nature by reporting unlawful activity through 0800 DOC HOT.
The South African
14-07-2025
- The South African
Mpumalanga man arrested for allegedly selling owls
On 14 July 2025, the Mpumalanga Hawks arrested a 48-year-old man in Nelspruit, for contravention of the Conservation Act. The Organised Crime Investigation Unit accosted him for allegedly selling wildlife without a permit. 'A Nissan Light Delivery Vehicle that was used to transport the wildlife was seized,' said Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi. According to Nkosi, authorities found the suspect trading in one of the local shopping complexes. He was allegedly selling four Barn Owls for R1000 each. Nkosi said the Hawks received a tip off from the Mpumalanga Parks Board officials, who provided his unit with the location of the suspect. The Hawks then conducted a joint operation and found the suspect red-handed with the owls, without a permit. The province's Acting Head of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Danie Hall, commended the swift arrest. 'Wildlife life is part of our heritage and we have a duty to protect it,' he said . 'When we take care of our wildlife, we safeguard our heritage for future generations,' Hall continued. After rescuing the owls, the Hawks handed them over to the Mpumalanga Parks Board. They will rehabilitated and released back into the wild. The suspect will appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court tomorrow, 15 July 2025, to answer on the charges leveled against him. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Guardians approve lake drawdown changes
Approved changes to operating guidelines for hydro-electricity generation at Lake Manapouri will not cause unnatural variations of lake levels, the Guardians of Lakes Manapouri, Monowai and Te Anau say. Fears have been raised that using too much water when lake levels are low could cause permanent damage to the lake's shoreline. However, Guardians chairman Darryl Sycamore said the approved changes to the "drawdown rate" only applied to the upper range of low lake levels. Critically, the changes the Guardians had approved mimicked drops in lake levels previously observed in the natural record. "The Guardians have considered a range of proposals from Meridian Energy and have agreed to some amendments which mimic variations in the natural record of lake level prior to the establishment of the Manapouri hydro-scheme," Mr Sycamore said. "These amendments will enable additional energy generation and provide resilience of our electricity network." The Guardians were mandated in the Conservation Act to have particular regard to the effects of the operation of the hydro scheme on social, conservation, recreation and tourism values, he said. "We have carefully considered the proposed amendments on the values prescribed in the Act and have only provided our support to those which will likely result in less than minor effects," he said. If further changes were sought, unless Meridian could provide robust scientific reasoning to adopt the changes, they would not have the Guardians' support. Lake Manapōuri and Lake Te Anau had "given enough to NZ Inc" and any additional energy would have to be produced elsewhere, he said. Energy Minister Simon Watts heralded the changes as a "boost" to New Zealand's hydro generation and energy security. They would allow an extra 45GWh of energy to be produced by the Manapōuri Power Scheme each year — enough energy to power about 6000 homes, Mr Watts said. "Last winter, New Zealand faced an energy shortage that led to significant price increases for consumers, in part due to low hydro lake levels," he said. "This government will not accept a repeat of last winter and is working at pace to ensure we have a reliable and affordable energy supply. "Lake Manapōuri and Lake Te Anau are not only environmentally and culturally significant, but they are also essential to New Zealand's energy system." The changes balanced the needs of New Zealand's electricity system with the environmental impact on the lakes and their surrounding areas, he said. Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Mark, of Dunedin, the first chairman of the Guardians, said changes to the low operating range risked damage to shorelines, or the loss of beaches that had taken "eons" to develop. "They're not going to be replaced if they're lost," Sir Alan said. When lake levels were lowered to unnatural levels in 1972 — the year before the Guardians were established — several beaches were lost forever, Sir Alan said. Decades of daily lake level data was used to establish the guidelines more than 50 years ago and they had since "proved to be extremely successful" in retaining the lakes' beaches in their natural state, he said. Meridian manages about half of New Zealand's total hydro storage and uses Lakes Pūkaki, Ōhau, Aviemore, Waitaki, Benmore, Manapōuri and Te Anau to generate energy. Previously, a Meridian spokesman said the government "has been very clear in its desire to ensure there's enough electricity for all New Zealand homes and businesses this winter, and Manapōuri Power Station has an important role to play in that". Changes to the operating guidelines include changing the drawdown rates, reducing duration requirements on how long the lakes can stay within the first band of low operating ranges, and removing equinoctial requirements, which set additional limits on how hydro generation could affect the lakes twice a year during windier periods.
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Iwi Rights Under Attack In Government Treaty Clause Purge
Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government's Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history. 'Luxon's Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing laws, clause by clause' said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The Treaty clause review impacts 28 laws, including the Conservation Act, RMA, Oranga Tamariki Act, Climate Change Response Act, and the Pae Ora Act. Key protections for Māori health equity, kaitiakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are being systematically erased. 'This is constitutional vandalism' said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. 'The Government is deleting our rights from legislation, with no consultation, no mandate, no Treaty partner process.' Te Pāti Māori is calling on all iwi, hapori Māori, legal advocates, community defenders, whānau, and Tangata Tiriti to prepare a unified response. 'They may be erasing words from legislation, but we will not let them erase our rights,' concluded Ngarewa-Packer.
