Initiatives to protect migratory species
Introduction
Learn about New Zealand's efforts to protect species identified under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
New Zealand, along with 12 other nations where albatross and petrels breed, have signed an agreement to protect species of migrating albatrosses and petrels: Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (ACAP).
National Plan of Action Plan – Seabirds (2020)
New Zealand is a centre of seabird biodiversity. Of an estimated 346 seabird species in the world, there are approximately 145 species that use New Zealand waters and 95 species that breed in New Zealand.
Many of these species’ activities overlap with fishing, which can lead to the bycatch of seabirds. The National Plan of Action – Seabirds 2020 (NPOA Seabirds 2020) aims to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds in fisheries. It outlines the New Zealand Government’s ongoing commitment to reducing bycatch of seabirds in our fisheries.
The NPOA Seabirds 2020 is New Zealand’s third iteration of a national plan of action and will be reviewed in 2025. New Zealand has embarked on a programme of transformational change in our fisheries management to ensure that our fisheries are world-leading in their sustainability and environmental performance.
By 2025, we expect to have significantly increased monitoring and more responsible, low-impact fishing practices. In recognition of this path to change, the NPOA Seabirds 2020 focuses on education, partnering to find innovative solutions to bycatch mitigation, and ensuring fishers are taking all practicable steps to avoid bycatch.
National Plan of Action – Seabirds 2020 (PDF, 9,300K)
Shorebird network sites
The Firth of Thames and Nelson's Farewell Spit are key locations for the arrival and departure of migratory seabirds on the East Asia-Australasian Migratory Shorebird Flyway.
The significance of these sites is recognised by their designation as Wetlands of International Significance, under the provisions of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. They are both managed by DOC as 'Coastal Reserve and Shorebird Network Sites'.
International cooperation to protect habitats and populations of shorebirds
The key international organisation protecting the waterbirds of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) is the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP).
The EAAFP is a network of partners within the flyway. The EAAFP aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.
The flyway is one of nine major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include national governments, inter-governmental organisations, international non-governmental organisations and international private enterprise.
The Partnership is committed to:
- providing a platform for international cooperation for the conservation of migratory waterbirds and the sustainable use of their wetland habitats.
- supporting the development of a Flyway Site Network, to ensure a chain of internationally important wetland sites are recognized and sustainably managed into the future
- supporting a range of activities to increase knowledge and raise awareness of migratory waterbirds, while building capacity for the sustainable management and conservation of migratory waterbird habitats along the flyway.