Hon Stuart Nash Minister of Fisheries Hon Eugenie Sage Minister of Conservation Two options to protect areas of ocean off the east coast of the South Island will be considered by Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage. The Ministers today released the final report of the South East Marine Protection Forum. The Forum is an independent body established by the previous government in 2014. It includes representatives of Kāi Tahu as manawhenua, commercial and recreational fishers, tourism,...

Two options to protect areas of ocean off the east coast of the South Island will be considered by Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage. The Ministers today released the final report of the South East Marine Protection Forum. The Forum is an independent body established by the previous government in 2014. It includes representatives of Kāi Tahu as manawhenua, commercial and recreational fishers, tourism, science, the environmental sector, and the broader community. The report provides two...

Seaweek celebrations, beginning on 3 March, provide an opportunity to highlight the plight of our precious marine species, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage says. “We’re incredibly lucky in New Zealand; we have an ocean area over 15 times our land mass and more than 17,000 marine species are found in New Zealand waters. “But around 90% of our seabirds are in trouble including all our endemic albatross, mollymawk and penguin species, and a number of very rare petrels and terns. More...

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today pledged to take action on plastic bags when she accepted a petition signed by over 65,000 people along with a letter from Greenpeace. “Since I took on this portfolio I have been struck by how much New Zealanders really care about the harmful impacts of single use plastic bags. The message I’ve got is that it’s time for change,” Ms Sage said. “The previous National Government ignored this problem when a similar petition by...

The critically endangered Antipodes Island wandering albatross will be functionally extinct within the next 20 years unless the devastating decline in their population is halted, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says. The population of this rare wandering albatross, which breeds almost exclusively on the remote Antipodes Island in the New Zealand subantarctic, has experienced an alarming decline in the past 13 years, with very high mortality of females and reduced breeding success. Ms Sage, who has just visited Antipodes Island, says...

Punakaiki suffered from a lack of planning under National, and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage is pleased this will now change with today’s Provincial Growth Fund announcements. The fund will provide $100,000 to help Punakaiki develop a master plan to future-proof the township. “The famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Punakaiki are major drawcards for visitors, as are the dramatic karst landscapes in the Punakaiki and Pororari Valleys,” Ms Sage said. “Of course people want to come see these special places...

The result of one of the most complex island mouse eradication projects ever undertaken will be known in a few short weeks. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage is accompanying a Department of Conservation-led Million Dollar Mouse monitoring team heading to Antipodes Island group in the New Zealand subantarctic. The monitoring team will begin the month-long assessment to determine whether the project was a success. Ms Sage said it was an exciting, albeit nerve-wrecking time, for everyone involved. “The Million Dollar Mouse...

Department of Conservation staff will be able to issue infringement notices and reduce the number of costly prosecutions under a bill that passed its first reading last night. “The Conservation (Infringement System) Amendment Bill updates eight separate Acts to allow the Department of Conservation to issue infringement notices instead of prosecuting for minor offences.” Ms Sage says. The bill was introduced under the previous Government. Currently all conservation offences under the Acts and regulations have to be dealt with either...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are vital to protect important habitats and feeding areas for marine mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage wants to see more developed. Ms Sage has just returned from Antarctica where she was able to visit the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area which came into effect on 1 December 2017. “The huge area protects a complex ecosystem with iconic species such as killer whales, Weddell seals, Emperor penguins, and krill which sustains...

New Zealand’s major surf breaks and the impacts of vehicles on beaches are receiving more attention from local authorities because of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS), new analysis released by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today shows. “Surfers can be grateful that protecting surf breaks is now something that councils consider in preparing plans and when resource consents are sought for development work such as dredging,” Ms Sage said. Under the Resource Management Act, the NZCPS guides local...