Conservation – Page 16 – rnzngin Fifth Estate

May 21, 2024

Hiking the Routeburn Track outside the Great Walks season (May to October) | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

The Routeburn Track is one of the highlights of New Zealand tramping. It offers dramatic mountain views, alpine lakes and sparkling waterfalls.

Most people hike the track during the Great Walks season, which runs from the start of November to the end of April.

Outside the Great Walks season, conditions on the track change dramatically. Winter blankets the track with snow and ice. There are avalanches and the streams and rivers flood often.

The Routeburn Track in late October 2023. Photo: Josefin Westdahl

The track remains open, but anyone attempting the track through this period needs winter alpine skills, equipment and experience.

If you’ve only seen photos of the Routeburn Track during the Great Walks season, it’s hard to imagine how the landscape changes in winter. The local DOC team have put together these photos to help bring it to life.

(Left)The Routeburn Track in late October 2023. Photo: Josefin Westdahl.
(Right) Lake Harris on 27 April 2024. Photo: Niall Bullock

Conditions on the Routeburn Track change often during the off-season, so always contact the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre or the Queenstown Visitor Centre before departure to discuss the current situation.

The track is often buried in deep, unstable snow over winter

Snow tends to start accumulating in the alpine section of the Routeburn Track from mid to late May. By winter, Harris Saddle is usually covered in snow.

Snow can make sections of the track treacherous. It can also make it hard to navigate and even cover the marker poles.

Photo: Sophie Carty

Low visibility makes navigation even more challenging.

Spot the marker pole. Photo: John the Hut Ranger

Hiking in snow is much slower and more difficult than hiking in normal conditions. You will need to carry alpine equipment and walking times will be longer than signposted.

The Routeburn Track in late October 2023. Photo: Josefin Westdahl

The snow causes avalanches that can cross the track.

The Routeburn Track has a lot of Challenging and Complex avalanche terrain. There are over 32 avalanche paths, some of which can bring debris to the valley floor and across the Routeburn Track.

PDF maps of avalanche paths: Lake Howden to Lake Mackenzie | Lake Mackenzie to Falls Hut

DOC does not manage avalanche risk on the Routeburn Track outside the Great Walks season. If you are going then, make sure you:

• have the skills for the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) class you are going into
• have checked the NZ Avalanche Advisory
• have talked to the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre or the Queenstown Visitor Centre about the current conditions
• take and know how to use an avalanche transceiver, avalanche probe and a snow shovel.

September and October is avalanche season. Avalanches start high above the track, so even if there is little or no snow on the track, people walking it could still be hit by an avalanche.

Harris Bluffs in October 2018, with the Routeburn Track and an area of avalanche risk marked. Photo: Mike, Track Hopper

It is common to get ice covering the track

Water on the track freezes and becomes very slippery ice. The Hollyford Face and Harris Saddle can be extremely dangerous when covered in ice and snow.

Ice on the Routeburn Track. Photo: DOC Fiordland

Ice on the Routeburn Track. Photo: Anna Morley (DOC)

Sometimes the alpine lakes freeze over. They are beautiful but are dangerous to walk on. Thin ice can be covered by snow, which could break when walked on.

It is very cold and there can be storm damage on the track

Very cold temperatures are common in winter. Daylight hours are short and the high mountains let little sunlight into the valleys. Anyone attempting the track needs to carry lots of warm, waterproof clothing, as hypothermia is a real risk.

Storms are common in winter. There can be fallen trees over the track, making it impassable.

Windfall on the Routeburn Track after a storm. Photo: James McQueen, DOC.

Side streams can flood and two bridges are removed

DOC flies out two avalanche-prone bridges in early June. They are re-instated when the avalanche risk dissipates in late October to early November.

Unbridged side streams can flood, becoming swift, icy and dangerous to cross.

Wash Creek in flood on the Routeburn Track. Photo: Or Moshe

Hut facilities and transport services are reduced

Facilities are reduced in the Routeburn Track huts in winter. For example, there is no gas provided and running water is turned off inside the huts. If the outside tanks freeze, hikers need to get water by melting snow or collecting it from streams. It is very cold in the huts.

Routeburn Falls Hut. Photo: DOC Whakatipu.

Track transport shuttles don’t operate to the Glenorchy area out of season.

There are safer winter tramping alternatives than the full Routeburn Track

If you want to experience this track in winter, the local Visitor Centre team recommends an overnight return tramp to Routeburn Flats Hut or Routeburn Falls Hut.

This is a safer trip than the full Routeburn Track, though you still need to be well prepared and equipped for winter conditions, and ready for reduced facilities at the huts.

