Relationship of NZTCS categories
Image: DOC
Panels of experts from New Zealand’s scientific community determine a species' conservation status using the following assessments:
The terms 'endangered' and 'threatened' are used interchangeably by different organisations to express similar concepts – species being in danger of becoming extinct.
In the New Zealand Threat Classification System these terms mean two different things.
Species assessed as 'Threatened' face the greatest risk of extinction.
Species assessed as 'At Risk' aren’t considered 'Threatened', but they could quickly become so if conservation management reduces, if a new threat arises, or declines continue unabated.
No. In many countries, species listed as threatened automatically receive legislative protection from hunting, habitat destruction and other threats. In New Zealand, there’s no direct link between conservation status and legal protection.
The legal protection of species is covered in the following acts:
Plants, invertebrates and fish are generally not protected except where they occur in national parks or reserves. Exceptions are the few fish and invertebrates deemed to be animals under the Wildlife Act.
Our work includes managing threats and protecting and monitoring species.