Around 308,000 fully loaded caterpillar dump trucks worth of soil is going into our oceans and water-ways every year.

That's from a joint Ministry for Environment and Statistics New Zealand report that's found New Zealand coasts are the most degraded of all marine areas - and it's due to tonnes of sediment and nutrients washing off the land.

LISTEN ABOVE: Environmental Defence Society Chairman and Executive Director, Gary Taylor, spoke with Chris Lynch about the report

Secretary for the Environment Vicky Robertson said 192 tonnes of sediment comes off our land, along with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

She said deforestation is one of the causes of sedimentation movement, but said the data wasn't detailed enough to show the source of the nutrient displacement.

But she does say the nutrient run-off is reducing oxygen in waterways, suffocating some plant life.

The report also shows 90 percent of sea birds could be wiped out, and more than a quarter of marine mammals due to CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions.

Scientists and environmentalists have responded frustratingly to the report, saying they know the environment's in dire need of attention - and some profiting from the environment is causing the damage.

But Vicky Robertson said it's up to governments and business to decide what to do.

She said they're putting the problems out there so that the relevant organisations can respond and they don't have the scientific evidence to directly link the problems.

Meanwhile, there are concerns the report has used mis-counted figures.

Otago University Zoology Professor Liz Slooten said only five percent of dolphins being caught by commercial fishers are being reported.

She said it's due to expecting fisherman to report when they catch a dolphin.

Professor Slooten said that's like expecting someone who speeds to phone police and dob themselves in.

She said in addition to that the government reports only the number of dolphin deaths that are observed by the observers - and they are few and far between.

Professor Slooten said what's even more concerning is that international scientists are using the government's figures.

She adds the report also uses fishing bycatch statistics which earlier this year were found to be false.