Updated environmental indicators show indigenous marine and land species are struggling against extinction and wetland areas continue to be lost, New Zealand's statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday.
The indicators "extinction threat to indigenous marine species" and "extinction threat to indigenous land species" show the population trends of particular indigenous marine and land species, and how close we are to losing them altogether.
"Environmental indicators are essential for building the bigger picture of what's happening in our environment. They help us track changes and support decision-making," environmental reporting manager Angela Seaton said in a statement.
Indigenous marine and land species are struggling against extinction and wetland areas continue to be lost in New Zealand, according to the country's statistics department Stats NZ, December 14, 2021. /VCG
According to the indicators, 90 percent of seabird species, 82 percent of shorebird species, and 94 percent of reptile species are either threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened. In addition, the populations of many of New Zealand's indigenous species are expected to decline.
A further "wetland area" indicator shows an ongoing pattern of net loss. New Zealand's freshwater wetland areas decreased by almost 1,500 hectares (15 square kilometers) between 2012 and 2018, Seaton said.
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