Planning is everything; New Zealand’s Conservation Services Programme releases its annual plan

The CSP's Annual Plan for 2022/23 includes population monitoring of the ACAP-listed Black Petrel (pictured); photograph by Kirk Zufelt

New Zealand’s Conservation Services Programme (CSP) has released its 2022/23 Annual Plan. The CSP operates under the administration of the Department of Conservation with the vision that, “commercial fishing is undertaken in a manner that does not compromise the protection and recovery of protected species in New Zealand fisheries waters”.

The plan provides a comprehensive summary of upcoming and ongoing research projects, their objectives and expected costs. It is divided into three focus areas:

• Interaction Projects (section 2): the Observer Programme and seabird identification programmes.
• Population Projects (section 3): a number of population and demographic studies of albatrosses endemic to New Zealand, monitoring of the Black Petrel and Flesh-footed Shearwater, and research into foraging and diving habits of the Westland Petrel.
• Mitigation Projects (section 4): the Protected Species Liaison Project Officer Programme, the use and effectiveness of various mitigation measures and a project focussed on understanding drivers and barriers to the implementation of mitigation measures by small vessel bottom longline vessels.

The 2022/23 Annual Plan is available at the Department of Conservation’s website, or download here.

Posted 29 August 2022