Taranaki 1080 operation knocks possums to record lows

Initial results indicate possum numbers in Egmont National Park have plummeted after last month’s successful 1080 operation – providing a precious lifeline for local forests and vulnerable bird species in the park.

The Department of Conservation treated more than 30 thousand hectares of National Park with cereal baits containing biodegradable 1080 in mid-February. The operation targeted possums and predators such as rats and stoats threatening forests and vulnerable species within the park boundaries.

Initial possum monitoring carried out by an independent contractor shows the 1080 operation has knocked possum levels back to record lows – a reading equivalent to under one possum caught per hundred traps set. This is more than twenty times lower than levels recorded in the mid-nineties before the aerial 1080 programme started.

“This is a great result – the best we have seen to date in our ongoing pest control operations within the park,” said DOC Taranaki Area Manager Phil Mohi.
“We are still measuring the impact on rats but we are expecting a similar outcome – the operation looks set to provide a hugely valuable window for recovery for both the park’s forests and threatened species, like kiwi and whio.
Mr Mohi said independent water monitoring tests taken immediately after the drop from local streams and waterways all returned clear and aviation and health investigations have dismissed claims made by some anti-1080 critics last month that the operation put people at risk.

“The Taranaki operation has been the culmination of over two years planning – it was carried out under GPS guided flight paths and with widespread community and iwi consultation.”

“The health of the park’s forests is of huge importance to the Taranaki region – from a tourism and agricultural perspective as well as conservation. It is really pleasing to see Operation Egmont delivering such good results.”
ENDS
For further information contact: DOC Taranaki Area Manager Phil Mohi ph 06 759 0350 or 027 445 6322


Note:
The possum population is being monitored using a method called Residual Trap Catch monitoring - known as RTC. Possum trap lines are set at random points along the park boundary and within the park and monitored over three nights. The number of possums caught per trap per night is converted to a percentage figure which gives an indication of the possum density in the various parts of the park. RTC rates of over 20% were recorded prior to the first treatment with biodegradable 1080 in 1993/94. The latest results show an average RTC rate within the park of 0.88%