Invasive species in New Zealand

A number of introduced species, some of which have become invasive species, have been added to New Zealand's native flora and fauna. Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement, with several waves of Polynesian people at some time before the year 1300, followed by Europeans after 1769.

Almost without exception, the introduced species have been detrimental to the native flora and fauna, but some, such as farmed sheep and cows and the clover upon which they feed, now form a large part of the economy of New Zealand. Biosecurity New Zealand maintains registers and lists of species that are invasive, potentially invasive, or a threat to agriculture or biodiversity. They also manage a small number of species under the National Interest Pest Responses (NIPR) programme. The rainbow lorikeet is the one animal that has been covered by the NIPR, and was eradicated in 2014. All the other species covered by the NIPR, past or present, are weeds.

Animal species

Many invasive animal species are listed in schedules 5 and 6 of the Wildlife Act 1953. Those in Schedule 5 have no protection and may be killed. Those in Schedule 6 are declared to be noxious animals and subject to the Wild Animal Control Act 1977. In 2016 the New Zealand government introduced Predator Free 2050, a project to eliminate all non-native predators (such as rats, possums and stoats) by 2050.

Some of the invasive animal species are as follows.

Plant and other non-animal species

The National Pest Plant Accord, with a listing of about 120 genus, species, hybrids and subspecies, was developed to limit the spread of plant pests. Invasive plants are classified as such on a regional basis with some plants declared as national plant pests. Biosecurity New Zealand manages a small number of weeds under the National Interest Pest Responses programme. As of May 2024, NIPR covers nine weeds. Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) was covered until it was eradicated in 2014. Additionally, the Department of Conservation lists 328 vascular plant species as environmental weeds.

Some of the better-known invasive plant species are:

Auckland has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.

See also

• Fauna of New Zealand
• Invasive species of New Zealand origin

Animals in New Zealand

• Gypsy moths in New Zealand
• Painted apple moth in New Zealand

Plants in New Zealand

• Blue morning glory in New Zealand
• Wilding conifer

References

Further reading

• Allen, Robert B.; Lee, William G., eds. (2006). Biological Invasions in New Zealand. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 3-540-30022-8.
• Hackwell, Kevin (1999). Pests & Weeds: The Cost of Restoring an Indigenous Dawn Chorus: A Blueprint for Action Against the Impacts of Introduced Pest Organisms on the New Zealand Environment. Wellington [N.Z.]: New Zealand Conservation Authority. ISBN 0-9583301-8-2.
• King, Carolyn M. (1985). Immigrant Killers: Introduced Predators and the Conservation of Birds in New Zealand. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-558115-7.
• King, Carolyn M., ed. (1993). "The Great Lake Pest Summit - Proceedings of the National Mammalian Pest Forum, May 1993". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 20 (4). Royal Society of New Zealand. doi:10.1080/03014223.1993.10420365. ISSN 0301-4223.
• Kirk, T. (1895). "The displacement of species in New Zealand". Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 28: 1–27.
• Rahman, Anis and Ian Popay (1 August 2001). "Review of emerging weed problems in hill country pastures". Archived from the original on 10 January 2011.
• Thomson, George Malcolm (1922). The naturalisation of animals & plants in New Zealand. England: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.55364. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
• Timmins, S; Williams, P. (1991). "Weed numbers in New Zealand's forest and scrub reserves" (PDF). New Zealand Journal of Ecology. 15 (2). New Zealand Ecological Society: 153–162.
• "The Future of Pest Management in New Zealand: A Think Piece" (PDF). Local Government New Zealand. August 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
• New Zealand Plant Protection Society (2004). An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand / Bruce Roy ... [et.al.] (2nd ed.). Lincoln, Canterbury, N.Z: New Zealand Plant Protection Society. ISBN 0473097605.

External links

• Biosecurity New Zealand, government agency
• Official New Zealand Pest Register – searchable database at the Ministry for Primary Industries
• Pests and threats, Department of Conservation
• Information on plant pests at Weedbusters

Publications

• What's New in Biological Control of Weeds?, Landcare Research, ISSN 1177-8784
• "Kararehe Kino/ Vertebrate Pest Research Newsletter", Kararehe Kino = Vertebrate Pest Research, Landcare Research, ISSN 1170-3016