The seventh (having begun in 2000) survey of people’s perceptions of the state of the New Zealand... more The seventh (having begun in 2000) survey of people’s perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment was undertaken over February-March 2013. The survey is based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model of environmental reporting and remains the only long-running survey of this type in the world. For the first time this survey was undertaken only electronically and this has made it challenging to compare results with the earlier paper-based surveys. New Zealanders’ perceptions of all the main resource areas (e.g., air, freshwater, biodiversity) were tested. Statistical analyses identified the roles of several socio-demographic variables. Amongst many PSR findings, some that are notable include: New Zealanders continue to consider the state and management of the New Zealand environment to be good, and better than other developed countries; The states of air and native bush and forests were rated highest – rivers and lakes, and marine fisheries were perceived to be in the w...
ABSTRACT Natural sites are key attractions for tourists in New Zealand. Soaring international vis... more ABSTRACT Natural sites are key attractions for tourists in New Zealand. Soaring international visitor arrivals and strong growth in domestic tourism is placing increasing pressure on many New Zealand nature-based tourism sites. A rapidly growing number of businesses advertise their activities to tourists as ‘ecotourism’ but the term suffers from ambiguity and lacks ownership. This paper reports ideas from a New Zealand workshop comprising representatives of the tourism industry, government policy agencies, conservation NGOs and researchers who recently debated the future of ecotourism in New Zealand. Specifically we report issues surrounding use of the term ‘ecotourism’, the policies and strategies required to maximize benefits from ecotourism including environmental benefits, and the actions required to verify the social, economic and environmental benefits which are claimed by ecotourism providers.
ABSTRACT Recent global spread of the freshwater alga Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) has caused m... more ABSTRACT Recent global spread of the freshwater alga Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) has caused major biosecurity and freshwater management concerns. Didymo degrades river esthetics, alters ecosystems, negatively impacts recreation experiences and may require strict containment measures. This paper assesses the impact of Didymo on nonmarket values for recreational angling using a case study from New Zealand, where Didymo is extraordinarily prolific. Choice experiment data are used to fit a latent class model, identifying five distinct angler preference profiles. For the largest class of anglers the presence of Didymo had no significant effect on angling benefits. However, other classes were negatively affected. Overall, Didymo reduced fishing values by about NZ$44 per visit. Anglers were sensitive to the scale of Didymo infestation, suffering significantly higher costs when more water bodies are affected. Closure of Didymo-infected mainstem-rivers to prevent spread of Didymo resulted in a significant reduction in angler net benefits, even if the policy were 100% effective. The latent class model identified distributional implications. While three angler classes would not have significantly different benefits if mainstem-rivers were closed to prevent the spread of Didymo, two classes of anglers would be highly impacted by such a policy, particularly those who regularly fish mainstem-rivers for salmon.
The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly i... more The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly its marketing is associated with the country's 'clean and green' image. Over 60% of New Zealand's wine companies have adopted at least one of three main environmental management systems: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, ISO 14001 and Bio-Gro. We undertook a qualitative, survey based, comparative evaluation of these systems within 15 wine companies. The key findings are that while each system appears to have its own strengths, in general, no one environmental management system is better than the other. However, implementation of an industry specific system, for example SWNZ, in combination with a generic process-based system, for example ISO 14001, aids in the development of a more sustainable wine industry.
The River Values Assessment System (RiVAS) uses a combination of expert panels and multi criteria... more The River Values Assessment System (RiVAS) uses a combination of expert panels and multi criteria analysis to identify primary attributes (or main features) of river values (e.g., whitewater kayaking, native birds) and their key indicators. The resulting data set is used to rank rivers for their existing (instream) and potential (out-of-stream) significance. The RiVAS method has been applied to seven values and tested across a range of councils with most focus in Tasman District. The tool has demonstrated utility and is very cost effective to implement. Further development has now led to RiVAS+ to consider potential significance for instream values, using the same attributes and indicators, and also identifying the interventions needed to achieve these potential future states (e.g., water quality improvements, willow removal, increased flows). RiVAS+ enables instream uses to be considered on the same basis as out-ofstream opportunities. RiVAS+ can be undertaken more-or-less concurrently with RiVAS and enables a range of applications. First, it allows decision makers to gain an understanding of the difference between existing relative importance or significance of a value and its potential (if restored or developed). Second, it enables better evaluation of potential restoration or development options in a range of circumstances including where water resource development is planned. Finally, with further input it might be possible to quantify the cost of the interventions which would then allow better consideration of mitigation and other options in resource management policy and decision making processes. In this paper we demonstrate the method and the opportunities.
