ASSESSING THE CONSERVATION VALUE OF NEW-ZEALAND OFFSHORE ISLANDS

New Zealand has over 500 offshore islands. Many consist of relatively pristine wilderness and contain a disproportionately large amount of N ew Zealand's biological wealth. Increased demand for recreation has in creased the pressure to develop these areas. Although the New Zealand public has shown widespread support for the preservation and safeguard ing of both wilderness areas and endangered species, economic values a ttached to the benefits of preservation are not known. Using a telepho ne survey, we found evidence that the public attaches significant valu e to the conservation of Little Barrier Island. The results show that these values are influenced by different levels and sources of prior i nformation.