Aotearoa’s indigenous species are at risk of extinction

Ōtepoti – More than 75 percent of indigenous reptile, bird, bat and freshwater fish species groups are threatened with extinction or are at risk of becoming threatened, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

Stats NZ environmental and agricultural statistics senior manager Michele Lloyd  says the loss of many indigenous species is a real possibility.

“Ninety-four percent of NZ’s reptile species, 82 percent of bird species, 80 percent of bat species, 76 percent of freshwater fish species and 46 percent of vascular plant species are either facing extinction or are at risk of being threatened with extinction” she said.

The indicator extinction threat to indigenous species reports on the extinction threat (an assessment of extinction risk) for groupings of indigenous, resident, and living species in Aotearoa New Zealand, as assessed by expert panels under the New Zealand threat classification system (NZTCS).

Data and findings are as of November 2022 and do not capture the impacts of the recent weather events.

Findings are reported for species groups where all known species have been assessed, that is, bats; birds; freshwater fish; frogs; hornworts and liverworts; lichens; marine mammals; reptiles; sharks, rays, and chimaeras; and vascular plants.

Many indigenous species in Aotearoa New Zealand are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

Many assessed indigenous species are categorised as threatened with extinction or are at risk of becoming threatened:

reptiles: 94 percent of species (116 of 124)

birds: 82 percent of species (178 of 217)

bats: 80 percent of species (4 of 5)

freshwater fish: 76 percent of species (39 of 51)

frogs: 75 percent of species (3 of 4)

vascular plants: 46 percent of species (1,253 of 2744)

marine mammals: 22 percent of species (10 of 45)

hornworts and liverworts: 19 percent of species (146 of 760)

lichens: 14 percent of species (275 of 2026)

sharks, rays, and chimaeras: 9 percent of species (10 of 107).

Percentages of species categorised as threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened with extinction may be higher.

Forty-seven 47 marine and freshwater taonga species have been identified:

10 freshwater species and all 29 marine species are threatened with extinction or are at risk of becoming threatened

7 freshwater species are not threatened with extinction

1 freshwater species is data deficient.

Estimated population trend

Many assessed indigenous species have a declining population trend:

• reptiles: 72 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (89 of 124) and 5 percent have an increasing trend (6 of 124)
• freshwater fish: 63 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (32 of 51) and 2 percent have an increasing trend (1 of 51)
• bats: 60 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (3 of 5) and 20 percent have an increasing trend (1 of 5)
• frogs: 50 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (2 of 4) and none have an increasing trend (0 of 4)
• birds: 24 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (53 of 217) and 21 percent have an increasing trend (45 of 217)
• vascular plants: 15 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (403 of 2,744) and 1 percent have an increasing trend (39 of 2,744)
• hornworts and liverworts: 2 percent of species have a decreasing population trend (16 of 760) and none have an increasing trend (0 of 760).