Introduced predators decimate coastal and forest birds, wildlife

By Joe Howells

My journey into conservation has been a short one, prompted by a lifelong love for our wild South Wairarapa coastline and our native forest remnants, _and having more time on my hands as I move into semi-retirement. 

Clive Paton got me involved in the Aorangi Restoration Trust, and the Trust wanted a predator trapline put in place from the Kawakawa River to the Mangatoetoe River along the road. That would be easy enough for the Martinborough Lions to service, I thought. Dave Knowles and I laid out some 40 traps along this stretch of coast in the summer of 2021.

What I quickly discovered was that there was a literal plague of introduced predators on this stretch of coast. We have since taken out thousands of hedgehogs, hundreds of rats and quite a few stoats, ferrets, feral cats and possums. It now astonishes me that there was no previous attempt ever to control the predators on this piece of coast. The coastal birdlife did not stand a chance of breeding out there. It was no wonder that I observed a significant difference in the variety of coastal birdlife to that I enjoyed when I was a youngster on holidays out there. 

Dougal McKenzie recently posted on Facebook about a single wild cat that, enabled by the dropping Clarence River levels, over the course of just three nights, reduced the biggest colony of the nationally-endangered tarapirohe/black-fronted tern from 95 nests down to just eight remaining active nests and a handful of chicks. This story spurs me on to make a greater effort to shift the balance in favour of our birdlife. Our birdlife and fauna like the native skinks belong here and often exist nowhere else: rats, possums, cats and hedgehogs don’t belong.

Hedgehogs were introduced on the dubious pretence of “reminding people of their homeland” when they see them wandering over the lawn. Possibly they could also be seen to control garden pests such as slugs, snails, and grass grubs. It is thus somewhat paradoxical that hedgehogs predate on birds’ eggs and young chicks, and our native bats, weta, snails, frogs, and lizards _ many of which are now endangered. Hedgehogs have reached plague proportions throughout the Aorangi Forest Park and along our coastlines. It is of note that Aotearoa New Zealand has the highest rate of threatened indigenous species in the world due to several factors, including habitat loss, introduced predators, and environmental changes. 

When one reads the above, it is relatively easy to see why.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) reports that only a small percentage of our nearly 4,000 threatened species have shown any recent improvement in their conservation status, with many species continuing to decline (Victoria University of Wellington report). This dire situation underscores the urgent need for enhanced and effective conservation strategies to protect New Zealand’s unique biodiversity.

I know that many people are doing their bit with Predator-free Martinborough. If you do have a little free time, Aorangi Restoration Trust urgently needs more volunteers to clear our traplines and create more of them. Scotty’s Meats can generally help with some meat scraps for bait, and if your fuel costs are an issue Green Jersey will help with that. The Aorangi Trust will provide you with training and the tools required. All we need is some of your time.

A day out on the coast or up in the bush is actually great therapy in itself! 

If you can help, get in touch with Joe: 0275972667 or joe@greenjersey.co.nz 

Caption: Nesting gulls at Kupe’s Sail – highly vulnerable to feral predators.