The Blythe Valley, a catchment spanning 6537.42 hectares along the North Canterbury coastline, is a mix of pastoral dryland farming and forestry nestled within the Motanau ecological district. The catchment members own or manage land that exceeds 14,000Ha in area. The Blythe River has a section that is braided in nature, with extensive areas of open gravel estimated to be at least 25 hectares. Globally braided rivers are rare and threatened ecosystems, they have high species diversity and are host to several braided river specialist flora and fauna species which have evolved to live in these environments. Therefore, braided riverbeds are biologically rich and biodiversity hotspots which warrant protection.
The lower section of the Blythe River, from the lower Blythe Road Bridge to the estuary has been designated by the Department of Conservation as an Area of National Significance, a site of special wildlife significance and a wetland of representative importance due to its significance of providing habitat for a wide range of braided river birds.
Some of these species include Black-fronted tern Chlidonias albostriatus (Threatened-Nationally endangered), White fronted tern Sterna striata (at risk-declining), Black billed gull Chroicocephalus bulleri (at risk-declining), Banded dotterel Anarhynchus bicinctus, (at risk-declining), South Island Pied Oyster Catcher Haematopus finschi (at risk-declining).
Braided riverbeds also support a large number of invertebrates. Unfortunately, there is a deficiency of data for species diversity in the Blythe although the catchment group has recently initiated a program of Stream Health Assessment and water quality analysis. The land environment surrounding the braided river system has been classed as <10% of indigenous cover left (Threatened Environment Classification). The community is working toward prioritising the protection and enhancement of remaining areas of indigenous vegetation and habitat for native flora and fauna within this land environment.
Observations and diaries kept by local landowners - some whose family ownership of the land dates back numerous generations to early settlement in the 1860’s - have identified an ongoing decline in the numbers of native birds. A rebound was observed post-possum eradication as part of the TB control program, but ground nesting river bird numbers have not shown similar recoveries. At one stage 14 pairs of pied stilts were present in the river, now they are down to just two pairs. Banded dotterels are still seen frequently with a recent informal count of nine birds at the mouth of the Blythe River.
We recognise this is takiwā of Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga and we believe that our goals align with the Mahaanui Kura Taiao Iwi Management Plan (IMP), we plan to address the issues that are highlighted within their plan. We acknowledge that ensuring tangata whenua involvement is important in setting priorities and designing our plans. The Catchment group co-ordinator wrote to Ngāi Tūāhuriri to explain our objectives at the establishment of the group in 2023. We propose to further engage the runanga for their support in our goal to protect biodiversity in the Blythe catchment, recognising that this is subject to their availability and capacity to be involved with us and other groups.
We recognise that the IMP identifies the widespread loss of indigenous biodiversity as an issue of significance and that this has significant adverse effects on the relationship of Ngāi Tahu with ancestral land, water and sites, and the health of land, water and communities. We also recognise that within this plan that pest control is referenced as critical to address the loss of Indigenous biodiversity.
We hope that the following paragraph from the Iwi Management Plan “To support private landowners and conservation groups that are undertaking weed and pest control programmes” will enable a crucial partnership with the Blythe Valley Catchment group into the future.