I would like to thank the Department of Conservation and local hapu for their excellent pest control work in the Waipoua/Mataraua kokako sanctuary.
Being a keen pig hunter over the years has lead me deep into many Northland forests. The more time I spent in them the more I realised these forests are collapsing. Most of the huge northern rata trees have been killed by possums and giant puriri, totara and taraire are now dying too and along them with many native bird species. My night vision game cameras have shown me what goes on as we sleep. Once the sun goes down, the forest comes alive with possums, rats and feral cats.
In 2011 I set up a charitable trust, bought traps and started trapping in the Opua State Forest. So far we have trapped over 2000 rats, 1000 possums, 40 stoats 15 weasels and 45 feral cats in an area of just 350ha. Trapping has worked well, for this tiny area within the 4294ha forest, but it is hard work trapping rats in a thick forest and it's expensive: hugely expensive and the re-invasion of pests is swift.
That's why using biodegradable 1080 dropped from helicopters is a no-brainer to me. 1080 is a naturally occurring toxin found in many plants. It breaks down quickly when water hits it. The great thing is it kills all the pests that are destroying our forests: possums, rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels and feral cats. All the very worst offenders can be hit at once over thousands of hectares and where it has been used regularly, the native wildlife and bush is thriving. The use of 1080 in Waipoua/Mataraua keeps these forests alive and vibrant while nearly all the other forests of the North disintegrate.
Brad Windust
