Education
Kaitiakitanga and the Coast
Summer's here! While you're out enjoying the sun, you
can help protect our coast, and the animals and plants
that live there.
Keep reading for everyday actions that can make a
big difference to our coast...
Marine debris
Most marine debris is plastic. It kills more than 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals each year.
What can you
do?
- Take your own shopping bag when shopping
- Pick up rubbish on beaches whenever you're there
- Boaties - keep waste and oily bilge on board until you get back to land
Fishing
New Zealand's vast oceans are home to tens of thousands of species of wildlife, but less than 1% is fully protected. Birds and marine mammals can also get caught in nets and marine animals can drown in unattended nets. Our oceans don't have a voice, but you do.
What can you do?
- If you fish (or collect shellfish), take only what you need. You might like to eat these, but so do other animals - and they can't visit the supermarket!
- Use the Forest and Bird Best Fish Guide when buying fish. Make a good choice for the ocean.
- If you use a set net, stay with it
- Take any broken fishing gear with you
Island biosecurity
Pests and weeds can easily invade our offshore islands as stowaways, and you may never know. These threaten our native wildlife.
What can
you do?
- Check all gear for rats, mice, ants and skinks, and for signs of them, e.g. droppings, gnawed ropes
- Pack food in sealed containers
Stormwater run-off
If it goes down an outside drain, then it goes into the sea without any treatment. This is called stormwater. Wastewater from inside sinks, toilets, and washing machines gets treated before it goes out to sea. Run off from land ends up in stormwater too.
What can you do?
- Clean your car on the lawn, not on the road or driveway
- Wash paintbrushes in an inside sink
- Plant native species to minimise run-off and feed birds
- Fence off wetlands and streams from your cattle or sheep
Disturbance
Many native plants and animals make their homes on our beaches and dunes. People, their vehicles and their pets often accidentally disturb or destroy plants, bird nests and other animals that live on the coast.
What can
you do?
- Keep your dogs on a lead when they're on the beach, or below the high water mark
- Keep vehicles (4WDs, motorbikes etc) out of the dunes and below the high water mark
- Keep away from fur seals and nesting sea birds
- Keep to the tracks when walking over sand dunes - the plants are fragile