Tourists in New Zealand often impact on the natural environments that are the very reason for the... more Tourists in New Zealand often impact on the natural environments that are the very reason for their visits. It is, therefore, necessary to manage those natural environments to help ensure that tourism is an environmentally sustainable activity. To assist that management process, it ...
The protectionistapproach to wildlife conservation has been blamed by some conservationists for f... more The protectionistapproach to wildlife conservation has been blamed by some conservationists for failing to protect wildlife and its habitats, especially in Africa. The failure of this approach has triggered a rush by conservationists to find alternatives. One alternative that has gained support is the Community-Based Wildlife Management (CWM) approach. Four assumptions underlie CWM: (1) that the national governments and their wildlife authorities are willing to devolve ownership of and management responsibilities for, wildlife to rural communities; (2) that the communities are interested to participate in managing wildlife; (3) that the communities have the capability to manage wildlife; and (4) that wildlife conservation and rural economic development are compatible. The idea of CWM is put to the test by bringing together the existing views on the approach and assessing the plausibility of the four assumptions on the basis of the literature. Although the aim of CWM-to address the failures of fences-and-fnes-is laudable, the four assumptions are problematic. The approach is, therefore, less effective than it is said to be.
Research to improve decisions and outcomes in agribusiness, resource, envirOluflefllal, awl socia... more Research to improve decisions and outcomes in agribusiness, resource, envirOluflefllal, awl sociaL issues. The Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) operates from Lincoln University providing research expertise for a wide range of organisations. AERU research focuses on agribusiness, resource, environment, and social issues. The AERU conducts research contracts for clients. University research can be supported by AERU through supervlSlon of postgraduate research. Research clients include Government Departments, both within New Zealand and from other countries, international agencies, New Zealand companies and organisations, individuals and farmers. Research results are presented through private client reports, where this is required, and through the publication system operated by the AERU. Two publication series are supported: Research Reports and Discussion Papers, with ISBN and ISSN numbers respectively. The list of AERU publications below illustrates recent research projects completed. The list of publications inside the back cover illustrates recent research projects completed by the AERU. The AERU operates as a research coordinating body for staff in the University. It can call upon the expertise of staff in all six divisons of the University and has close links with Commerce (45 academic DISCLAIMER staff), Applied Managernenl and Computing, Environment Management <lnd Design, and Human Sciences Divisions. The major research areas supported by the AERU include: natural resources, environment and public policy; agricultural economics; rural sociology; and marketing (both institutional and consumer. In addition to the research activities, the AERU supports conferences and seminars on topical issues and AERU staff are involved in a wide range of professional and University related activities.
New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities, which by ... more New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities, which by law must be internalised. Selection of best internalisation instruments can be aided by following a hierarchical decision process, which first screens the universe of instruments against implementation criteria to establish the feasible set. Instruments in the feasible set can be evaluated against a range of environmental, Treaty of Waitangi, economic, sociocultural and management criteria. This approach to selection can be formalised in decision support software to provide a useful tool for fisheries management agencies.
... Model fit is low for all options as seen by the McFadden's R 2 s. Despite the poor fit t... more ... Model fit is low for all options as seen by the McFadden's R 2 s. Despite the poor fit there are significant relationships between independent ... Zhang et al., 2006 X. Zhang, N. Paulley, M. Hudson and G. Rhys-Tyler, A method for the design of optimal transport strategies, Transport ...
It is important for central government to have good information about public preferences regardin... more It is important for central government to have good information about public preferences regarding budget allocations. Consumer sovereignty, government popularity, and efficiency are all dependent on clear articulation of community preferences. The paper draws upon information gathered as part of a large-scale survey to identify community perceptions about the state of the New Zealand environment (Hughey et al., 2002) to identify public preferences for allocation of government monies. Methods entailed survey participant statements of preferences for spending on specified environmental and conservation items, a balanced macro-budget reallocation exercise, and a choice modelling exercise to reveal willingness to trade-off expenditures on particular budget items. The environmental budget allocation exercise provides little guidance on which aspects of environmental spending would provide the greatest benefits at the margin. For most items the modal response was no change in current spending. However, more than 50% of respondents indicated they preferred increased spending on pest & weed control, air quality and fresh waters. The macro-budget reallocation and choice modelling exercises provide similar results. They both indicated that people obtain negative utility from allocating money to income support, and desire cuts to spending on superannuation and income support. Older respondents are not as averse to spending on income support, but are still generally in favour of cuts in spending on this item. Spending on health, education, and the environment all yield positive benefits. Respondents see significantly more benefits from spending on health, than on education or the environment. Willingness to spend on health is not affected by respondent age, but willingness to spend on education and the environment both decline with age.
