Global Warming

Climate Change Affecting New Zealand

Climate change, pollution and fishing are causing irreversible damage to New Zealand's marine environment and putting many birds and mammals at risk of extinction, according to a new report from the nation’s Ministry for the Environment.

The report said New Zealand's coastline, which stretches for about 15,000 kilometers, is also under increasing pressure from development and shipping. Agriculture, forestry and urbanization are increasing the amount of sediment, chemicals and plastics flowing into the oceans, and contaminating the coastline, it said.

The report said 90 percent of the country's seabirds and about a quarter of its marine mammals are threatened with extinction, and that 16 percent of New Zealand's fish stocks had been overfished.

The report also confirmed that New Zealand's sea temperature had risen and was consistent with the global average. It also found sea levels were rising faster than before.

There was a warning, too, that New Zealand could expect more frequent marine heat waves, similar to those in 2017 and 2018, and ocean acidification.