Talk to the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre or the Queenstown Visitor Centre about the current track conditions and what trips would suit you and your group.

Routeburn Falls frozen. Photo: Anna Morley (DOC)

Where to learn more

• Routeburn Track website page

• Download a winter tramping information sheet

Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre
Phone	+64 3 249 7924
Email	fiordlandvc@doc.govt.nz
Address	Lakefront Drive Te Anau 9600
Whakatipu-wai-Māori/Queenstown Visitor Centre
Phone	+64 3 442 7935
Email	queenstownvc@doc.govt.nz
Address	50 Stanley Street Queenstown 9300

May 20, 2024

Respect orca by keeping drones at a distance

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 20 May 2024

Orca are the second-most widely distributed mammal on earth (after humans), and can be found throughout New Zealand’s coastline. Our waters are home to an estimated 150–200 individuals, which travel long distances throughout the country’s coastal waters, and are considered nationally critical.

One of the greatest threats to orca/whales/tohora is disturbance by traffic like boats and aircraft. While far smaller, flying drones in the vicinity of marine mammals (such as whales, dolphins, and seals) is also an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978, as it can be highly disturbing to the animals.

Russell Hughes, Ranger Marine Reserves, says these issues are usually down to a misunderstanding of how to interact with these creatures.

“We don’t think anyone is acting maliciously, so we want to help people understand how to enjoy orca without accidentally harming them,” says Russell.

“Operators and individuals alike require a permit to deviate from these specific rules due to the respect and sensitivity of these magnificent creatures.”

“These rules are in place to help us all protect a truly amazing marine biodiversity that we are privileged to have in the waters of Aotearoa. It is amazing to see them, we just need to give them the respect they deserve.”

To avoid disturbing or harassing marine mammals, you must:

fly no closer than 150 m horizontally from a point directly above any marine mammal
not disturb or harass any marine mammal with your drone; eg don’t chase, herd or scatter them
not make any sudden or repeated change in speed or direction
not make any loud or disturbing noises near marine mammals
abandon contact at the first sign of any marine mammal being disturbed.

You should:

take off at least 100 m from any marine mammal on the shore or the land
not fly within 300 m of any marine mammal if there are already three drones, other aircraft, or boats within 300 m of that marine mammal
keep at least 50 m from any other drone.

If you want to fly your drone closer than 150 m horizontally from a marine mammal, whether commercially or recreationally, you must have a permit from DOC.

If you see or experience inappropriate drone use report it to your local DOC office or call our emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

Contact

May 17, 2024

Tūturuatu Telegraph: a new chapter and a special legacy with Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

The tūturuatu / tchūriwat’ / shore plover is a bird in need of urgent PR. With just 250 individuals left in the wild on a handful of predator-free islands, it is one of the world’s rarest shore birds, facing issues related to real estate, genetics and a pandemic.

Through collaboration and cooperation with tangata whenua, tchakat henu, community groups, and other stakeholders, the DOC-led Shore Plover Recovery Programme aims to turn the tide on this bird’s fate. The ‘Tūturuatu Telegraph’ takes a closer look at what it takes to bring this unique species back from the brink of extinction.

The Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre (PNWC) has a special legacy with the Shore Plover Recovery Programme, being one of the first facilities to receive wild tūturuatu eggs from Rēkohu / Chatham Islands, in 1981. In this world first, one chick hatched from 13 eggs, surviving for nearly two years. Forty-three years later, the team is looking forward to building a brand new breeding aviary to help ensure the long-term survival of this precious species.

(Left) DOC ranger Alan Munn collecting tūturuatu eggs for transferring to mainland New Zealand from South East Island (Rangatira / Hokoereoro), Rēkohu / Chatham Islands, November 1981.
(Right) Banding tūturuatu – DOC rangers Murray Williams and Hilary Aikman.

Researching the early days of the programme, you can appreciate how far we’ve come in terms of the tools of the trade – cell phones weren’t in common use, portable incubators were temperamental, and the Chatham Island flight service wasn’t exactly something to set your watch by. Further, little was known about the translocation and incubation of tūturuatu eggs – whether it was better to get fresh or partially incubated eggs, and what temperature and humidity the eggs required to hatch.

These issues and variables dominated the early years of the programme when the Chathams Department of Conservation (DOC) team translocated eggs from South East (Rangatira / Hokorereoro) Island to PNWC in the Wairarapa to incubate. After three poor seasons and a 9-year pause in the programme, tweaks were made to the temperature and humidity, lifting later-term rather than fresh eggs, and transporting the eggs to PNWC within a day. By the end of the ‘91/’92 season, 14 out of 17 eggs hatched successfully at Pūkaha and the captive breeding programme as we know it was established.

