Learn how bats, Fiordland tokoeka kiwi, and kākā are all benefiting from our landscape-scale predator control programme using 1080 to protect public conservation land.
Our National Predator Control Programme
DOC’s National Predator Control Programme protects native wildlife and forests at important conservation sites across New Zealand.
Currently, we control predators on a sustained, rotational basis over about 1.8 million hectares, which is nearly 20% of public conservation land.
It’s critical that rats, stoats, and possums are regularly controlled so that populations of threatened native species can survive and grow.
We use the most effective tools available, such as 1080 toxin and large-scale trapping, to protect vulnerable native species and forests.
While the tools and strategies are being developed to achieve Predator Free 2050, our National Predator Control Programme is holding the line for threatened native species by regularly controlling introduced predators across large forest areas.
We recently published our 2024 National Predator Control Programme report which shows we had some big wins for our native species last year.
You can read the full report here: National Predator Control Programme Annual Report 2024
Here’s our top five highlights of 2024 – from bustling bat roosts to turning the tide for one of our rarest kiwi species:
1️⃣ We’ve turned the tide for Fiordland tokoeka kiwi
Before predator control, every single kiwi chick we monitored in Shy Lake died, meaning the species was facing extinction.
After predator control and eight years of research, last year’s kiwi chick survival rate climbed to 60%.
2️⃣ Thanks to our science advice, we’ve improved timing for operations and achieved our best results yet
Our scientists carefully reviewed the results of how we time our operations around beech masts. With their advice, we changed tactics and targeted rats either before beech seed was produced or after it had germinated.
It paid off big time – all our operations suppressed rats effectively, in most cases down to undetectable levels.
3️⃣ Pīwauwau rock wren thriving with predator control
There are an average of twice as many rock wrens at predator control sites compared to sites with no control.
Every year our team surveys alpine rock wren populations. Research across our 25 sites shows that aerial operations help rock wren populations recover and grow.
4️⃣ We found a record-breaking pekapeka bat roost while monitoring the results of predator control
We discovered 275 bats in one tree roost in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation park where we undertake regular predator control operations. That’s a lot of bats!
5️⃣ Thanks to predator control, kākā in Waipapa have the most balanced sex ratio ever recorded
Female kākā are more vulnerable to predation, especially when they’re confined to nest cavities during breeding season. Studying the ratio of kākā males to females can help us understand the health of a population and its predation pressures.
This year, kākā monitoring in Pureora Forest (an ongoing predator control site) revealed a 1:1 sex ratio – the most balanced we’ve ever recorded.
Learn more about DOC’s National Predator Control Programme and read the full report here: National Predator Control Programme
Peter one would hope your Good Nature traps preform after $12.5 million investment, though I hear the A12 has been removed from the market.
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately there has been no State instigated studies or funding enabled to others to do such work since the beginning with our conceptual work and design of automated dispensers and game camera traps in 2010. We did what I could with the limited finances we have, this enabled multispecies field research (time in motion studies, reliability, targeted species, presence to absence work) for EM100 that encouraged the technologies commercialisation in 2017. We have repeatedly been advised our own studies and monitoring needs to be validated independently but we simply don’t have the funds to meet the expectations placed on us by DOC (land scape scale 10,000 to 20,000 plus hectares). In reality I don’t think any individuals funded via PF2050 have similar expectations burdening them.
“We use the most effective tools available, such as 1080 toxin and large-scale trapping, to protect vulnerable native species and forests.” Glad to hear! but just imagine how much more could be delivered if the old fashioned tool of supply and demand economics’ was enabled to play out. You have put all your eggs in one basket with aerial 1080, also with continued investment to just one main south island research / tools supplier also dependent on aerial 1080 ! Yes a monopoly is supported and clearly exists created by DOC. We offer something very different! http://www.enviromate.co.nz
Shane: Good on you and your company for another option. Have there been any double blind studies on the effectiveness of Enviromate vis-a-vis 1080 though? In passing, I have GoodNature traps on my Kaikoura property and they also have shown good results.