The Department of Conservation will drop 1080 poison on more than 16,000ha of Waipoua Forest in an effort to eradicate pests and protect kiwi and other native species. Photo / Supplied
The Department of Conservation will drop 1080 poison on more than 16,000ha of Waipoua Forest in an effort to eradicate pests and protect kiwi and other native species. Photo / Supplied
Tonnes of the controversial pest killer 1080 are being dropped on Northland's Waipoua Forest - the first drop in the home of the iconic kauri tree Tāne Mahuta in eight years.
Use of the toxin has some opposition in New Zealand, but the Department of Conservation and the forest's kaitiaki, Te Roroa Development Group, say it's the best way to get rid of rats, possums and other pests that impact on native species in Waipoua.
DoC said to protect the forest, including the North Island kokako, North Island brown kiwi and kukupa, it will carry out a controlled aerial 1080 drop on 16,028ha of the forest, in the area south of Waimamaku and north of Dargaville from now until November 30.
Te Roroa Development Group general manager Snow Tane said the two forest marae and a third at Waimamaku had given about 90 per cent support to the 1080 drop because they see it as the best and most effective way to protect the taonga.
"In the late 1980s, early 90s we fully supported the very first 1080 drop in Waipoua. The marae of Waipoua fully supported it because we saw the collapse of the forest from possum browse and saw the damage this was causing, Tane said.
"Possum browse was absolutely dealing to the forest so we gave it 100 per cent support back then."
He said that initial 1080 drop did a great job in killing possums and other pests and Te Roroa saw the native flora and fauna bounce back.
"We're now seeing it starting to happen again, the forest is at risk of collapse again, just like in the 1980s. The forest is really precious and if intensive control like this isn't done, we will see the forest start to collapse again," Tane said.
"And with kauri dieback already putting our kauri at risk, we need to do this. I understand that some people are against it, but they don't see what we are seeing here and don't understand that there's no intensive ground baiting that would work. The terrain is too steep and rough. You'd need hundreds of trappers working flat out and there are just not that many around to do the work, so we have to do the aerial drop.''
Te Roroa Development Group general manager Snow Tane supports a 1080 drop in the Waipoua Forest as the best way to protect the taonga. Photo / Supplied
He said some of the forest's mighty totara have already been pretty much destroyed by possum browse, and as kaitiaki of the forest it was Te Roroa's job to ensure they survived. "And at the moment this is the best way of doing that."
DoC said Waipoua Forest is nationally significant, with unique, endangered plants and animals, including kauri, kukupa and kiwi, and the drop is to protect native species that are at risk.
"Our native birds and their eggs are decimated when rat populations get too high. Rats also compete with native animals for food and prevent growth of seedlings," DoC said.
"Possum browse on forest plants can be significant in this forest. Large, old emergent trees such as totara and rata, and key canopy and sub-canopy trees such as kohekohe and mahoe are severely impacted by uncontrolled possum populations.
"Possum also raid nests for eggs and chicks and compete with native animals for food. Reducing possum numbers allows forest habitat to recover."
DoC said possum and rat activity was monitored in Waipoua before and after aerial 1080 drops in 2005, 2011 and 2014.
"Each of these operations was successful in reducing possum and rat activity to very low levels. Monitoring of vulnerable native trees, including rata and kohekohe, showed strong recovery after these previous aerial operations. Monitoring of kiwi and kokako showed significant recovery."
It said when used according to the regulations, 1080 is a safe and effective way of controlling the predators that threaten the survival of many native species.