The inside of one of the now demolished tūturuatu aviaries.

With 14 tūturuatu to suddenly rear, and more importantly, breed, the PNWC team faced a steep learning curve. The first captive pairs formed and produced eggs, and suddenly the feisty nature of territorial males became apparent. Stalking each other between see-through flight divisions resulted in the poor incubation of eggs, and sight screens were placed between pairs to keep them calm.

Gaining experience and momentum, important captive breeding milestones were made in the early days of the breeding programme at Pūkaha. In 1995, the first release of captive-bred tūturuatu was carried out on Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park / Ko te Pātaka kai o Tikapa Moana. The following season, in a captive-breeding first, a pair raised four chicks in one clutch, while in the ‘96/’97 season, all 21 eggs translocated from Rangatira Island successfully hatched.

However, one of the most important developments for the programme was establishing accurate incubation parameters. This was achieved by measuring incubation temperatures in wild nests on Rangatira Island during the 1996 translocation, establishing optimum temperatures to set incubators and provide the best conditions for hand-rearing chicks. This allowed the team to lift and successfully incubate a fresh clutch of eggs, resulting in the captive pair renesting and producing another clutch of eggs. Producing multiple clutches in a season doubled, and in some cases, tripled productivity. The following season, 30 chicks were produced for both Motuora, and for the first release onto Waikawa (Portland) Island in the Hawke’s Bay. At their most productive point, PNWC had eight breeding pairs and produced 42 juveniles in one season.

Waikawa Island in the Hawke’s Bay. Photo: Rose Collen

It hasn’t all been roses for the PNWC team however. Avian pox, which has plagued the national programme, first showed up in 2002 at Pūkaha and significant resources were spent to construct the first insect-proof shore plover aviaries to reduce the risk of them contracting avian pox via biting insects. However, a paradoxical issue for PNWC was the establishment of endangered kārearea / NZ falcons in the 942ha forest the Centre is located in, following predator control. These avian predators swoop low over the tūturuatu aviaries, scaring the birds who react by flying into the hard wire mesh and suffering trauma injuries. Being the first aviary used for tūturuatu, it was not lined with soft mesh as the newer aviaries at ICWT and Cape Sanctuary are. With considerable deaths and injuries caused, the difficult decision was made in 2022 to abandon the breeding aviaries, which has severely reduced PNWC’s capacity to breed tūturuatu.

Fast-forward two years and exciting plans are afoot to build a new breeding aviary at PNWC, with the team nearing the end of the planning and investigation phase. The new aviary will be fitted with a shade cloth ceiling below the roof, to both limit visibility of the tūturuatu to kārearea, and prevent traumatic injuries to birds inside. PNWC Biodiversity Manager, Christine Reed, explains who and what is involved.

Wayne Ratapu releases a tūturuatu after a health check at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre. Photo: Tara Swan

“To guide us throughout the process, we have established an advisory group consisting of species experts and conservation breeding specialists from DOC, the Pūkaha Mount Bruce Board and our own team. We’ve also visited The Isaac Conservation & Wildlife Trust and DOC’s Twizel facility to see their aviaries and listen to their experience. Landscape architect Megan Walker from Boffa Miskell has worked with us to produce conceptual and detailed plans for the base of the aviary, generously funded through the NZ Nature Fund, The Gift Trust and some pro bono work from Boffa Miskell themselves.”

Once they get the go ahead, their Project Manager, Lester Wolfreys, is confident they can get four breeding compartments built by September this year. This means more capacity in the captive breeding programme for the upcoming season, and more tūturuatu for release onto predator-free islands.

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre

It’s becoming a tradition to finish these blogs with what our partners love about tūturuatu. Christine, who has a wealth of experience taking the national lead on captive management and the development of wildlife health capacity at DOC in the 1990s, is in a good position to comment.

“Being a small bird, they can be easily overlooked compared with bigger species like the kākāpō or takahē. Despite their size however, they are very endearing with a high level of individuality, and bags of confidence and charisma. We feel privileged to work with this unique and threatened species. With the rebuild of our breeding aviary we are looking forward to getting back up to speed and contributing the numbers of birds for release we once produced for the programme.”

And what does this mean for you, the visitor? As part of the aviary build, Pūkaha are investigating the use of remote cameras to beam live footage of the birds in the aviary back to the Visitor Centre. If you want to stay in the loop of their plans, and learn more about what Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre does for our native species, sign up to their newsletter.

May 17, 2024

Man fined over shark decapitation

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 17 May 2024

DOC was alerted to the incident when a local kuia spotted the carcass on the beach near Mahia Boat Ramp on Friday,15 March this year.

