An alarming new report on the state of the marine environment shows the oceans are rising faster, becoming hotter, more acidic, dirtier, and that is all making it harder for taonga creatures to survive.
The 2022 overview published by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistic NZ, shows three-quarters of identified taonga species are threatened or close to threatened by extinction; most of our sea and shorebirds are threatened; it's getting harder for shellfish such as pāua to grow, while pipi are smothered by sediments.
And the report shows it is because of the way we live, use land and water, grow food, (mis)manage waste nutrients and resources, and exploit our oceans.
Māni Dunlop asked the oceans, fisheries, and environment minister David Parker whether we were doing enough to prevent the irreversible loss of marine ecosystems.
