Footage released by Forest & Bird shows native forest reserves in Russell, Otangaroa, and north Whangaroa in New Zealand revealing the bleached skeletons of iconic species including totara, northern rata, puriri, and pohutukawa. Source: TVNZ
Forest & Bird Northland Conservation Advocate Dean Baigent-Mercer said there is only a small window of opportunity to bring the forests back to life.
“The Northland forest collapse is an important example of what is happening in forests around the country that have missed out on sustained pest control over the last few decades,” Mr Baigent-Mercer said.
“The Government and regional councils need to significantly increase the amount of native forest that receive regular pest control, and Northland would be a good place to start.”
Forest & Bird also called for an increase in funding for pest control for the Department of Conservation, to bring 116,000 hectares of Northland’s significant native forests back to life during the next 10 years.
“We need to step it up because native forests that were lush and full of life 40 years ago are now becoming ghost forests,” Mr Baigent-Mercer said.
Conservationists said native birds, bats, bugs, and lizards were also under constant attack from possums, rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels, and feral cats.