The man claimed he did not know it was a great white shark, and brought it ashore, where the jaw and head were removed and taken.

Matt Tong, DOC’s Operations Manager Tairawhiti, says the DOC Compliance team investigated and, after several weeks, located the person responsible.

“As well as failing to report his capture of the animal, the man received the infringement for being in possession of the head and jaw of the shark without a relevant authority under the Wildlife Act.”

“We’re extremely grateful for the assistance of the kuia who informed us and assisted with the investigation. DOC staff are recovering the head and jaw, which will be gifted back to iwi.”

Great white sharks are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, meaning it is illegal to hunt, kill, or otherwise harm them, or to possess or trade in any part of the animals. Any offence under this Act is liable for fines of up to $250,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment.

Matt says to avoid situations like this, people should carefully release any sharks accidentally caught when fishing.

“Should you inadvertently catch or kill a great white shark, notify DOC immediately. Useful information to provide with the specimen includes the location and depth the fish was taken in.”

“Accidentally catching something is not an infringement, but keeping, killing, or failing to report it is.”

Report details of sightings, captures or strandings to DOC

Background information

Hunting or killing absolutely or partially protected marine wildlife (in this case, a great white shark – Carcharodon carcharias) without authority is an offence contained in Section 63A(a) and Section 67(1)(fa) of the Wildlife Act 1953. It is punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years, or a maximum fine not exceeding $250,000, or both.

Failing to report the accidental or incidental death of absolutely or partially protected marine wildlife is an offence contained in Section 63B(2) and 67(1)(fb) of the Wildlife Act 1953 and is punishable by a maximum fine not exceeding $10,000.

Failure to report the accidental or incidental death of absolutely or partially protected marine wildlife is also an infringement offence under Section 70M of the Wildlife Act 1953 and is punishable by an infringement fee of $600.

Possession of absolutely or partially protected marine wildlife is an offence contained in Section 63A(b) and 67(1)(fa) of the Wildlife Act 1953 and is punishable by a maximum of 2 years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $250,000 or both.

Contact

May 16, 2024

Date and venues confirmed for Cathedral Cove drop-in sessions

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 16 May 2024

The sessions, hosted by the Department of Conservation, will be held on Saturday 25 May 2024.

Two community drop-in sessions will be held:

The Mercury Bay Community Boardroom, 10 Monk St, Whitianga, 9.30 am-12 pm.
The Hahei Community Hall, 52 Hahei Beach Road, Hahei, 2.00 pm-4.30 pm.

Attendees will be able to read information on the walking access reinstatement options being considered and talk to DOC staff about what those options entail.

People attending the drop-in sessions can also respond to a DOC survey on reinstatement options. Those who cannot attend the drop-in sessions can email cathedralcove@doc.govt.nz to provide feedback.

Feedback from the public will be included in decision-making processes.

The track to Cathedral Cove beach has been closed to the public since February 2023, when it was damaged by landslides caused by extreme weather events.

Contact

May 16, 2024

Celebrating 20 years of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest island eradication of predators – Part 2 | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

What the next 20 years of predator free islands hold.

In this two-part series, we’re celebrating 20 years of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest predator free project to-date. Looking to the future, we explore what the next 20 years of restoring New Zealand’s wild and precious islands may hold. Learn how artificial intelligence, the history of phones, and feral pigs all connect.

Written by Janel Hull.

20 years ago, DOC declared the seemingly impossible operation to make Campbell Island predator free a resounding success.

The techniques that DOC staff on Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku pioneered helped propel the world into exponentially scaling up eradications of bigger and bigger islands. DOC’s Predator Free 2050 Senior Manager, Brent Beaven, shares how Campbell Island changed the game. “Campbell Island helped unlock a step change in what we thought was possible.”

DOC Predator Free 2050 Senior Manager, Brent Beaven, translocating a rare native tīeke (South Island saddleback) | Photo: Peta Carey

Now, there have been over 1,000 island eradications in the world. And New Zealand is responsible for the lion’s share.

Thanks to these predator free breakthroughs, islands across the world are covered in screeching penguins, soaring albatross, and chubby sea lions. We were able to save precious native plants and animals from the brink of extinction.

King penguin colony on predator free Macquarie Island | Photo: Janel Hull

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Sea lion pups on predator free Enderby Island | Photo: Jack Mace

But momentum in creating larger predator free islands has unfortunately waned. Brent notes, “The island eradication tools and techniques we use now have allowed us to achieve some incredible things. But, to scale up to larger and more island eradications, we need innovation.”

