Latest DOC cuts threaten endangered kakapo recovery
Monday, April 1, 2013 at 2:10 
Sirocco amongst the renga renga lillies. Maud Island. Photo: Chris BirminghamThe proposed loss of 140 frontline Department of Conservation staff announced last week will have a significant impact on the recovery of the kakapo – one of our most endangered native animals – according to independent conservation group Forest & Bird.
"As the details have emerged, it is clear that, contrary to assurances from Conservation Minister Nick Smith, the proposed cuts will have a direct impact on the conservation of some of our most endangered species," Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell says.
One example is the small, highly skilled and dedicated Kakapo Recovery Programme team, which will not only lose its dedicated programme manager but also the sole technical ranger and sole dedicated scientist. This will destroy the team's crucial scientific and technical skill base.
The considerable success of the Kakapo Recovery Programme followed a 1995 international review that identified the need for a highly skilled technical team to closely manage the recovery of the world's largest and rarest parrot.
"This is still a highly technical programme requiring complex genetic management. Only 40 per cent of kakapo eggs currently hatch because of inbreeding and if this gets worse the species could be doomed. Despite the team’s success, there are only 126 kakapo in the world today,” Kevin Hackwell says.
"The team has made a huge investment in understanding the genetics of the kakapo population, in the development of artificial insemination techniques, nest management, artificial incubation, hand rearing and in developing a detailed understanding of the environmental factors that determine kakapo breeding success," he says.
The kakapo team works as part of the Southern Islands Area Office, alongside the team that manages New Zealand's five sub-Antarctic island groups. Under the proposed changes to DOC’s structure, a smaller total number of staff will be required to do both lots of work but without the same technical and scientific support.
"We will see a loss of specialist skills and knowledge for both of these important work areas," Kevin Hackwell says. "However, the impact will be particularly significant for the future of kakapo because of the loss of the specialist scientific and technical skills needed to support their recovery.
"When the frontline staff cuts were announced last week, the Minister of Conservation, Nick Smith, gave assurances that they would not affect the conservation of our endangered species.
"This is clearly not the case for kakapo, and the same appears to be true for other endangered species recovery work around the country.
"We hope that as the impacts from the latest round of proposed staff cuts come to light, the department will rethink the extent of the cuts and the government will increase the department's funding in next month's Budget," Kevin Hackwell says.
"There is a sad irony that the same week DOC was threatening the kakapo recovery to meet the government's funding cuts, the government has indicated it is considering giving the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter's multi-national owners a multi-million-dollar support package."
The smelter has for many years been the corporate sponsor of the Kakapo Recovery Programme.
"Most New Zealanders would rather that the government gives our endangered species the support they need rather than subsidising multi-national companies.”
City Parrots
DOC denies kakapo staff may be axed
Staff members from the Kakapo Recovery Programme team have joined the rare flightless parrot on the endangered species list, an independent conservation organisation says.
Forest & Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell said three staff members from the small team based on Cod Fish Island, working to save the kakapo from extinction, may be among the proposed 140 Department of Conservation staff facing the axe.
However, DOC said the claims made by Forest & Bird that the department was proposing to cut specialist and ranger support for its kakapo recovery programme were wrong.
Mr Hackwell said after further details of the proposed job cuts emerged last week, the kakapo team looked set to lose its dedicated programme manager, sole technical ranger and the sole dedicated scientist.
The programme employed 8.5 fulltime staff and the proposed loss of three of those staff would destroy the team's crucial scientific and technical skill base, he said.
"When the frontline staff cuts were announced last week, the Minister of Conservation, Nick Smith, gave assurances that they would not affect the conservation of our endangered species," Mr Hackwell said.
"This is clearly not the case for kakapo, and the same appears to be true for other endangered species recovery work around the country."
DOC Murihiku and Southern Islands area manager Andy Roberts referred comments and specifics of the review to the department's national office.
DOC director-general Al Morrison said field resources dedicated to the kakapo recovery programme had not changed.
"We currently have two programme managers overseeing 9.5 ranger positions and two kakapo-focused specialists working on our kakapo and southern islands field work," Mr Morrison said.
"Under the new proposal we will continue to have 9.5 ranger positions and two kakapo-focused specialists doing the same work."
The proposal was recommending one less management position for a 12-strong team, he said.
"The department thinks this is a sensible use of scarce resources that will not compromise the recovery programme.
"The kakapo recovery programme is an example of the flatter organisational changes DOC is proposing and Forest & Bird claims that specialist science and technical ranger roles will be cut are simply wrong," he said.
Mr Morrison said DOC was still consulting with its staff on the proposed new structure and would be considering feedback before making any final decisions.
Strigops habroptilus - Kakapo | in Conservation, Funding