Biodiversity of New Zealand’s marine environment estimated

Explanation

In order to implement the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and support the environmental principles set out in section 9 of the Fisheries Act 1996, the Ministry has a number of research programmes in place to generate high quality baseline information. There are also some new programmes that initiate research into the functional role of different organisms in a range of habitats. Each programme has been carefully designed to progress our ability to identify key species, key communities and key habitats that contribute to the value of maintaining a rich and diverse marine environment, but perhaps more importantly to identify essential components without which the marine environment could not continue to sustain productivity. This work has implications therefore not only to biodiversity per se, but also to the overall health of the aquatic environment and the long-term sustainability of our fisheries. These programmes aim to improve our ability to:

• protect the richness and health of the marine biodiversity of New Zealand and the Ross Sea region

• ascertain the role of different organisms and habitats in maintaining the health and sustainability of our aquatic environment

• contribute to required information to set environmental standards under the Strategy to Manage the Environmental Effects of Fishing (SMEEF).

Expected results

Quantity, quality and timeliness

1. By 31 October 2006, update the biodiversity medium-term research plans in accordance with the quality standards (as defined in the document 'Format and Content of Project Summaries and Medium Term Plans proposed by the Research Planning Group' dated 9 July 2001).

2. By 30 November 2006, produce an evaluation of how biodiversity could be incorporated into the draft framework for an environment assessment plenary document.

3. By 28 February 2007, produce research proposals for 2007/08 in accordance with the quality standards (as defined in the document 'Format and Content of Project Summaries and Medium Term Plans proposed by the Research Planning Group' dated 9 July 2001).

Cost