Manawatu Estuary A Case for Recognition

Forest and Bird, Issue 309, 1 August 2003, Page 28

Manawatu Estuary A Case for Recognition

DAVE HANSFORD

reports on the case for declaring

a Wetland of International Importance.

irdwatchers have long revered the B Manawatu Estuary as a place of special ecological significance, but a Levin member of Forest and Bird now wants that status enshrined internationally. Horowhenua branch chair Joan Leckie has devoted the last 15 months preparing a case to have Ramsar status bestowed on 200 hectares of the river and adjoining wetlands at Foxton. The 1971 Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, is an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Over 1200 sites totalling 108 million hectares worldwide are now listed as Wetlands of International Importance. While she says the proposal has been "pretty much a solo effort," she’s had backing from Forest and Bird, the Department of Conservation, regional council Horizons, and the Manawatu Estuary Trust.

Joan says the estuary is the largest in the lower North Island, and one of the most diverse bird habitats in the country — a final destination for thousands of international migrants and winter home to some of New Zealand’s rarest endemics. In all, 93 species have been spotted here. Each September, mixed flocks of godwits, knots and plovers land at the estuary to replace the calories lost in epic journeys from Siberia and the Canadian Arctic. And dotted among them are some real rarities such as sharp-tailed sandpipers, great knots and common terns. As the international travellers are setting out on their return flight, native birds arrive at the estuary to escape the South Island cold. Manawatu is the winter retreat of an estimated one per cent of the country’s total population of 4200 wrybills, and critically threatened visitors include the fairy tern and shore plover. Flocks of shoveller and grey teal seek refuge here over the shooting season, and royal spoonbills are now year round residents. But there’s more to Manawatu estuary than birds. A number of threatened freshwater fish call it home too, including short-jawed kokopu and brown mudfish, and the riverbanks and flats are clad in a wide variety of native plants. Perhaps the jewel in the crown is a relatively undisturbed wetland cradled in a crook of the upper reaches called Fernbird Flat. Secretive wetland rarities like bitterns, crakes — and yes, fernbirds — still persist here, safe from the rampant drainage that has claimed most of the country’s swamps. ‘It’s a special place that needs special protection, says Joan. And she’s quietly confident she'll get it. "We've had so much support everywhere we turn, she says. ‘It’s been terrific. In preparing her case, Joan’s been to district and regional councils, neighbours, iwi and user groups. After three public meetings, she says the response has been enthusiastic. The local branch of Fish and Game is behind her, as are the boating club and the whitebaiters. Joan Leckie says the campaign has helped remind locals of the treasure they have right on their doorstep. ‘The local community board is becoming proud of the fact that our estuary might be internationally important, she says. "There’s a new subdivision planned in the area, and we suggested bird names for some of the streets. The local council thought it was a great idea. The Horowhenua District Council now wants to erect signs informing visitors that the wetland has been nominated for international status.

Joan says the main concern for the estuary is over water quality. A number of industrial plants and pig farms discharge into the Manawatu River, and Palmerston North recently won consent to continue discharging treated effluent, which joins waste from Dannevirke, Ashurst, Linton and Foxton. Tests on the estuary in the nineties revealed high concentrations of faecal coliforms. Of the 36 samples taken, 31 breached levels considered safe for shellfish gathering, and seven out of ten samples taken over the 1993/94 summer failed the standard for safe swimming. Keeping trail bikes and four wheel drives contained in a specially allocated zone also remains a problem, and it’s not known whether the now defunct Foxton landfill, situated near the river mouth, is leaching into the estuary. Joan’s application is all but complete, and will go to DoC for a final check before arriving on Conservation Minister Chris Carter’s desk for his approval. Then, she says, ‘it’s in the lap of the Gods.

But the initial response from Ramsar has been enthusiastic, and judging by local feedback, Foxton, and the Horowhenua, will be right behind her.