A concerned member of the public reported the incident, which happened around 12 pm on Friday, January 3.
DOC Hauraki Operations Manager Avi Holzapfel is dismayed by the report of harm to wildlife.
“It’s extremely frustrating and distressing to hear about this kind of wilful mistreatment of wildlife,” says Avi. “We’re very grateful to the person who reported this to us for their continued assistance.
“So far, we have images of the vessel alleged to be involved, and have made enquiries with local marinas and databases to identify its owner.
One of the boats sought to aid the investigation. Image: Supplied
“We are keen to speak with people on board two vessels pictured seen in the area at the time, one of which bears the name ‘Dad & Me’, and any other members of the public who may have witnessed the incident.”
If anyone has more information they can provide about this incident, please contact the DOC HOT line on 0800 362 468 or wildlifecrime@doc.govt.nz, quoting CLE Incident CLE-8275.
Many seabirds are classified as absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. Hunting or killing absolutely protected wildlife can result in penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
Update: Police have now spoken to people on the other vessel, and are confident they are not involved and do not know those on the suspected offending vessel.
The juvenile/subadult dolphin, which was travelling with a fully grown dolphin, was first reported to DOC’s hotline on 29 December.
DOC Operations Manager, Kirsty Prior, says the team located the dolphin and its companion at 12:50 pm yesterday.
“The disentanglement team were able to get a working line with grapnel and floats on the animal. This allowed the team to bring the dolphin close to the boat and work carefully with specialist knives to cut it free by 1:54 pm.
“We monitored the area for several hours and can confirm the dolphin is free of the entanglement and swimming strongly.
“It will now likely take time to heal and rest after before moving out of the area. Please give the dolphins space during this time.
“We would like to thank everyone who called the hotline, the public were vital in helping our team do their job successfully”, says Kirsty.
Jocelin Friend from Te Kawerau ā Maki welcomed the invitation to be on the vessel and see the disentanglement take place.
“Te Wai Roa ō Kahu and Rangitōpuni awa are our ancestral waterways. Our duty as kaitiaki is to ensure our taonga species are treated with utmost care.
“I was impressed with how the team worked together swiftly, carefully and in respect of tikanga Māori to safely free the dolphin”, says Jocelin.
A reminder to everyone to stay vigilant on the water and keep their distance from marine mammals and to report any sightings to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68).
DOC Operations Manager Whakatipu, David Butt, says the temporary site will be convenient and closer to most of the district’s extensive visitor network.
“These two weeks are some of the busiest we get for visitors,” says David.
“Glenorchy is a gateway to the area’s most popular day and multi-day hikes including the Routeburn Track, Greenstone/Caples Track and Dart/Rees Valley, making it a busy place for visitors wanting to get out and experience nature.
“We always want to figure out the best way to serve Whakatipu visitors, so we’re also keen to see how well the temporary site is received.
“The visitor centre in Queenstown (50 Stanley St) will be closed during this period, as staff will be based in Glenorchy. There will be notices on the doors to advise people of the temporary Glenorchy location and contact phone numbers for enquiries.”
The pop-up visitor centre will be run from the former Glenorchy Café on Mull Street and provide DOC information and services.
People checking in for the Routeburn Great Walk from 13-26 January will need to do so when they arrive in Glenorchy.
The juvenile/subadult dolphin, which is travelling with a fully grown dolphin, was first reported to DOC’s hotline on 29 December. It was observed entangled in a fishing net in the Western Waitemata Harbour.
DOC staff have been monitoring the dolphins in the Riverhead Herald Island area, and although they have appeared calm, the positioning of the net may limit the entangled dolphin’s movement and ability to dive.
DOC’s specialist marine mammal disentanglement team is assembling and preparing to intervene. There is added difficulty due to the dolphin’s companion animal, and careful planning is required to ensure a safe outcome for both animals.
What you can do if you spot the dolphin
Call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68) immediately with the dolphin’s location and behaviour.
Stay at a safe distance to monitor the dolphin without causing distress.
Boaties should avoid approaching the dolphin or attempting to remove the entanglement, as it can endanger both the dolphin and those involved.
“It’s vital to locate this dolphin as soon as possible,” says Kirsty Prior, DOC Operations Manager. “The safety of both the animal and people responding to its distress is our top priority. Entangled marine mammals face significant risks, and careful planning is needed to ensure the best outcome.”
Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris is a growing threat to marine life. DOC urges fishers and boaties to minimise floating slack lines when setting fishing gear and to dispose of waste and old gear responsibly to prevent marine debris.
DOC has a specialist marine mammal disentanglement team trained to safely free entangled animals using internationally recognised best practices. “Entanglements like this happen one to two times a year around New Zealand,” says Kirsty. “We have the skills, equipment, and experience to respond, when necessary, but locating the animal is the first crucial step.”
While disentanglement procedures are primarily designed for larger marine mammals like whales, DOC will assess and adapt its approach for this entangled dolphin. DOC teams are equipped with specialist tools and follow strict protocols to ensure safety for both the marine mammal and rescuers.
The last reported sighting was yesterday afternoon by the Huapai Golf Course at the edge of Waitemata Harbour. Anyone spotting the dolphins should call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68) immediately with the location and dolphin’s behaviour.
If you’re after epic adventures, you can’t look past the story of Carlos Zavalaga, who followed Northern Buller’s albatross all the way from Peru to the tiny island of Motuhara in the Chathams and back again!
Northern royal albatross colony. Image: Carlos Zavalaga
Dr Carlos Zavalaga, a researcher at Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima, Peru, knows the migratory Northern Buller’s albatross fly several thousands of kilometres from their breeding grounds in Aotearoa New Zealand to feed in Peruvian waters where artisanal long-line fishing vessels operate.
What he doesn’t know and wants to find out – just like our DOC seabird teams here in Aotearoa – is if the interactions between the birds and the fishing boats are posing a risk to the birds. So, as a secondee to DOC, he crossed the Pacific as albatrosses do, to help find out.
Black-browed albatross, white-chinned petrel, and Northern Buller’s albatross competing for shark guts, southern Peru. Image: Javier Quiñones
Seabird capital of the world
You would’ve heard this already, but it’s worth repeating. Aotearoa is the seabird capital of the world. We host over 30% of the world’s seabirds.
“Looking after them on behalf of the world is our responsibility, but they’re not doing so well,” says Johannes Fischer, Marine Science Advisor.
“Despite our huge efforts to rid predators from a lot of our important seabird breeding islands, our seabirds are generally declining. In fact, 90% of our seabirds are in trouble.”
Our seabirds go beyond our jurisdiction
A lot of these seabird population declines are due to causes beyond our jurisdiction.
Igor Debski, Principal Science Advisor Marine, says, “These birds use entire ocean basins where they face threats we can’t control. So, we address those threats by working with foreign nations.”
This work falls under New Zealand’s International Seabird Strategy. Mandy Leathers from the International Team, who led the development of the Strategy, says, “Fortunately, there are simple, effective and inexpensive ways to make fishing seabird safe. The Strategy sets a clear roadmap towards seabird-safe fisheries across the oceans where our seabirds forage and live.”
Johannes explains why we’re working with Peru: “Many of our seabirds cross the Pacific and spend a lot of their time in the highly productive Humboldt Current System off the coast of Peru. The Northern Buller’s albatross is a good example of that. So, Peru is an important country for us to work with to make sure our seabirds are safe when they breed here and feed over there.”
Northern Bullers albatross in Peru. Image: Javier Quiñones
A helping hand from 10,000 kilometres away
Peru has a large number of small artisanal fishing fleets. Together with Carlos and his colleague in Peru, Javier Quiñones, we have been trying to identify more precisely which of their fisheries pose the most risk to seabirds such as Northern Buller’s, and then work with those fisheries to help reduce seabird deaths.
We also don’t know much about seabird distributions in their non-breeding range. Carlos had already tried to get some answers by satellite tagging Northern Buller’s in Peru’s waters three years ago. Unfortunately, this project didn’t have much luck with getting data, as all the transmitters were lost – likely due to moulting. Although what he did get showed that Northern Buller’s were following the paths of fishing vessels.
The tail to this tale. Carlos tagged 10 Northern Buller’s albatross with satellite transmitters. Image: Carlos Zavalaga
Colony life
Motuhara (or Motchuhar in Moriori) is home to the world’s biggest colonies of Northern Buller’s albatross and Northern royal albatross. There are also colonies of Northern giant petrels and cape petrels.