The 2002 biennial survey of citizen perceptions of the environment and its management (Hughey et ... more The 2002 biennial survey of citizen perceptions of the environment and its management (Hughey et al., 2002) assessed perceptions about the marine environment, participation in marine recreational fishing, and responses to introduction of a recreational marine fishing licence. Information on perceptions of the marine environment and its management was obtained in a form consistent with the pressure-state-response model used widely for state of the environment reporting. Citizens perceive that fishery quality is adequate, but may be getting worse. Fish numbers are moderate to low and harvest is getting more difficult. Fishers believe that the quality of marine fisheries management is adequate to poor. Although fishery quality is judged to be declining, people do not rank the need to spend additional money on marine fishery management differently to other potential recipients of environmental and conservation expenditures. About 34% of survey respondents participate in recreational marine fishing. Survey responses suggest high levels of poaching if a marine recreational fishing licence were introduced, with about a third of current fishers stating intentions to fish without a licence. Licence purchases decline as the licence fee increases, which has implications for licence revenues and fishery quality.
We examine some of the main forms of stakeholder participation in "sheries management, present a ... more We examine some of the main forms of stakeholder participation in "sheries management, present a New Zealand case study which tests some precepts about "shery management, examine some of the tradeo!s associated with these di!erent approaches, and "nally we consider what formats stakeholder involvement might evolve to. Our particular focus is on a test of the commercial stakeholder self-management model. It is concluded that the commercial model, as applied in New Zealand, has much potential to contribute to sustainable "sheries management. Rather than competing with the quota management system and individual transferable quotas, it is an essential and complementary management tool.
The authors; Ken Hughey (top), Geoff Kerr (middle), Ross Cullen (bottom). acKnowledGements We tha... more The authors; Ken Hughey (top), Geoff Kerr (middle), Ross Cullen (bottom). acKnowledGements We thank Ministry for the Environment (Mf E) for its ongoing funding of these surveys, and for its assistance with design of the freshwater case study, and with providing comments on the draft text. In all of these contexts we thank:
The Pressure-State-Response framework for environmental reporting was used as a basis to develop ... more The Pressure-State-Response framework for environmental reporting was used as a basis to develop a long-term study of people's perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment. A postal survey of 2000 people, randomly drawn from the New Zealand electoral roll was used to gather data-an effective response rate of 48% was achieved. A range of different resource sectors was examined. We report on New Zealand's air, native animals and plants, and marine fisheries, as well as New Zealand compared to other developed countries. Respondents generally considered that in terms of pressures, states and responses, New Zealand was performing better than other developed countries and that for the resources examined here overall performance was in the adequate to good range, except for marine fisheries. The survey appears to be a useful tool for linking perceptions data into State of the Environment reporting. It also helps identify policy issues where perceptions do not match other scientific evidence or management initiatives. Such findings can be important for the successful implementation of policy measures.
MoRST is performing an evaluation of the funds invested in environmental research. The two case s... more MoRST is performing an evaluation of the funds invested in environmental research. The two case studies discussed in this paper contribute to the ongoing decision-making about this investment. Substantial funds have been invested in both research programmes identified. Because the main benefits associated with research output are environmental, they are difficult to value monetarily. Preliminary analysis suggests that at a discount rate of 6%, annual future benefit flows of $7-$10 million will justify the water quality/clarity ...
New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities. Legislati... more New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities. Legislation requires that the externalities be internalised and fisheries management agencies must choose from a wide range of instruments which are best suited to the task. Selection of best instruments can be aided by following a hierarchical decision process, which first screens the universe of instruments to produce a likely set, then tests that list against implementation criteria to establish the feasible set. Instruments in the feasible set can be evaluated against a range of environmental, Treaty of Waitangi, economic, socio-cultural and management criteria. This approach to selection can be formalised in decision support software to provide a useful tool for fisheries management agencies.