Technology and techniques haven’t changed much since the 2001 Campbell Island operation. Island eradications in 2023 use similar GPS, helicopters, and techniques. Which is surprising considering that in 2001 the first ipod was released, we had just survived Y2K, and fax machines and landlines reigned supreme. These predator eradication techniques are tried and true and get the job done. But the tools aren’t effective and efficient for eradicating predators from very large islands or the mainland of Aotearoa.

To tackle restoring larger islands and the mainland, we need new tools, techniques, and technology. We need investment to shift from reliable landlines to transformative smart phones.

Predator Free 2050 has focused government investment into this innovation. Since the goal was announced in 2016, programmes like DOC’s ‘Tools to Market‘ and Predator Free 2050 Ltd.’s ‘Products to Projects’ have invested in possible game changers like biodegradable aerial rat traps, AI cameras and image recognition, smart detection devices, pest-specific toxins, and research to map predator genomes to understand their unique weaknesses and biology. In just the first five years of Predator Free 2050, government has invested $43 million into tools, research, and software for predator eradication.

Biodegradable aerial rat traps | Photo: Goodnature

Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) innovation and operations team talk through a prototype | Photo: Robyn Janes

It’s unlikely research will uncover just one “silver bullet” for eradicating introduced predators. But with the help of investment and new tools and technology, Aotearoa could accelerate efforts to restoring precious islands and our mainland.

Predator Free 2050 has also helped launch DOC’s National Eradication Team (NET). This team is working on a strategy for eradicating predators from all of New Zealand’s uninhabited off-shore islands. They’re leaders in predator eradication – spearheading strategy, testing new techniques, and advising on island eradication projects both in Aotearoa and around the world.

Some members of the National Eradication Team | Photo: Finlay Cox

DOC’s eradication experts have already achieved great things for people and wildlife. In 2018, a DOC team led the charge to successfully eradicate mice from Antipodes island, protecting wildlife like wandering albatross.

They’re also sharing their knowledge and expertise abroad. In 2023, they led a rat eradication on Palmerston Atoll in the Cook Islands with our neighbours in the Pacific who were struggling with rats destroying food and threatening their community’s health.

National Eradication Team member supporting Palmerston Atoll community members with trail cameras and rat surveys | Photo: Em Oyston

With the leadership of DOC and investment in tools and techniques, Aotearoa is taking strides to accelerate island conservation.

And these experts have their eyes set on the next big island restoration – Maukahuka Auckland Island.

Maukahuka/Auckland Island is a stronghold of remarkable plants and animals. As a subantarctic nature reserve and World Heritage site, it is home to some of the world’s rarest animals like the Gibson’s albatross, southern right-whales, New Zealand sea lions and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin).

The island supports over 500 native plants and animals with more than 100 found nowhere else in the world. The wild landscape has blushing rātā forests and windswept clusters of bright megaherbs. Maukahuka is of great cultural and spiritual significance to Ngāi Tahu, with a long history of Polynesian expeditions to the islands to gather food and settle.

Megaherb carpets on neighbouring predator free Enderby Island | Photo: James Ware

Hoiho/yellow-eyed penguins | Photo: Rachael Sagar

Sadly, over the last 200 years, populations of feral pigs, feral cats, and mice have inflicted severe harm. Now, of the 39 native bird species that were once on the island, 28 are either gone or remain in very small numbers. Large swaths of rātā forests have disturbed soils and stunted understories. Megaherbs are dwindling. Without action, plants and animals will continue to disappear.

Feral pigs in a white-capped albatross colony on Auckland Island | Photo: Paul Sagar

At about four times the size of Campbell Island, achieving a predator free Auckland Island would be a massive undertaking. It would be New Zealand’s largest predator free island and the final step to finally restore all of New Zealand’s subantarctic islands.

In 2021, the National Eradication Team spent three years investigating whether it was possible to eradicate pigs, mice and feral cats from Auckland Island. They concluded that making Auckland Island predator free would be achievable, worthwhile, and sustainable in the long run.

But first, the project would need about $9.75 million per year over 8 years to tackle the challenge. Innovation in image processing and targeted baits has steadily reduced the time and cost. But it would still require unprecedented support and investment.

Looking to the future, New Zealand could make even bigger strides in conservation on islands like Auckland Island. Brent reflects, “All of our progress on previous islands helped build the confidence to launch Predator Free 2050. We’re now seriously eyeing up another step change in possibility with Maukahuka Auckland Island.”

Predator Free 2050 is helping tackle the challenge of innovating new tools and technology, spearheading a strategy for restoring all islands, and growing new levels of community support and investment for eradicating pests.