Carlos and DOC staff, Mike Bell and Dave Bell, spent 12 days working with all these species – counting nests, checking bands, banding fledglings, recovering geolocators, and most importantly, tagging Northern Buller’s albatrosses with satellite transmitters to get the all-important data for when these birds return to Peru and where they spend their time.
Nest checks for banded Northern royal albatross. The orange paint is to indicate this nest has already been counted. Image: Carlos Zavalaga
A little project making huge gains
Carlos tagged Northern Buller’s albatrosses whose nests had already failed this season in the hopes they would soon leave the colony and fly back to the feeding grounds in Peru. He hoped this would mean he could get enough data before the tail feathers, where the tags are attached, moulted off.
It’s working.
“Five birds are now on their way to Peru – to Carlos – as we speak. It’s all coming together,” Igor says.
It’s also been a win for relationship building with the owners of the island. Being allowed to work on the island was no small deal. It’s privately owned by a conglomerate of over 200 different Māori owners and getting permission is not straightforward.
Carlos met with two of the owners before leaving on the boat for Motuhara. They were really interested in his work and what’s happening in Peru to protect Northern Buller’s albatross.
Motuhara. Image: Carlos Zavalaga
“This international collaboration is bringing a lot to our general knowledge of the birds, implementing the international seabird strategy, and building important relationships,” says Johannes. “This little project is actually making huge gains in everything.”
We take a look back and count down some of the biggest conservation stories from 2024…
10. Rosvall Sawmill kiwi rescue
In April the Rosvall Sawmill crew in Whareroa alerted us to a curious kiwi who had found its way onto their work site. With the help of rangers, along with the support of Backyard Kiwi, Kiwi Coast, and Northland Regional Council, this feathered friend was in soon in safe hands.
After a thorough check-up, the little adventurer received a clean bill of health and was released into the safety of Mount Tiger, a nearby dog-free forest with strong predator control, where she “cruised off happily.”
This heartwarming story is a testament to the strength of the kiwi population in Northland thanks to dedicated predator control efforts. Since 2009, volunteers in the area have trapped more than 25,000 invasive pests.
The Hump Ridge Track in Southland became New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk in October.
Located in Te Wāhipounamu, the south-west corner of the South Island, the track is a 60 kilometre, three-day loop through southern Fiordland’s spectacular and diverse landscape. The track provides access to the spectacular southern coastline and forests, alpine tops and historic viaducts.
Breeding season for kākā was in full swing from September through to April. Pairs around Wellington were out prospecting for potential nesting sites and some human abodes became prime real estate for these feathered flat-hunters.
We had a few calls from people checking for rats in their attic and finding a parrot with a large beak looking back at them instead. Rangers corralled a kākā in the attic of a house in Aro Valley in September, and it wasn’t the only one.
The return of kākā to Wellington is a true success story, the population increased a whopping 250 per cent between 2011 and 2020, thanks to the work of Zealandia Ecosanctuary and community trapping efforts.
In May we were excited to announce the opening of the new Manganui Gorge Bridge. The 100-metre-long suspension bridge is a feat of engineering and well worth a visit for the epic views of Taranaki Maunga.
The bridge will be a major feature of the Taranaki Crossing project on Taranaki Maunga. The Taranaki Crossing is a partnership between Ngā Iwi o Taranaki, DOC and Kānoa.
6. Campbell Island celebrates 20 years predator-free
20 years ago, the seemingly impossible happened; Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku was declared predator free.
Since then, the techniques and tools that the team pioneered helped propel the world into scaling up eradications of bigger and bigger islands. Now there have been over 1,000 island eradications worldwide, with Aotearoa New Zealand being responsible for the lion’s share.
We’re still using similar techniques today as we did back then, but to be able to eradicate predators from even larger islands or mainland Aotearoa, we’ll need newer, more efficient technology.
In December Mautohe Cathedral Cove reopened to walkers in time for summer.
The walking track closed after severe damage by extreme weather events including Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in Summer 2022-2023.
The area is renowned for its dramatic natural rock arch and idyllic waters which have previously drawn 250,000 walkers annually, playing an important role in the local economy.
