The Westland Petrel (procellaria westlandica) is a currently endangered seabird endemic to New Zealand. This bird faces several stuggles, but holds equally as many potential benefits for the people of New Zealand.

One of the biggest threats to Westland Petrels is light pollution. Due to the breeding exclusively in the area near Punakaiki, fedgeling and adult petrels sometimes crash-land on the road or somewhere where they cannot take flight again.

By signing this petition you pledge to not only dim your lights at night if you live in the Punakaiki area, but you also pledge to help face one of the biggest problems the ocean as a whole endures: fishery bycatch.

When fishing vessels attempt to search for a particular species of fish, they often use large sprawling nets or long-lines, which catch dozens of unwanted species that often do not survive the ordeal. These extra catches - which can be anything from seabirds to turtles to dolphins - are called bycatch.

Bycatch is the single biggest threat to the Westland Petrels. Even with limited data and incomplete reports, conservationists estimate over 100 Westland Petrels a year are killed as bycatch, a severe dent in a population with as little as 8,000 members.

You should care about the petrels because their colonies support the last seabird-dominated ecosystem on mainland New Zealand. This ecosystem relies on dead petrels and guano to add valuable phosphorus to the soil. This ecologial relationship may hold the key to advancments in agriculture, especially beneficial for an agriculture-reliant county like New Zealand.