The seventh (having begun in 2000) survey of people’s perceptions of the state of the New Zealand... more The seventh (having begun in 2000) survey of people’s perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment was undertaken over February-March 2013. The survey is based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model of environmental reporting and remains the only long-running survey of this type in the world. For the first time this survey was undertaken only electronically and this has made it challenging to compare results with the earlier paper-based surveys. New Zealanders’ perceptions of all the main resource areas (e.g., air, freshwater, biodiversity) were tested. Statistical analyses identified the roles of several socio-demographic variables. Amongst many PSR findings, some that are notable include: New Zealanders continue to consider the state and management of the New Zealand environment to be good, and better than other developed countries; The states of air and native bush and forests were rated highest – rivers and lakes, and marine fisheries were perceived to be in the w...
ABSTRACT Natural sites are key attractions for tourists in New Zealand. Soaring international vis... more ABSTRACT Natural sites are key attractions for tourists in New Zealand. Soaring international visitor arrivals and strong growth in domestic tourism is placing increasing pressure on many New Zealand nature-based tourism sites. A rapidly growing number of businesses advertise their activities to tourists as ‘ecotourism’ but the term suffers from ambiguity and lacks ownership. This paper reports ideas from a New Zealand workshop comprising representatives of the tourism industry, government policy agencies, conservation NGOs and researchers who recently debated the future of ecotourism in New Zealand. Specifically we report issues surrounding use of the term ‘ecotourism’, the policies and strategies required to maximize benefits from ecotourism including environmental benefits, and the actions required to verify the social, economic and environmental benefits which are claimed by ecotourism providers.
ABSTRACT Recent global spread of the freshwater alga Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) has caused m... more ABSTRACT Recent global spread of the freshwater alga Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) has caused major biosecurity and freshwater management concerns. Didymo degrades river esthetics, alters ecosystems, negatively impacts recreation experiences and may require strict containment measures. This paper assesses the impact of Didymo on nonmarket values for recreational angling using a case study from New Zealand, where Didymo is extraordinarily prolific. Choice experiment data are used to fit a latent class model, identifying five distinct angler preference profiles. For the largest class of anglers the presence of Didymo had no significant effect on angling benefits. However, other classes were negatively affected. Overall, Didymo reduced fishing values by about NZ$44 per visit. Anglers were sensitive to the scale of Didymo infestation, suffering significantly higher costs when more water bodies are affected. Closure of Didymo-infected mainstem-rivers to prevent spread of Didymo resulted in a significant reduction in angler net benefits, even if the policy were 100% effective. The latent class model identified distributional implications. While three angler classes would not have significantly different benefits if mainstem-rivers were closed to prevent the spread of Didymo, two classes of anglers would be highly impacted by such a policy, particularly those who regularly fish mainstem-rivers for salmon.
The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly i... more The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly its marketing is associated with the country's 'clean and green' image. Over 60% of New Zealand's wine companies have adopted at least one of three main environmental management systems: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, ISO 14001 and Bio-Gro. We undertook a qualitative, survey based, comparative evaluation of these systems within 15 wine companies. The key findings are that while each system appears to have its own strengths, in general, no one environmental management system is better than the other. However, implementation of an industry specific system, for example SWNZ, in combination with a generic process-based system, for example ISO 14001, aids in the development of a more sustainable wine industry.
The River Values Assessment System (RiVAS) uses a combination of expert panels and multi criteria... more The River Values Assessment System (RiVAS) uses a combination of expert panels and multi criteria analysis to identify primary attributes (or main features) of river values (e.g., whitewater kayaking, native birds) and their key indicators. The resulting data set is used to rank rivers for their existing (instream) and potential (out-of-stream) significance. The RiVAS method has been applied to seven values and tested across a range of councils with most focus in Tasman District. The tool has demonstrated utility and is very cost effective to implement. Further development has now led to RiVAS+ to consider potential significance for instream values, using the same attributes and indicators, and also identifying the interventions needed to achieve these potential future states (e.g., water quality improvements, willow removal, increased flows). RiVAS+ enables instream uses to be considered on the same basis as out-ofstream opportunities. RiVAS+ can be undertaken more-or-less concurrently with RiVAS and enables a range of applications. First, it allows decision makers to gain an understanding of the difference between existing relative importance or significance of a value and its potential (if restored or developed). Second, it enables better evaluation of potential restoration or development options in a range of circumstances including where water resource development is planned. Finally, with further input it might be possible to quantify the cost of the interventions which would then allow better consideration of mitigation and other options in resource management policy and decision making processes. In this paper we demonstrate the method and the opportunities.