In December mana whenua from Te Rūnanga o Ōtākau and scientists examined the rarest whale in the world for the first time ever.
The 5-metre-long male spade-toothed whale/tohora that washed ashore at Otago’s Taiari Mouth in July underwent a dissection at Invermay Agresearch Centre in Mosgiel.
Vestigial teeth were just one of many new discoveries made during the dissection. They also found that the whale had nine stomach chambers, which was previously unknown.
A rare Antarctic visitor arrived on the shores of Petone Beach in October. The Adélie penguin had travelled thousands of kilometres from the frozen continent.
The penguin was taken to Te Kohanga/The Nest at Wellington Zoo to recover and recuperate. Our climate isn’t suitable for these cold-weather birds. Once back to full health she got a premium water taxi service from New Zealand Police into the Cook Strait, a boost to her southward journey home.
Huge thanks to Wellington Zoo Te Nukuao, New Zealand Police, and everyone involved in helping this wayward waddler on her way.
Kiwi numbers are increasing in a remote part of Fiordland for the first time in the history of their conservation, thanks to recent aerial predator control operations.
The population of Fiordland tokoeka at Shy Lake is now growing about 2% per year, officially turning the tide and reversing their decline. A 2% increase represents a significant win for the species at a population level.
It means not only are chicks surviving long enough to replace the adults, enough are making it to adulthood to officially grow the population.
In September a “highly unusual” situation occurred on Kawau Island. A pygmy blue whale, approximately 14-15 metres long, became ‘stuck’ under the private Schoolhouse Bay Wharf.
The wedged in whale quickly became international news, with media from around the world reporting on the incident. It took immense effort from all involved, and the removal of several piles from the wharf, to free the juvenile whale.
This was a huge collaborative effort, and is couldn’t have been done it without the help of the many people on the ground. From Ngāti Manuhiri, Stanaway Marine and STF contractors, and local residents, everyone played their part in this complex operation. Thank you!
Pou whenua are carved posts used to mark out boundaries or places of significance to Māori.
The sites, located at Medlands Beach close to Bark Bay and further along at Marahau, have been closed off by DOC staff.
DOC and mana whenua are extremely disappointed by the vandalism, and are working with NZ Police to track down those responsible. Phil Crawford, Acting Operations Director, says it’s hard to believe someone would vandalise cultural pieces like this along a Great Walk.
“The first pou whenua looks as though someone took a hammer to it,” says Phil, “and paint was thrown over the second. These are mindless acts of destruction. Honestly, we’re not sure which is stranger – that someone would do something like this, or that they planned enough to bring a hammer and paint along to do it.”
“We hope that, given the amount of people on the track currently, someone must have seen something and will be able to pass the information along. If anyone has any information about this, please contact the DOC HOT line on 0800 362 468 or NZ Police on 105.”
One pou whenua is of Hohāia Rangiāuru, an important Te Ātiawa chief of Motueka. An online hui was held yesterday morning with mana whenua and DOC, where Hohāia’s descendants expressed sadness at the vandalism.
“Ka tangi te ngākau i tēnei mahi tūkino,” says Melanie McGregor, great-granddaughter of Hohāia. “I lament this act of violence.”
Replacement and future protection measures for all the pou in the National Park were discussed, and mana whenua plan to visit and perform karakia at the site to impose a rāhui which will deem the site tapu until further notice.
If anyone has any information about these crimes, please call NZ Police on 105 and cite case number 241223/3689.
From late November through early March. a team of eager individuals from Abseil Access converge on Mokai Valley in the Taihape area to search and control white bryony (bryonia diocia).
First discovered in Mokai Valley in 1991, DOC has been actively working with MPI towards the eradication of this white bryony since 1999. The plant has been considered a priority pest for national eradication since December 2006, and is included in the National Interest Pest Responses (NIPR) programme.
Senior Ranger Biodiversity Dan Tuohy says white bryony has the potential to impact on economic, biodiversity, and landscape values.
“White bryony smothers and shades out many of New Zealand’s native and desirable introduced species,” says Dan. “It’s a climbing vine, so requires a lot of grid searching in the bush, along cliff lines, and through nearby land. Control requires a surprising amount of abseiling and physical activity
Invasive weeds destroy our native plant communities, and can make the unique natural landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand unrecognisable. Weeds can also provide hiding places for pest animals, increasing the risk posed to our native bird species. Some common weeds include purple loosestrife, gorse, and even trees like wilding conifers.
