GREAT BARRIER ISLAND has some very unique geography and
an ecology which supports a number of rare and endangered species
(chevron skink, brown teal ducks, black petrel, kaka, mistletoe etc). A
number of the pests on the New Zealand mainland are not present there:
possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels, hedgehogs and feral goats (almost).
The Great
Barrier Island Charitable Trust has been working over the last three
years to establish whether the eradication of rats and feral cats is
feasible. DOC and the ARC have confirmed that it is probably technically
possible and funding would very likely be available if the community
will affirm its support. If this can be made to happen, Gt Barrier will
become the largest inhabited island in the world that is free of
introduced rats.
Our vision is
to protect native species through the eradication of rats and feral
cats, to re-introduce species lost to the island, and to work towards
building an ecology-based economic framework for Great Barrier
As we see it,
the project will take about five years and consists of four stages:
• provide
information to the community and landowners on the potential benefits of
a rat / feral cat free island and carry out an economic analysis (this
will examine the way the island functions economically and how that
would change if it became eco-tourism based)
• detail a
full technical feasibility study and find solutions for the issues with
the community
• carry out
the eradication programme
• expand Gt
Barrier’s role as a very important eco-island (re-introduce species,
market to niches, gain publicity etc).
At various
points, the Trust will carry out surveys to assess community and
landowner opinion (there will be one mailed with our first GBI
Environmental News next year).
The recent
trip to Tiritiri Matangi was planned as part of the first stage –
providing an experience of an island where the predators have been
removed and NZ birds re-introduced. We hope to run more of these trips
for islanders in future.
There are
some down-sides. Domestic cats would need to be managed by spaying and
possibly micro-chipping for identification from feral cats. Dogs would
need to be well-controlled and managed if any ground birds such as kiwi
are to return.
It’s an
ambitious project and a far-reaching vision……. but possible…… and one,
which if the community wants, could build an economy for the islanders
into the future.
Liz
Westbrooke
