Dialogue: Kiwi parks a way to save a national icon

The idea of breeding our endangered kiwi for eco-tourism or for the dinner table should be considered, says GERRY ECKHOFF*.

The kiwi is intrinsically linked with our nation's identity. Yet Conservation Minister Sandra Lee has conceded that, despite her ministry's efforts, it may be extinct on the mainland within 20 years. That's depressing news.

The kiwi population drops at a rate of about 6 per cent a year. It is estimated that two out of three kiwis released into the wild are dead within six months.

A bird that had no natural predators before European settlement is now confronted by dogs, cats, rats, ferrets and stoats in the wild.

The reality is that under current policies few of us may ever get to see a kiwi in the future. The same goes for a number of other endangered species.

The Department of Conservation has a tough job. It looks after the land, plants and animals in 32 per cent of New Zealand's land mass. Similar Government conservation groups overseas deal with 5 per cent of their country's land mass. In short, we are asking a lot of the department.

Under Crown stewardship we have already lost 55 native bird species.

The state tells us that it has the sole right to be the guardian of our endangered wildlife. The state would have us believe that the Government knows best, despite the waning kiwi population.

This issue is above mere politicking and partisan factions. It is not about ownership or making money. It is about whether we want the kiwi to survive for future generations to see and appreciate.

It is time to try a new approach.

Australian conservationist Dr John Wamsley says that if New Zealanders were in a position to eat kiwis, it would mean solving the problem.

The future of our nation's environment should not be the sole responsibility of Government agencies. The wider community can play a vital role in saving the kiwi.

There is a range of non-Government bodies which could be brought into the loop. There are environmental groups, iwi, landowners and commercial interests. Farmers could also play a leading role.

Farmers are used to eradicating pests from their land. As a result, bush remnants and plantations on farmland would be a safe environment for the kiwi.

Why not give farmers the chance to raise kiwi in the much safer conditions they can provide?

Retention of habitat biodiversity on private land has become a major thrust of the conservation movement.

If landowners could have kiwi and other native birds in their plantations and bush remnants, such areas would be treated as true assets rather than as liabilities, as they have become under the Resource Management Act. Why can't significant natural areas contain our treasured icon, the kiwi?

Identifying significant natural areas throughout New Zealand must hold the key to the survival of the kiwi and adding value to the landowners' asset.

It means more to the kiwi to end its days in a private domain than in the jaws of a dog while under public protection.

This idea is not as radical as it may first appear. A wide range of native plants are already traded privately by individuals.

Eco-tourism could become more than a buzzword. Farmers could supplement their income by leading tours and providing accommodation to foreign and domestic tourists.

This logical step would boost the economy and help our endangered species.

Foreign examples show that a healthy relationship between the private and public sector works best.

The black rhino was nearly extinct under Government stewardship in Africa. But reports suggest that the rhino now thrives in private conservation areas in South Africa.

The tiger is fast becoming the next iconic animal to die out in the wild while the belief persists in some areas that state control can ensure the survival of endangered species.

There is every reason to believe that non-Government stewardship and protection can ensure that valued species will survive, and even thrive.

The Otorohanga Kiwi House leads by example. The privately owned commercial enterprise boasts the highest rates of breeding success in New Zealand. It cannot, however, own the kiwi for which it cares.

A system where the Government and private companies complement each other is required to save our national icon.

Imagine a range of commercial conservation parks across New Zealand, successfully building kiwi numbers and boosting our economy.

This concept is distasteful only to those who dogmatically believe that sole Government control can confer security and safety to native fauna.

Tell that in a few years to the last remaining free-roaming kiwi.

* Gerry Eckhoff is the Act conservation spokesman.