Our indigenous species are at risk of extinction – Media release
30 March 2023
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 today by Stats NZ.
“Loss of many of our indigenous species is a real possibility,” environmental and agricultural statistics senior manager Michele Lloyd said.
“Ninety-four percent of our 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.”
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.
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