Axed Te Papa scientists granted temporary stay of execution

Thursday, 14 February 2019

Mollusc scientist Bruce Marshall was one of two internationally renowned experts made redundant in Te Papa's controversial restructure.

Top Te Papa scientists axed in the museum's controversial restructure have been given a temporary stay of execution.

The redundancies of fish expert Andrew Stewart and molluscs expert Dr Bruce Marshall were due to be confirmed on Thursday, but the final decision has now been postponed until next week.

The loss of their more than 80 years of irreplaceable experience prompted outrage from scientists in New Zealand and overseas.

Highly regarded fish collection manager Andrew Stewart has lost his job in Te Papa's controversial restructure.

American penguin expert David Ainley said the move would lead to 'the continued reduction of New Zealand's stature on the world scientific stage'.

**READ MORE:

Te Papa has advertised for a new mollusc researcher, despite having just got rid of world-leading molluscs expert Bruce Marshall.

* World-leading science experts made redundant in Te Papa restructure

* Te Papa restructure risks loss of irreplaceable science expertise - critics

Andrew Stewart co-wrote acclaimed fish bible, The Fishes of New Zealand

* What should the story of New Zealand in 2.5 million objects look like?

* Te Papa lacking enough internal staff to look after entire collection, experts say

Te Papa molluscs expert Bruce Marshall is so renowned in his field he has 23 species and 6 genera named after him, including the Bruceiella laevigata.

* Te Papa's international reputation in good practice is richly deserved**

Curator of Zoology at Canada's Manitoba Museum, Dr Randall Mooi, wrote that he was 'extremely disheartened to see yet another museum slide into oblivion'.

'And I feel so badly for Andrew Stewart, who helped us so much in our research.'

Critics emphasised the importance of Stewart's and Marshall's experience in taxonomy - identifying, describing and naming New Zealand's flora and fauna, which underpins everything from identifying biosecurity pests to understanding relationships between different organisms. A Royal Society review in 2015 found taxonomists were an endangered species, and expertise took 10-15 years to build up.

Taxonomy expert Professor Trevor Worthy - a Kiwi now working in Australia - said the redundancies marked 'one of the most dark days in the history of the Museum of New Zealand'. The loss of institutional knowledge would have ramifications for decades to come, he said.

The three remaining collections managers - botany specialist Antony Kusabs, spider guru Phil Sirvid and Tom Schultz - have got jobs under the new structure.

Te Papa said it could not comment on why the process had been extended. Te Papa chairman Evan Williams said on Wednesday: 'The changes we are making have been carefully considered, with expert input including from an international panel. Collections-based research is at the heart of what Te Papa does, and that will never change.'

Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Grant Robertson, said decisions about staffing were an operational matter for Te Papa.

'As I did when the proposals were originally made, I have now sought further assurances that the following decisions will not compromise the integrity of Te Papa's collection or its use by the public.'