Conservation citations presented

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 4, 26 June 1984, Page 10

Conservation citations presented

Conservation citations have been awarded to the three Armed Services for their help in the rescue of more than 60 pilot whales. The whale-saving operation took place on Great Barrier Island last March, while elements of the Armed Services were taking part in Exercise Northern Safari. More than 150 whales beached themselves at Tryphena Harbour. After a 36-hour operation mounted by local residents, the Armed Services and the Ministry of Agriculture and

Fishers (MAF), 60 of the whales were persuaded to head for the safety of the open sea. Presentations were made in Wellington last Tuesday (19 June) to representatives of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Chairman of Conservation New Zealand, Mr Colin McLeod, presented the citations to officers from each service who had taken part in the March whalesaving operation.

Mr McLeod stated that the awards were unique in that they had not been presented to the armed forces in the past. "From a conservation viewpoint," he said "we are delighted and grateful that the three services were prepared to interrupt their exercise to save the whales." The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Ewan Jamieson, expressed appreciation to Conservation New Zealand for making the awards. "Exercise Northern Safari was the subject of a large amount of negative public speculation in terms of the environment: dire results were predicted about the Army's exercising on Great Barrier Island. From an objective viewpoint, such fears have proved groundless and the exercise has not

impacted on the natural environment of the island." "In view of this negative speculation, which did receive a large amount of media coverage at the time, we are doubly pleased to receive these environmental awards." Conseryation certificates have also been awarded to the local residents of Great Barrier and to the MAF. One of the highlights of the whale rescue operation was the fact that it saw soldiers and sailors working alongside some of the Great Barrier Island residents who were strongly opposed to the military presence on the island. However, during the rescue effort, all differences were put aside to deal with the common objective of saving as many of the whales as possible.