The next 20 years could be promising for predator free islands. But it’ll be a challenge. Brent notes, “We’ll need to innovate, test our limits and be prepared to take a bit of risk as we step into the unknown.”

Read Part 1 of the blog series here.

May 14, 2024

Karakia marks formal opening of suspension bridge on the Taranaki Maunga

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 14 May 2024

The Taranaki Crossing is a partnership between Ngā Iwi o Taranaki, DOC and Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit that has been in place from project feasibility through to delivery.

Construction of the 100-metre suspension bridge began in November 2023. The build culminated with this morning’s event attended by more than 100 guests including iwi representatives, contractors, and staff from central and local government agencies.

The bridge, within Egmont National Park/Te Papakura o Taranaki, has been designed for a lifespan of 100 years, and to withstand the sub-alpine Manganui Gorge’s winds, weather conditions and a one in 250-year Mt Taranaki Avalanche. Supported by two massive masts at either end, the bridge sits 49.5 m above the floor of the gorge and features artwork contributed by Ngāti Ruanui.

“This has been a challenging build in an at-times hostile environment – with plenty of reminders of why safety was one of the key drivers for this part of the project,” says DOC’s Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki Regional Director Tinaka Mearns.

“We knew from the outset this would be an impressive structure once finished, and so we’re delighted an eye-catching and important part of the Taranaki Crossing visitor experience is completed.”

Te Runanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Deputy Tumu W’akaae Ngapari Nui says the bridge marked a new era of co-governance for our Maunga.

“We have worked alongside DOC from design to construction, including the gifting of taonga. That makes this bridge a destination in itself,” he says.

“The bridge’s stunning visual appearance fits well into the mountain landscape and is a unique part of the cultural interface Ngāti Ruanui brought to this project.”

“The bridge will become a key tourist attraction, along with the experience Ngāti Ruanui has crafted, including our world-renowned Mountain House restaurant and accommodation complex,” says Ngapari.

“Taranaki’s regional economic development strategy Tapuae Roa identified the Taranaki Crossing as a priority project. This will for attract more visitors, boost local businesses and create jobs and other opportunities,” says Bridget Sullivan, Principal Regional Advisor for Kānoa, the Government’s Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

“The original $13.4 million grant from the Provincial Growth Fund has resulted in a lot of other funders coming on board to support the entire Taranaki Crossing project,” she said. “The grant includes funding for this stunning new bridge which has cost about $1.2 million.”

The bridge will significantly improve access through this part of the mountain environment and improve visitor safety by replacing the existing track which descends through the bottom of the gorge. The existing track is prone to washouts and closure due to avalanche risk.

Contact

May 13, 2024

DOC and iwi seek info on stolen whale jawbone

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 13 May 2024

DOC Senior Ranger Rosalind Cole says a deceased 15-meter-long sperm whale washed ashore on a remote part of Oreti Beach, Southland last weekend.

“Sometime between last Saturday and Monday, someone has come along with a chainsaw and taken the jawbone,” Rosalind says.

Marks on the bone and tyre tracks leading to the carcass show it was likely removed by humans rather than scavenging animals.

Removing whale bones from a beachcast animal is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 and offenders could face fines up to $250,000.

Whale bone is a highly prized taonga for iwi which is used in carving and it was disappointing someone had stolen it before the appropriate protocols and tikanga had been observed, Rosalind says.

Ōraka Aparima Kaumātua and Kai Rongoā Muriel Johnstone says the rūnaka are extremely upset this whale was not offered its due respect in terms of tikanga.

“We know and treat whales as Rangatira (Chiefs) of the sea and as such deserve appropriate protocols said over them. This includes a farewell address and appropriate karakia. This then allows us to treat the whale as a gift from the sea and use its resources. These include the bone, teeth and oils that we use as did our ancestors.”

“We have experts at our rūnaka who have worked with whales and their management.”

“It is obvious that someone knows the value of these taonga and has deliberately removed and stolen the jaw.”

A similar instance took place in 2015 when the jaw was removed from another sperm whale that had also washed ashore at Oreti Beach.

Anyone with any information on the missing whale bone can contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT.

Contact

May 9, 2024

Celebrating 20 years of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest island eradication of predators – Part 1 | Conservation blog

Source: Department of Conservation

We’re celebrating 20 years of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest predator free project to-date. Hear from a former DOC ranger who experienced the world first rat eradication as he shares the story of mysterious footprints, an explosion of wētā, and why making subantarctic islands predator-free is so important.

Written by Janel Hull.

Campbell Island, Motu Ihupuku is a thriving wildlife stronghold and a testament to Aotearoa New Zealand’s world-leadership in conservation. But it’s tucked away in a surprising location, 700 kilometres south of Aotearoa New Zealand’s South Island in the subantarctic islands.