Tourists in New Zealand often impact on the natural environments that are the very reason for the... more Tourists in New Zealand often impact on the natural environments that are the very reason for their visits. It is, therefore, necessary to manage those natural environments to help ensure that tourism is an environmentally sustainable activity. To assist that management process, it ...
The protectionistapproach to wildlife conservation has been blamed by some conservationists for f... more The protectionistapproach to wildlife conservation has been blamed by some conservationists for failing to protect wildlife and its habitats, especially in Africa. The failure of this approach has triggered a rush by conservationists to find alternatives. One alternative that has gained support is the Community-Based Wildlife Management (CWM) approach. Four assumptions underlie CWM: (1) that the national governments and their wildlife authorities are willing to devolve ownership of and management responsibilities for, wildlife to rural communities; (2) that the communities are interested to participate in managing wildlife; (3) that the communities have the capability to manage wildlife; and (4) that wildlife conservation and rural economic development are compatible. The idea of CWM is put to the test by bringing together the existing views on the approach and assessing the plausibility of the four assumptions on the basis of the literature. Although the aim of CWM-to address the failures of fences-and-fnes-is laudable, the four assumptions are problematic. The approach is, therefore, less effective than it is said to be.
Research to improve decisions and outcomes in agribusiness, resource, envirOluflefllal, awl socia... more Research to improve decisions and outcomes in agribusiness, resource, envirOluflefllal, awl sociaL issues. The Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) operates from Lincoln University providing research expertise for a wide range of organisations. AERU research focuses on agribusiness, resource, environment, and social issues. The AERU conducts research contracts for clients. University research can be supported by AERU through supervlSlon of postgraduate research. Research clients include Government Departments, both within New Zealand and from other countries, international agencies, New Zealand companies and organisations, individuals and farmers. Research results are presented through private client reports, where this is required, and through the publication system operated by the AERU. Two publication series are supported: Research Reports and Discussion Papers, with ISBN and ISSN numbers respectively. The list of AERU publications below illustrates recent research projects completed. The list of publications inside the back cover illustrates recent research projects completed by the AERU. The AERU operates as a research coordinating body for staff in the University. It can call upon the expertise of staff in all six divisons of the University and has close links with Commerce (45 academic DISCLAIMER staff), Applied Managernenl and Computing, Environment Management <lnd Design, and Human Sciences Divisions. The major research areas supported by the AERU include: natural resources, environment and public policy; agricultural economics; rural sociology; and marketing (both institutional and consumer. In addition to the research activities, the AERU supports conferences and seminars on topical issues and AERU staff are involved in a wide range of professional and University related activities.
New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities, which by ... more New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities, which by law must be internalised. Selection of best internalisation instruments can be aided by following a hierarchical decision process, which first screens the universe of instruments against implementation criteria to establish the feasible set. Instruments in the feasible set can be evaluated against a range of environmental, Treaty of Waitangi, economic, sociocultural and management criteria. This approach to selection can be formalised in decision support software to provide a useful tool for fisheries management agencies.
... Model fit is low for all options as seen by the McFadden's R 2 s. Despite the poor fit t... more ... Model fit is low for all options as seen by the McFadden's R 2 s. Despite the poor fit there are significant relationships between independent ... Zhang et al., 2006 X. Zhang, N. Paulley, M. Hudson and G. Rhys-Tyler, A method for the design of optimal transport strategies, Transport ...
It is important for central government to have good information about public preferences regardin... more It is important for central government to have good information about public preferences regarding budget allocations. Consumer sovereignty, government popularity, and efficiency are all dependent on clear articulation of community preferences. The paper draws upon information gathered as part of a large-scale survey to identify community perceptions about the state of the New Zealand environment (Hughey et al., 2002) to identify public preferences for allocation of government monies. Methods entailed survey participant statements of preferences for spending on specified environmental and conservation items, a balanced macro-budget reallocation exercise, and a choice modelling exercise to reveal willingness to trade-off expenditures on particular budget items. The environmental budget allocation exercise provides little guidance on which aspects of environmental spending would provide the greatest benefits at the margin. For most items the modal response was no change in current spending. However, more than 50% of respondents indicated they preferred increased spending on pest & weed control, air quality and fresh waters. The macro-budget reallocation and choice modelling exercises provide similar results. They both indicated that people obtain negative utility from allocating money to income support, and desire cuts to spending on superannuation and income support. Older respondents are not as averse to spending on income support, but are still generally in favour of cuts in spending on this item. Spending on health, education, and the environment all yield positive benefits. Respondents see significantly more benefits from spending on health, than on education or the environment. Willingness to spend on health is not affected by respondent age, but willingness to spend on education and the environment both decline with age.
