27 May 2025

Stewart Island Community Center, Oban

Thank you to all who attended the sessions in Oban on Tuesday 27 May. We appreciated the opportunity to update the community on the operational plan for the upcoming operation to protect pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel in Rakiura National Park. 

At the hui, we heard from a range of speakers from DOC and ZIP, as well as from Kathryn Bell, CEO of CRA8 and nominated representative for the wild catch industry.  

  • Jennifer Ross, Department of Conservation (DOC) Operations Manager Rakiura 

  • Pat Eschenmoser, DOC National Predator Control Program Regional Lead  

  • Colin Bishop, DOC National Predator Control Program Operations Lead

  • Ana Menzies, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) Technical Innovator 

  • Duncan Kay, ZIP Operations Director

  • Kathryn Bell, Cra8 CEO

We have shared and summarised their presentations below for anyone who was unable to attend in person. 

The plight of pukunui: historic management

Jennifer Ross, Department of Conservation (DOC) Operations Manager Rakiura 

Jen introduced the panel and provided a brief overview of the plight of pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel and DOC’s efforts over several decades to bring them back from the brink of extinction.  

Since the last community meeting, DOC completed an updated flock count. There are now 105 pukunui remaining. This is a slight increase on last year’s estimate but still falls short of the population growth we need to protect pukunui from disappearing.​ 

The planned operation has now received necessary permissions from DOC and the Public Health Unit to proceed. These permissions, along with many additional layers of regulation relating to different components of delivery, require us to adhere to strict regulations to ensure bait is applied safely.  

 
 

Operational details

Pat Eschenmoser, DOC National Predator Control Program Regional Lead  

Ana Menzies, ZIP Technical Innovator

Pat and Ana presented an overview of the planned operation, including operational details around the method, bait type and loading, infrastructure, treatment area and timing. Ana outlined the use of deer repellent for this operation, and Pat outlined safety measures around hunting activity. 

This operation is a standard predator suppression operation—approximately 60 operations of this type were carried out across Aotearoa in 2024 alone. Because this approach is well-established, we have a good understanding of the results and outcomes for both target and native species, and of the safety measures required. 

Ana emphasized the operation’s focus on protecting pukunui. She described that if, due to weather, we are unable to deliver the eradication trial in the target window of June-July, the suppression operation to protect pukunui would take precedence and we will aim to deliver the eradication trial at a later date.  

They also discussed some of the safety measures that will be in place throughout the operation, including cautions in place around hunting activity and management of water sources. Responding to concerns voiced by the community about the risk from 1080 dust, Pat referenced a scientific study (Ministry of Health, 2016) that show 1080 dust is either undetectable or present in negligible amounts beyond the loading site, posing no health risk to the general public. 

 
 

Results and outcomes monitoring

Colin Bishop, DOC National Predator Control Program Operations Lead

Ana Menzies

Colin presented the monitoring plan for the Pukunui Recovery operation. The plan focuses on two streams—results monitoring and outcomes monitoring. 

Colin outlined the monitoring setup, which comprises: 

  • Non-treatment sites: Cat and rat monitoring grids at East Ruggedy and Adam’s Hill to Kilbride, with cameras and snap-trap lines. 

  • Treatment areas: Rat and cat grids at Doughboy Hill and Blaikies Hill, forming a continuous grid to monitor predator reinvasion following 1080 application. 

  • Carcass and bait monitoring: Observing 1080 residue breakdown in the environment (there is a minimum four-month caution period) 

  • Water testing: Testing for 1080 residue in streams in the Rakeahua Valley and Doughboy areas immediately following the operation. 

Ana outlined the monitoring plan for the Predator Free Rakiura trials. 

 
 

Trials towards a Predator Free Rakiura

Duncan Kay, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) Operations Director  

Ana Menzies

Deer repellent trial 

  • Cameras are being used to monitor whitetail deer in three areas (deer repellent, non-repellent, and control) to assess the effectiveness of deer repellent in mitigating impacts. 

  • An additional trial, led by Manaaki Whenua, is currently under way using trail cameras to observe deer interactions with non-toxic pre-feed bait containing deer repellent, evaluating whether deer consume or avoid the bait. This is ongoing, though possums often consume the bait first, slowing data collection. 

Eradication Trial 

  • Rigorous monitoring will be undertaken to assess eradication success within the 7,000ha trial area. 

  • Intensive camera grids (100m spacing for ship and Norway rats, denser for kiore) lured with fresh mayonnaise will be used to detect any surviving predators, comparing repellent and non-repellent areas. 

  • Two separate detection grids are being used within different habitats to account for varying rat species preferences. 

Duncan presented the timeline and decision points for Predator Free Rakiura over the coming year, acknowledging the requests at previous community hui for greater visibility.  

 
 

Outcomes of consultation on effects

Jen Ross

Jen updated the community on the following changes to the operational plan that have been made as a result of feedback received during the consultation period: 

  • Keeping hunting blocks open with advice not to consume meat until cautions lift  

  • Using deer repellent in bookable hunting blocks 

  • Shifting deer monitoring to Doughboy Bay 

  • Adjusting operation boundaries to avoid bookable hunting blocks  

  • Testing waterways for 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) at locations like Southwest Arm and Doughboy Creek 

  • Ensuring bait is applied above high tide using a ‘safeline’ approach, to avoid marine contamination  

  • Using a land-based loading site at Mason Bay to prevent vessel-based bait handling 

 
 

Position of the wild-catch industry 

Kathryn Bell, CEO of CRA8 

Kathryn Bell is the CEO of CRA8 and the nominated representative for the wild catch industry in discussions around predator control on Rakiura. She outlined the wild catch industry's position on the planned operation to protect pukunui, and their engagement to date with ZIP and Predator Free Rakiura.  

An early proposal to aerially apply 1080, potentially into the ocean without applying setbacks from the coast, raised concerns. While scientific reviews have found no evidence of 1080 impacting fish, market perception remains a critical issue for the industry.  

Since September last year, extensive engagement (around 30 meetings and numerous calls) with ZIP has led to changes to 2025’s operational plan to minimise the risk of 1080 entering the ocean, including the use of a ‘safeline’ approach to sowing, and moving from barge-based to land-based operations. 

Kathryn emphasised that the industry supports the Predator Free Rakiura initiative, provided marine environments and export markets are protected.