There've been various questions and comments made about the comparative costs of trapping as opposed to poisoning pests, and from this recent news article about the cost of trapping for stoats on 19.5ha Kapiti Island being $200,000 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10739782
it sure seems an expensive job
Forest & Bird » Threats & Impacts
Stoat trapping cost
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Posted 10 months ago #
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From today's news - another stoat found on Kapiti Island (the third now in about as many weeks?). DoC has spent $100,000 already on this issue.
Yesterday I was at a meeting where we were told about a programme from Auckland Council and Auckland DoC called "Treasure Islands" (not dissimilar from the Bay of Islands programme by DoC) focussing on ridding pests from islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Interesting the amount of resource DoC is putting into pest eradication and maintenance on offshore islands. Hope this isn't a sign they're giving up on eradicating opests from our mainland forests.Posted 9 months ago # -
I think the resources put into pest control on the Hauraki Gulf Islands is money well spent. Each island is already building up larger populations of birdlife that will disperse to the mainland. The important thing to remember here is that the islands form a continuous link between Coromadel Peninsula, Auckland City and the various bush remnants therein, most notably the Waitakere Ranges.
Wellington is a good example of the success of pest-free islands (along with 10 years of possum control on the mainland). Birdlife from Mana, Kapiti and Matiu along with the "mainland island" of Zealandia is spreading throughout the city. That's why you get kakariki on Mt. Vic, flocks of kaka in central Wellington. This can bring some problems such as the spreading of pest plants due to the increasing bird life.
Remember, a lot of people in NZ don't really see much in the way of native wildlife; having pest-free islands close at hand is a good way of capturing their imagination.Posted 9 months ago # -
Agree with you. Did you see the blog in this discussion room about kaka sightings on the mainland?
Hate to think it's a case of one (islands) not the other (mainland forests) is all I meant.
Also pointing out how much a good trapping programme costs and how on costs alone it may be prohibitive as the main method of pest control in forests. Maybe people are OK about just treating smaller areas like mainland islands rather than full habitats, though? Certainly seems to be the way things are panning out in more urban areas.Posted 9 months ago # -
Yeah, I think creating a network of pest-free islands around the country is a good insurance policy. It's not a reason to give up on the mainland but in most (all?) cases the result achieved has a greater impact as many islands cannot be re-invaded by some pest species, and are less likely to be invaded quickly by others.
Trapping programmes are more expensive than poisoning programmes, but can be used in urban areas where people walk their dogs etc. Otari/Wilton's Bush being a good example. The Regional Council use Broadificoum for possum control, and locals run a network of traps for mustelids etc. It is a good way of getting the local community involved and is also a good educational tool - people involved can gain a lot of knowledge and go on to do more.Posted 9 months ago # -
Today Rangitoto and Motutapu were publicly announced pest-free and takahe and saddlebacks were released there.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Hauraki-hotspots-pest-free/tabid/423/articleID/223725/Default.aspxPosted 8 months ago # -
New research finding that stoats can swim up to 5km to find food (twice as far as people previously thought stoats could swim) sure is putting a question-mark on "how pest-free and pest-proof are islands we once thought were too far for stoats to swim to?:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10747650Posted 8 months ago # -
These questions have an answer, hope not the cost of the operation will decide the fate of the pests.
Posted 2 months ago #
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