The shooting of a young New Zealand sea lion - a species as
threatened as the African elephant or the kakapo - has
shocked and dismayed those who work to ensure its survival.
The community has been given an extra 15 working days to give
their views on the proposed Dart Passage and Riverstone
monorail concessions to transport tourists between Queenstown
and Fiordland because of the huge public interest and the
need for more time to understand the complex issues, the
Department of Conservation says.
Changes afoot in regulations governing water use in
Otago will influence the region's prosperity for years to
come, the Otago Regional Council says. Rebecca Fox looks at
the council's sometimes controversial approach to water
quality and quantity.
An online campaign to make submissions on
proposed changes to fishing management regulations regarding
sea lions, which the Green Party fears threaten the existence
of the species, was officially launched on a beach on the
Otago Peninsula yesterday.
A small group of the rare mohua has flown to the relative
safety of Resolution Island. But not under their own steam,
writes Caroline Harker, of Wanaka.
A recent aerial 1080 operation in the Silver Peaks area has
had several benefits - not only have rat and possum
populations been knocked to zero but researchers have had a
chance to study the impact of 1080 on the resident South
Island robin population.
International research published this month suggesting frogs
and other amphibians will eventually have no refuge from
disease, climate change and shrinking habitat is no surprise
to University of Otago scientist Dr Phil Bishop.