This island is a World Heritage Site and nature reserve that is renowned for the overwhelming volume of rare plants and animals it supports. The island is home to six species of albatross – including one that lives nowhere else in the world.

The northern cliffs are blanketed in densely packed nests of Campbell Island albatross and thick with weaving swarms of seabirds. It’s a stunning sight to see… just try not to imagine the strong smell.

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Campbell Island albatross breeding colony | Photo: Tui De Roy

A southern royal albatross on its nest | Photo: Peter J Moore

Fields of lilac and sunshine megaherbs (giant wildflowers) stretch in an endless carpet across the upper parts of the island, reaching up to the knees and hips of visitors. The fields are interrupted with dots of white – nests of southern royal albatross/toroa – and brown – lounging New Zealand sea lions/pakake. Sometimes, the sea lions let off an unsettling nearby roar from somewhere in the tall grass.

Megaherb field of Campbell Island daisy (Pheurophyllum speciosum) | Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

But 20 years ago, Campbell Island was a completely different story. For nearly 200 years, introduced rats had run rampant on the island. These predators decimated megaherbs, birds, and nests in their wake. Campbell Island had achieved another world first for wildlife volume. But this time, the island had the highest density of Norway rats in the world.

This all changed in 2001 when DOC began a world-first operation to eradicate rats from the 11,300-hectare Campbell Island. Former DOC Ranger Lindsay Wilson recalls “when we were doing Campbell, there was a huge amount of scepticism that it would work. It was the largest rat eradication in the world.”

Former DOC ranger Lindsay Wilson on Campbell Island | Photo: Supplied

The team boldly aimed to eradicate rats from an island about six times bigger than any island attempted before. This was attempting “the impossible”.

DOC sent a team of 19 including eradication experts, biologists, helicopter pilots, a medic, and a cook to live on the island for 3 months.

Lindsay was a key part of the team. To save native species from extinction, they were tasked with meticulously distributing rat toxin across every corner of the island. They used helicopters and recently developed GPS technology to map the precise spread of bait.

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The rat eradication team review helicopter maps of the island back at their hut | Photo: Pete Tyree

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Map showing areas allocated for helicopter flight paths | Photo: Pete Tyree

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Team member looking at helicopter bait flight paths | Photo: Pete Tyree

A typical day for Lindsay involved being flown out to a helicopter loading site at sunrise, filling buckets with toxin, and reloading until sunset. (Although sometimes a typical day involved waiting for the wind to stop blowing). In the evenings, the crew would head back to their hut and pour over GPS tracks to determine paths for the next day. Their long hours were driven by a single purpose – bring thriving wildlife back to the island.

All work was planned around the wet, windy, and unpredictable weather of the subantarctic islands. Operations require fine and calm weather for flying and to ensure bait is in tip top shape. A typical day was drizzly, blustering with 30-40 knot winds, and was about 5 degrees Celsius with heavy grey clouds. In fact, rain falls on Campbell Island an average of 325 days per year!

Lindsay chuckles, “the weather was so bad, it was kind of cool. You know? I remember the first time after 10 days the sun came out. Suddenly it’s like everything went from black and white to colour.”

With a combination of surprisingly dry weather and the team’s hard work, the operation finished in just 6 weeks.

Bait loading during the Campbell Island eradication | Photo: Pete Tyree

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The base that housed DOC’s rat eradication team | Photo: DOC

Two years later, Lindsay and the team returned to the island to monitor whether the world-first eradication was successful. The team landed with bated breath.

“Right after we landed on the first night, we went outside and shone the torch around and here’s all these wētā under the bushes that we hadn’t seen previously. It was really pronounced – there were wētā everywhere.”

For two months, the team hiked up and down the steep island checking lines of traps to look for signs of any remaining rats. Instead, they found recovering megaherbs, an explosion of the songbird pipits, and a mysterious footprint.

“The icing on the cake was one of the team found small footprints in the mud at Six Foot Lake.” They thought it could be the endemic subantarctic snipe, previously wiped out from the island.

“We could hardly believe it really. They didn’t have a camera with them, and we didn’t have cell phones in those days. They did a very careful sketch and got measurements of the footprints.” Once they returned to the hut, they radioed the snipe expert and confirmed their finding.

Drawing of subantarctic snipe footprints by bird expert Colin Miskelly

A subantarctic snipe chick found by researchers on Campbell Island in 2004 | Photo: Colin Miskelly

The snipe were back home, at last. These hearty birds had managed to reintroduce themselves from a tiny rock stack near the island.

