Movers find extra land snails at Stockton mine

Solid Energy says more than 3000 giant land snails are living at its Stockton mine, far more than originally estimated.

Environmental groups claim the West Coast snails are a rare species and that only 500 are left.

Anti-mining group spokeswoman Frances Mountier said even if several thousand snails were discovered, the species would still be considered rare and critically endangered.

In April, Solid Energy received Government permission to move the snails from part of its Stockton ridgeline so it could mine up to $400 million worth of coal.

Environmentalists yesterday took the state-owned miner to court in an attempt to seek enforcement orders to protect the snails' habitat.

Solid Energy communications director Vicki Blyth said the company believed it had all the necessary consents and permission required to capture and move the snails.

The permit assumed a snail population of between 500 and 1000, and required Solid Energy to find and shift at least 250 snails.

But Ms Blyth said about 840 snails had been found, leading specialists to conclude the snail population was likely to exceed 3000.

- NZPA