For example, both species of New Zealand bat are found only here in New Zealand, as are all four frogs, all 60 reptiles, more than 90 per cent of insects and marine molluscs, about 80 percent of vascular plants, and a quarter of all our bird species.

By comparison, Great Britain, which separated from continental Europe only 10,000 years ago, has only two endemic species – one plant and one animal.

As well as being primitive, rare and different, New Zealand’s native biodiversity is close to our hearts and our wallets. That is, it shapes New Zealanders’ national identity, and upholds our economy. As well as that, it has an intrinsic value all of its own.

Identity
Many of New Zealand’s national icons are based on our biological world – such as the koru and the kiwi. New Zealanders are known around the world as ‘Kiwis.’

When the All Blacks, the Black Ferns, the Silver Ferns, the Tall Blacks, the Black Caps and Team New Zealand take to the field, the court, the pitch and the seas, they proudly bear the koru, our silver fern.

New Zealand’s native biodiversity is an integral aspect of the Maori world-view, and Maori have a special role and responsibilities as kaitiaki (guardians). For more information on Maori issues and biodiversity, visit Te Puni Kokiri.

New Zealanders have a strong bond with our landscapes and landforms. We enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, and many of us love to play in it.

Economy
The free ‘services’ such as clean air and water that are provided by healthy ecosystems are often taken for granted. Although New Zealand’s land-based primary production (such as farming, forestry and horticulture) is based on introduced species, its success relies on natural biological systems.

Services provided by healthy ecosystems include the production of raw materials (principally food from the sea and fibre from the land), clean water, decomposing wastes and cycling of nutrients, the creation and maintenance of soils, pollination, regulating local and global climates, and reduced flooding. Healthy ecosystems can also play a positive role in reducing the effects of climate change through their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

A 1997 study by Massey University economists suggested that the total annual value provided by New Zealand’s native biodiversity to the country’s economy could be more than twice the value of our gross domestic product. They estimated the annual value of native biodiversity on land in 1994 at $46 billion, and valued marine ecosystem services at $184 billion – a total of $230 billion a year. By comparison, New Zealand’s gross domestic product that year was $84 billion.

Scientists believe that possible uses of our native biodiversity that may lead to new economic opportunities – such as new medicines – have still to be discovered.

Protecting biodiversity can be likened to buying an insurance policy because it keeps our options open. Biodiversity is vital for the ‘clean and green’ image that supports our primary producers and tourism industry, as well as our growing film industry.

Intrinsic Value
To many people biodiversity also has ‘intrinsic value’ – the idea that biodiversity (the variety of life) has value in its own right, and is not something that should simply be viewed for its usefulness to humans. Human responsibility toward other living things, and obligations to future generations, provide strong grounds for conservation, and underlie the international Convention on Biological Diversity.