Plea to keep Gulf islands pest-free

A final rat bait drop on Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands is aimed at eliminating remaining rats and mice to create a wildlife sanctuary. Photo / Dean Purcell

Multiple Olympic kayaking champion Ian Ferguson has called on boaties to ensure two islands in the Hauraki Gulf remain pest-free.

The Department of Conservation will begin its third and final aerial rat bait drop on Rangitoto and Motutapu tomorrow, weather permitting.

The operation is part of a programme to remove seven species of introduced mammal pests and predators and to provide a 3800ha wildlife sanctuary with the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Mr Ferguson said visitors should reduce the risk of pests reinvading the islands by ensuring they checked their bags and boats for rats, mice and other stowaways.

"We all love Rangitoto," he said. "So let's work together to ensure the beautiful, natural environment that we all enjoy visiting in our kayaks and boats stays that way."

DoC Auckland area manager Brett Butland said the aerial drops of brodifacoum, a common rat poison available from supermarkets, were aimed at rats and mice.

Remaining pest animals would be removed through trapping, shooting and the use of specialist detection dogs, he said.

Since the first two drops, DoC staff had found dead rodents as well as some dead pukeko on the island.

"There is a big population of pukeko on Motutapu and we are expecting to lose a number of these birds," Mr Butland said.

"Previous rodent eradication operations have shown that the pukeko populations bounce back very quickly, especially in the absence of predators such as rats and stoats."

There were also early indications that one of the targeted pests, rabbits, had been hit hard with only one rabbit found in two weeks of spotlight searches.

Mr Butland said helicopters would use spreader buckets and GPS technology for the bait drop, which would take up to two days.

He said trapping of stoats, wild cats and hedgehogs would begin after that.

Both islands would be closed from tonight for 1 weeks, reopening to the public on August 15.

- NZPA