Gorse is a real horror story and shows one of the worst-case scenarios for invasive weeds. Since its introduction in the mid-19th century, it has become one of the country’s most ubiquitous and recognisable weeds, and extremely expensive to control.
“We need to make sure white bryony doesn’t become the next gorse,” says Dan.
White bryony is known to be present in two places in New Zealand:
• Makino Reserve (Rangitikei River Valley) near Taihape. • Aria and Mokauiti near Te Kuiti.
If you have seen it or suspect you have seen it, please contact the Biosecurity New Zealand Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or online at: report.mpi.govt.nz/pest.
The type of information to have with your report is:
• Location (a GPS point would be good) • Photo • Size, how big is the plant • Defining features (is it flowering, fruiting, etc)
“Protecting New Zealand’s biodiversity is a team effort,” says Dan. “Together, we can make this invasive weed history.”
Perhaps you know your Daffy from your Donald, your Huey from your Louie and Dewey, but do you really know your ducks?
Communications and Media Advisor Krysia Nowak takes a duck-dive into the shallows for a quick wade around the ducks of Aotearoa.
This is the final episode, friends, with a focus on the fantastically fabulous whio. Found only in Aotearoa New Zealand (unless you happen to take a $10 note overseas), whio are more threatened than some species of kiwi – it’s time we showed them some love!
Adult whio | William Harland CC BY-ND 4.0
What’s in a name?
As Shakespeare almost once said, ‘a blue duck by any other name would still be blue’. Except these aren’t, really. At a stretch they might be a steel blue, but my personal opinion is that the name came about because ‘grey duck’ was already taken (See Ducktales Episode 1: Quacking the case on mallards and grey ducks). A more accurate name, then, is the te reo Māori ‘whio’, or ‘kowhiowhio’, said to resemble the whistling sound the males make.
Whistling you say? That’s right, no generic quacking for our whio whānau. Males have a piercing whistle, synonymous with out backcountry river soundscape, while the females utter a purring sort of growl.
You may be used to ducks living on still water, perhaps gently flowing water, a pond, a stream, a lowland river. Not so the whio; they’re thrill-seekers. Instead, picture these hardy ducks on rapids we’d usually associate with rafting and adventure sports. Even the ducklings can handle strong currents with ease, thanks to their oversized ‘umbrella-like’ feet.
Umbrella feet
Whio are only distantly related to our other ducks, as they separated from other species a long time ago. They’ve specialised in this fast-flowing environment, in fact, they’re one of only four species of duck in the world adapted to live in ‘torrent’ environments!
To give an example of their specialisation, I once saw a whio family on the pond at Tongariro National Trout Centre (they pop in occasionally, a holiday from the river I guess). I had the privilege of watching one of the adult whio chasing a mallard around the pond. Swimming near each other the differences were stark – whio with their streamlined bodies racing through the water, next to the dingy-like mallard at a relaxed pace. Needless to say, the mallard ceded the pond, and the whio emerged victorious.
Clean, clear, and cold
Whio need clean, clear, cold water to survive. Well…mostly so they can eat. Visual hunters, they peruse the current and under rocks for tasty insects and worms (with a cool beak!). They can handle the occasional flood muddying the water, but permanently silty environments kill their kai, and their ability to find it.
A whio surveying its domain | Michael Hayward CC BY-ND 4.0
So why clean and cold? Well not a whole lot of things like to live in pollution (except humans, apparently), and whio food is no exception. Prime whio fodder like mayflies, caddis, and stoneflies have high oxygen needs. Pollution uses up oxygen, and warm water holds less oxygen, so clean and cold is where it’s at.
Stoatally uncool
Imagine whio back before mammalian predators were introduced, when threats came from other birds like harriers and black-backed gulls. Birds are visual, and most (with a couple of notable exceptions) don’t have a good sense of smell. So, the ultimate whio defence strategy was born: look like a rock. People unfamiliar with whio spotting often fail to spot the ‘slightly animated rocks’ that betray a stealthy whio. Ducklings are a black and white combination that somehow disappears completely in the rapids.
Try and count whio ducklings on the move. Go on, I dare you.