The 2002 biennial survey of citizen perceptions of the environment and its management (Hughey et ... more The 2002 biennial survey of citizen perceptions of the environment and its management (Hughey et al., 2002) assessed perceptions about the marine environment, participation in marine recreational fishing, and responses to introduction of a recreational marine fishing licence. Information on perceptions of the marine environment and its management was obtained in a form consistent with the pressure-state-response model used widely for state of the environment reporting. Citizens perceive that fishery quality is adequate, but may be getting worse. Fish numbers are moderate to low and harvest is getting more difficult. Fishers believe that the quality of marine fisheries management is adequate to poor. Although fishery quality is judged to be declining, people do not rank the need to spend additional money on marine fishery management differently to other potential recipients of environmental and conservation expenditures. About 34% of survey respondents participate in recreational marine fishing. Survey responses suggest high levels of poaching if a marine recreational fishing licence were introduced, with about a third of current fishers stating intentions to fish without a licence. Licence purchases decline as the licence fee increases, which has implications for licence revenues and fishery quality.
We examine some of the main forms of stakeholder participation in "sheries management, present a ... more We examine some of the main forms of stakeholder participation in "sheries management, present a New Zealand case study which tests some precepts about "shery management, examine some of the tradeo!s associated with these di!erent approaches, and "nally we consider what formats stakeholder involvement might evolve to. Our particular focus is on a test of the commercial stakeholder self-management model. It is concluded that the commercial model, as applied in New Zealand, has much potential to contribute to sustainable "sheries management. Rather than competing with the quota management system and individual transferable quotas, it is an essential and complementary management tool.
The authors; Ken Hughey (top), Geoff Kerr (middle), Ross Cullen (bottom). acKnowledGements We tha... more The authors; Ken Hughey (top), Geoff Kerr (middle), Ross Cullen (bottom). acKnowledGements We thank Ministry for the Environment (Mf E) for its ongoing funding of these surveys, and for its assistance with design of the freshwater case study, and with providing comments on the draft text. In all of these contexts we thank:
The Pressure-State-Response framework for environmental reporting was used as a basis to develop ... more The Pressure-State-Response framework for environmental reporting was used as a basis to develop a long-term study of people's perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment. A postal survey of 2000 people, randomly drawn from the New Zealand electoral roll was used to gather data-an effective response rate of 48% was achieved. A range of different resource sectors was examined. We report on New Zealand's air, native animals and plants, and marine fisheries, as well as New Zealand compared to other developed countries. Respondents generally considered that in terms of pressures, states and responses, New Zealand was performing better than other developed countries and that for the resources examined here overall performance was in the adequate to good range, except for marine fisheries. The survey appears to be a useful tool for linking perceptions data into State of the Environment reporting. It also helps identify policy issues where perceptions do not match other scientific evidence or management initiatives. Such findings can be important for the successful implementation of policy measures.
MoRST is performing an evaluation of the funds invested in environmental research. The two case s... more MoRST is performing an evaluation of the funds invested in environmental research. The two case studies discussed in this paper contribute to the ongoing decision-making about this investment. Substantial funds have been invested in both research programmes identified. Because the main benefits associated with research output are environmental, they are difficult to value monetarily. Preliminary analysis suggests that at a discount rate of 6%, annual future benefit flows of $7-$10 million will justify the water quality/clarity ...
New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities. Legislati... more New Zealand marine fishing activities create many types of environmental externalities. Legislation requires that the externalities be internalised and fisheries management agencies must choose from a wide range of instruments which are best suited to the task. Selection of best instruments can be aided by following a hierarchical decision process, which first screens the universe of instruments to produce a likely set, then tests that list against implementation criteria to establish the feasible set. Instruments in the feasible set can be evaluated against a range of environmental, Treaty of Waitangi, economic, socio-cultural and management criteria. This approach to selection can be formalised in decision support software to provide a useful tool for fisheries management agencies.
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Papers by Ken Hughey