New report confirms 89% percent of native freshwater fish species now threatened with extinction
- 7 days ago
- 1 min read
A new report confirms 89% percent of native freshwater fish species now threatened with extinction and our freshwater is at breaking point.
The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ's Our Freshwater 2026 report shows worsening water quality across rivers, lakes and groundwater:
Almost half of all river length in Aotearoa is unsafe for swimming due to faecal contamination.
Nearly half of groundwater monitoring sites recorded E. coli above the legal drinking water limit at least once in the past five years.
Two-thirds of our lakes are now in poor or very poor health.
Glaciers, which are critical freshwater reservoirs, have retreated 42 percent since 2005.
Only 10 percent of our historical wetland areas remain.
Nitrogen levels are worsening at more than half of lake monitoring sites.
Endangered Species Foundation General Manager Natalie Jessup says the report confirms what conservationists have long been warning.
"We have been watching these trends for years. What this report does is put hard numbers on a crisis that our freshwater species and ecosystems are already living. For species clinging to survival in degraded waterways, there is no time left for a wait-and-see approach."
The report also highlights significant knowledge gaps — including a lack of data on how much water is actually being extracted from rivers and lakes, and limited understanding of emerging contaminants such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and PFAS, known as forever chemicals.
ESF is calling for improved coordination and more resourced action across government agencies, regional councils, and communities. Our freshwater taonga deserve more than another report.
