NZ Environment Southland Invests in Waituna’s Water Quality
Environment Southland will soon be hiring a catchment ranger to oversee the Awarua/ Waituna Wetlands which is under threat from intensified farming. The 3-year position will be jointly funded by Environment Southland and the Department of Conservation, with the incumbent’s responsibilities including the protection, enhancement and maintenance of the wetland’s ecosystem.
Southland was the first site in the world to have a wetland officially recognised under the Ramsar Convention when in 1976 the 3500 ha peatland area, known as the Waituna Wetland Scientific Reserve, was registered.
For nearly a century, the Southland community has been delighting in the wetlands as a spot for fishing, whitebaiting, waterfowl hunting and afternoon outings.
Today this world-famous site is being threatened by an influx of cattle effluent. Faecal matter permeating the lagoon’s brackish water keeps native plants from thriving, which in turn deprives the wetland’s wildlife, ducks, swans, and fish of a critical food source. The decrease in native plant life moreover encourages the growth of algae, a process that ultimately decimates the integrity of the wetland.
“If the water quality continues degrading, then the whole Waituna Lagoon could be lost,” said Gary Morgan, Land Sustainability Officer at Environment Southland.
To slow the present rate of deterioration, the new ranger will advise and encourage those farmers whose cattle effluent washes into the lagoon to employ best management practices. These practices will include fencing off stock from waterways, managing effluent and nutrient content of land and water, ensuring shelter for waterways and stock, and maintaining biodiversity.
In January 2008, the Ramsar Secretariat approved the extension of the Awarua/ Waituna Ramsar registration to a total of 19,500 ha of wetlands and estuarine areas.
The additions will include the three major estuaries that flow into the lagoon: Toi Toi, Awarua Bay and the New River. Just over 10,000 hectares of the Awarua peat complex and areas of cushion bog, usually only found in subalpine regions, will also be included.
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