Seeing a stoat den lined with feathers from rare native birds motivated Elaine Murphy to become a scientist at the Department of Conservation over 30 years ago. Elaine has since spent most of her career studying introduced predators and finding ways to protect native species.
Now in her final year with DOC as Principal Scientist in the Predator Science team, Elaine recently announced a major breakthrough for the Predator Free 2050 programme – a new meat sausage bait to target stoats with the toxin PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone).
“We’ve been working for about a decade to come up with a humane, cost-effective tool for removing stoats. We just finished our trials in stoat-heavy territory in Fiordland, and the results exceeded our expectations. We couldn’t detect any stoats in the project area after aerially applying one bait every hectare.”
Strengthening the tool kit to protect native species
The sausage bait will need to be approved and registered by the Environmental Protection Authority and Ministry for Primary Industries, and Elaine hopes it will be available for wide-spread use by DOC, other agencies and community groups within the next two-three years.
“It will be very helpful addition to the Predator Free 2050 tool kit. It provides an additional option to 1080 for targeting predators across large landscapes. It will also be very effective for ground-based efforts, for example in places like Waiheke Island where we are trying to remove stoats to protect kiwi and other native birds.”
Elaine has a long history with stoats. In the 90s she discovered that they could have home ranges of over 100 hectares. She also figured out they can be controlled through secondary poisoning by targeting rats. This method has been critical in the fight to save native species from going extinct.
“I have great respect for stoats; they are incredibly smart but so damaging for our native species. When they kill prey, they use the feathers to insulate their dens. I’ve seen dens lined with some of our most vulnerable species including kākā, mohua and kiwi.”
A predator-free champion
Ealine’s research has been funded through DOC’s Predator Free 2050 Tools to Market programme, and further tests will be done on a higher-potency bait to target feral cats.
To continue making progress towards the Predator Free 2050 goal, Elaine says we need to trust our ability to learn and take confidence in the results already being achieved for native wildlife.
“I sometimes get frustrated when people question our potential in the predator-free space. We are already achieving great things, so let’s continue to build off that and see where we get to.”
Elaine is a member of the technical advisory groups for Te Korowai o Waiheke and Pest Free Banks Peninsula. She says these projects show Predator Free 2050 is a vision worth buying into.
“The community support is huge, and people are seeing first-hand the benefits with increasing numbers of birds and other species. At our family bach on Waiheke, we never used to see kākā, but recently I saw six of them flying over us.”
Predator Free 2050 is the change we needed for conservation – something big to aim for, she says. She uses the example of Predator Free South Westland where DOC, Zero Invasive Predators and the local community are creating the largest mainland predator-free sanctuary.
“The team are trying to keep this huge area clear of rats and stoats, while coming up with new tools and methods along the way. Of course there are re-invasion challenges, but most importantly they are learning how to manage these and make the predator removal process more cost-effective.”
Creating space for young scientists to get involved
Although Elaine is retiring from DOC at the end of the year, she will continue be a champion for science and innovation in New Zealand. She hopes to see more opportunities created for younger scientists to step into her shoes.
“Science jobs can be hard to find in conservation. We need to keep encouraging young people to come through the universities and create space for them. We don’t want smart young people going overseas because of a lack of investment here.
“That’s why Predator Free 2050 is such an exciting mission – it’s capturing people’s imaginations across the country, and thankfully we have some resources to help make it happen.”
Congratulations! Just hope it can be available sooner. I’m part of Ringa Manaaki o Hemi Matenga in Waikanae with traps in the 360ha kohekohe reserve. To have additional firepower against the mustelid species would really make a difference. Thank you for your huge contribution to conservation.
Dave Banks – RMOHM
Thank you very much Dave. We wish registration could be quicker too, but the EPA & ACVM/MPI processes take time – there is currently a 2-year wait in the queue before they even start to assess it!
Rather than destroying them, DOC could be making billions of dollars per year of the wilding forest estate; more than enough to make NZ predator free in a very short number of years.
Instead, DOC incessantly argues to waste more and more on this fruitless exercise. Over the last 20 years DOC has wasted over $2 billion destroying these forests without any regard for the massive benefits they supply.
Congratulations Elaine – great achievement
Thanks Rod – it is very satisfying after all this time! 🙂
Congratulations Elaine, incredible results but lets hope it can get the “APPROVED” stamp soomer than later. It would be a massive tool for all volunteer trappers.
Thanks Sheila – I agree it would be good to get the bait approved sooner than later! EPA are looking at the possibility of prioritising applications, but we are up against new agricultural chemicals that companies want registered as well.
Awesome work Elaine, all the best for your future. I can’t believe it takes the Environment Protection Authority and MPI so long to approve and register this product, two to three years is a long time and a lot of the bird breeding stock gone.
Thanks Terry. There is a 2-year wait in the queue before EPA even look at the application! EPA are looking at ways to prioritise applications but not sure how conservation will stack up against new agricultural chemicals.
Absolutely incredible work, mum 🙂
Just shows how tough it is to get success in this field, marvellous that Elaine has been so dedicated over the 30 years. Now those who need to give approval need to get moving ASAP. Our endemic species are struggling in many areas but huge thanks to the dedicated trappers and others out there.
Thanks Pamela – I have been really lucky to have good co-workers to keep me going! I second the huge thanks to the community trappers out there – they are helping with keeping what biodiversity we have left,
Elaine
Elaine – what a great contribution you have made. I met you 10 years ago when I was working at Trimble ChCh and wanted to get involved in pest control. Since then I have retired and been mentoring a radio / electronic co in ChCh (WTE Ltd). They build low power trap radios and I have helped put them into Pomona Island to work out when DOC 150’s actually get triggered (time of day) and effectiveness of the lure (how many weeks?), Catlins for live trapping pigs and goats, and Sandymount (live trapping hedgehogs and feral cats). It was you Elaine who inspired me.
Thank you very much Gary. I’m really sorry we didn’t manage to get the stoat PAPP Spitfire over the line but at least we got the bait working !!
That is great work, by Elaine. She has made game changing progress against NZ’s pests. A good cat bait would go long way tooo
Thanks Michael. We have been doing captive trials with feral cats with a similar bait but with a higher dose of PAPP and the trials went well. We are hoping to do field trials with the bait later this year or next year – stay tuned!
Finally another solution on the Horizon but please don’t take two or three years to approve.
Better get moving before more people loose their jobs. You could always get Ai to investigate and come up with the wrong answer or maybe not.
CONGRATULATIONS elaine wonderful news and as a result of your dedication we have taken a huge leap.
I give you a special award, that of a BIG bird kiss from all our feathered friends.
Thank you Mark. I am really pleased we have finally managed to get the PAPP bait to work. When I watched the baits being delivered by helicopter in the Borland Valley my eyes watered – after all this time it was finally happening! (& it worked!!)