Black and white whio ducklings are hard to track in the rapids | Bradley Shields CC BY-ND 4.0
Enter mammalian predators, like stoats, with an excellent sense of smell to tell boulder from bird. Suddenly, whio are *ahem* sitting ducks. Whio aren’t completely defenceless; they’re feisty and can often fight off predators, but they have no way to hide from predators who can sniff them out, and it’s difficult to fight a stoat and keep your eggs alive at the same time. If a stoat finds a female whio sitting on her nest, it’s only a matter of time before it either kills her or drives her off and eats the eggs. All the while, the male whio is diligently watching the river and sky for threats, not realising the real threat now comes from the land (this breaks my heart).
By the time conservationists realised there was a problem, there were estimated to be less than 2500 whio left in the entire country.
Whio Forever?
So, how can we stop the decline of whio? Partner up!
If we control stoats in whio habitat, we give whio their best chance of resilience in the face of other threats like climate change. We’re pretty fortunate here at DOC to have a partnership with Genesis, and with their support we’ve been able to protect more than 1,500 kilometres of river in whio habitat in locations across New Zealand.
Stoats aren’t the only threat to whio though, many of our rivers aren’t as healthy as they used to be, so habitat loss is right up there, along with climate change. Helping to keep our rivers healthy (don’t litter, plant trees, wash your car on the grass, etc), and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions (you know the drill) are actions that can help the wider picture for fabulous whio.
Whio live year-round on fast flowing rivers and streams | DOC
Well, I’m all out of ducks, and you’ve made it to the end of the ducktales blogs; well done you! Now you get to go on and share all these new facts at your Christmas parties. You’re welcome; you can thank me by being decent to ducks:
DOC Wildfire Manager Brent Swanson says it’s crucial people check whether fires are allowed in the area, and the fire status for the region, before lighting fires in the outdoors.
“The day you head out on your trip, go to the Check It’s Alright website first to follow the fire safety advice and check the local fire danger level. This tool will tell you whether it’s ok to light a fire.”
Brent says there are already very dry conditions in some places this season. There have already been several significant fires, including on conservation land, such as the December blaze in Craigieburn, Canterbury. The eastern parts of the country in particular are expected to have a high fire risk.
“Conservation land is always in a restricted or prohibited fire season, depending on the fire risk, and some areas have a year-round total fire ban.
“Although all conservation land is in a restricted fire season, people may light fires at a campsite’s designated fireplace, or in the backcountry according to specific conditions outlined on the DOC website. Care should be taken to thoroughly extinguish any campfires before leaving a site.
“If it’s a prohibited fire season, it means there is a fire ban and no fires can be lit, though fireplaces inside huts can still be used.
“There may also be useful fire safety information on the DOC webpage about the specific track, hut, or campsite being visited.”
Brent says disposing of hot ashes outside can start devastating wildfires, so ashes from hut fireplaces should be put into the metal bins provided at huts and then soaked with water.
“Gas cookers and enclosed liquid fuel stoves can usually be used at any time, but extra care should be taken if the fire risk is high. Set them up in an area that’s at least 3m clear of any vegetation on a stable, level surface, and be careful when balancing heavy pots on top as they could tip the cooker over.
“Another thing to think about is where to park the car at the start of a trip, as a hot exhaust in long grass can start a fire.”
“Fires on conservation land are often accidentally caused by people. No one wants to see native ecosystems, recreation assets, or heritage and cultural sites destroyed because of a fire, so we’re asking people to stay fire safe in the outdoors this summer.”
Public conservation land is always in a Restricted or Prohibited fire season:
Restricted fire season – means you may light fires at a campsite’s designated fireplace, and in the backcountry according to the specific conditions
Prohibited fire season – means there is a fire ban and you can not light any fires on public conservation land (you can still use fireplaces inside DOC huts).
You can light campfires at DOC campsites or day amenity areas only if:
there is no fire ban in place, and
you use the designated fireplaces/fire pits.
You can light campfires in the backcountry only if:
there is no fire ban in place
there are no notices prohibiting fires there
the fire is at least 3 metres away from trees and anything that could catch fire, and
the fire is smaller than 0.5 m in width and in height.
Backcountry refers to areas that are more than an hour’s walk from the nearest road end.