Lindsay remembers that the team had dreamed of one-day returning snipe to Campbell Island. “We thought we’d have to go and physically capture snipe, captive rear them, and maybe in 10-20 years we could reintroduce them. But instead, within two years, they were back.”

An adult subantarctic snipe on Campbell Island | Photo: Brent Beaven

Campbell Island was officially declared free of rats in May 2003, achieving the world’s largest rat eradication at the time and our country’s largest island eradication to date.

But New Zealand’s legacy of successful eradications doesn’t end there. From the 1980s to the 2010s, we were able to increase the size of island eradications. They went from 200 hectares, to 10,000 hectares, to over 100,000 hectares. “In just 30 years, the rate of possibility hugely increased”.

The techniques that DOC staff on Campbell Island pioneered helped propel the world into exponentially scaling up island eradications of bigger and bigger islands. Now, there have been over 110+ successful island eradications in New Zealand and around 1,000 successful eradications in the world. And New Zealand is responsible for the lion’s share.

Islands across the world are covered in screeching penguins, soaring albatross, and chubby sea lions thanks to predator free action.

Sea lion pups on predator free Enderby Island | Photo: Jack Mace

Breeding colony of royal penguins on predator free Macquarie Island | Photo: Creative Commons

Read part two to learn what’s to come for the next 20 years of island restoration. We explore futuristic technology, how New Zealand takes Predator Free 2050 knowledge around the world, and what it’ll take to make New Zealand’s final subantarctic island predator free.

May 7, 2024

Largest subantarctic field season wraps up

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 07 May 2024

DOC has wrapped up a bumper summer field season where for the first time, rangers, scientists, independent researchers and other staff were stationed on all five of the remote subantarctic island groups – Bounty Island, Antipodes Island, Snares Island, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island.

DOC Marine Bycatch and Threats Manager Kris Ramm says much of the work focused on filling knowledge gaps for species as well as maintaining and fixing important field infrastructure.

“The subantarctic islands are remote and hard to reach; undertaking work down there requires a lot of careful coordination. Things such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Cyclone Gabrielle and other external factors have all impacted our work programme on the islands in recent years, so we’re thrilled to have been able to complete successful trips to each of these islands this year.”

New Zealand’s subantarctic islands represent one of the last great wildernesses anywhere in the world and are located hundreds of kilometres to the south and southeast of the mainland. They are home to a range of rare species, such as Antipodean and Gibson’s albatross, which breed nowhere else on earth. The islands are managed by DOC as national nature reserves, the highest possible conservation status. They have also been honoured with World Heritage status, meaning they represent the best of the world’s natural heritage and rate alongside the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest.

The research and monitoring programme will help us to understand the health of vulnerable native species such as hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, New Zealand sea lion/pakake/whakahao, Gibson’s and Antipodean albatross/toroa and other seabirds, Kris says.

“For many of these species, the subantarctic region represents their last stronghold. It’s important we understand the threats and challenges they face so we can better focus our efforts.

“Some of the research programmes such as the Antipodean albatross work, have been going on for decades. That’s a lot of useful data chronicling the health of a species and gives such a valuable insight into how we can better advocate for them and other species when they’re traversing international waters.”

While it will take some time for the full suite of monitoring data to be analysed from the season, so far there are some trends emerging, Kris says.

“The number of sea lion pups born on the Auckland Islands had a slight increase from the extraordinarily low year last year, but not to the extent we would have expected. On Campbell Island, pup mortality continues to be high with up to 89% of sea lions dying in their first few weeks of life. While the precise reasons for this remain unclear, many pups on Campbell Island appear to die of a combination of exposure and starvation.”

The number of southern royal albatross also appears to have declined. Teams are still working through exact population estimates, Kris says.

Teams were also getting samples for baseline monitoring of wildlife health, which Otago University are testing for pathogens including avian influenza viruses.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been detected in the New Zealand subantarctic region or Oceania, including New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. However, it has been reported on islands in the subantarctic Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula in recent months.

Alongside the species work, teams of rangers were also undertaking repair work to key field infrastructure such as roofs and boardwalks and building maintenance.

It takes a lot of people and coordination to pull off a field season in an area as remote as the New Zealand subantarctic, and it was great to have the support of so many, Kris says

“The season was challenging with strong winds, rain and low cloud. Despite this, across many different teams — from those undertaking field maintenance, to biosecurity checks before departure, to those out collecting wildlife data, and of course the skipper and crew of the transport vessel, Evohe. It’s been a huge effort.”

This marine programme is largely funded by fisheries levies through the Conservation Services Programme with the aim of monitoring the impact of commercial fishing on native species and identifying ways to mitigate this impact.