Download the Threatened Species Chapter

Overview 

The threatened species topic: 

• manages the effects of activities on the habitats of threatened species 
• applies the National Objectives Framework to the threatened species compulsory value 

The Otago region has a rich and varied freshwater biodiversity. Some of this biodiversity has been lost or degraded due to adverse effects from introduced species, human activities, and ongoing resource use and development. Many of Otago’s freshwater species are threatened with extinction, and little is known of their habitats, threats, distributions, and the actions needed to recover from the threat of extinction. 

Threatened species of Otago 

The NPS-FM 2020 defines threatened species to mean any indigenous species of flora or fauna that: 

• relies on water bodies for at least part of its life cycle; and 
• meets the criteria for nationally critical, nationally endangered, or nationally vulnerable species in the New Zealand Threat Classification System Manual. 

Regional councils are required to: 

• identify the location of habitats of threatened species in regional plans. 
  
  
• set an environmental outcome for threatened species in each FMU and include the outcome as an objective in the plan. The objective must be such that the effectiveness of regional policy statements and plans can be assessed against it; and 
  
  
• when achieved, fulfil relevant long-term visions set for the region. 
  
  
• identify attributes relevant to achieving the outcome, set targets for those attributes and identify how the outcome and target states will be achieved. This may include rules in regional plans, methods in action plans, methods in regional pest management plans, or some combination of these. 

The LWRP will protect threatened species and their habitats by: 

• ensuring that to the greatest extent practicable, the temporary or permanent fragmentation, reduction in size, or degradation of the ecological integrity of the habitats of threatened species is avoided; and 
  
  
• manage adverse effects on threatened species and their habitats by applying the effects management hierarchy (in relation to indigenous biodiversity). 
  
  
• continuing to gather information on the threats and habitats to threatened species, including by mapping habitats. 

For the LWRP, a list of 140 candidate species were assessed against the threatened species definition and refined to a list of 78 species of threatened species. The 78 threatened species include plants, fish, birds, a bat, and invertebrates that are reliant on water bodies in Otago and are listed below. 

You can also see the locations of threatened species in the map below. You can zoom in and view the various threatened species in an Otago area(s).

The areas with threatened species are depicted in a orange-like colour.

When you have zoomed in and selected an area, threatened species information will appear.

if browsing from a mobile device, after zooming in and selecting an area, select the box icon (next to the 'X' icon) to view the species in the area.

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Threatened freshwater-dependent species of Otago: