Pest free sanctuary Motutapu Island is having a tough run with four stoat invasions in one year. Evidence shows that all stoats swam from the city, adjacent to the island.
Stoat presence was first detected on both Motutapu and Rangitoto islands in May 2020.
Since then, two stoats have been trapped. One in September 2020 and another in January 2021.
DOC and local iwi Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki are working hard to trap two remaining stoats. To aid efforts, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki announced on Tuesday April 18 a 30-day rāhui (ban) will be placed on Motutapu.
The rāhui does not affect Fullers ferry services to Rangitoto, but access to Motutapu will be restricted. Bookings for the Motutapu campsite will be unavailable while the rāhui is in place.
DOC incursion response advisor Claire Warren says currently there are 460 traps across Rangitoto and Motutapu, with 150 more being deployed. Trail cams and stoat detection dogs are used every two to three months to track pest movements on the islands.
“We are asking people to take note of iwi rāhui and not to visit Motutapu while our first priority is catching the remaining stoats. Also, stoats can swim long distances and trapping on the mainland will help reduce the chances of them getting to these predator free islands.” Head of Natural Environment for Auckland Council, Phil Brown says the impact on native wildlife from this pest species is devastating.
“Chasing down single stoats in otherwise stoat-free areas is a challenge. Auckland Council have been grappling with this in our parks and we take our protection responsibilities seriously. We are constantly strengthening our pest trapping activities to prevent reinvasion.
“It’s fantastic to see so many people in the community supporting us by controlling pests on their land and helping us on our parklands. It’s those efforts that really help protect our biodiversity.”
