The on-going population declines of native wildlife in Aotearoa New Zealand are being perpetuated by politics and our discourses regarding the environment, according to Professor Maria Armoudian, Co-director of Ngā Ara Whetū and Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations.
In an article in the Post, Armoudian expands on a recent information release from the Department of Conservation, which showed an increase in the number of threatened and at risk marine mammal species from 10 to 14. Overall, more than 4000 native species are currently threatened or at risk of extinction. Armoudian argues that the neglect of the natural world is a byproduct of how wealth is short-sightedly defined in terms of economic growth. She finds manifestations of this paradigm in the campaign finance system, fractured governance of environmental issues, and a business-first approach to our vital natural resources.
You can read the article here.
Image of Southern Right Whales from the University of Otago, used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
The opinions expressed in this article reflect the views of the author, and are not necessarily the views of University of Auckland / Waipapa Taumata Rau.
Recent Comments