Solid Energy/DoC partnership trebles Blue Ducks

Solid Energy/Department of Conservation partnership trebles blue duck numbers

Adult blue duck numbers on two West Coast river systems have trebled in the eight years since Solid Energy and the Department of Conservation (DoC) formed a partnership to help the national effort to save New Zealand’s native whio from extinction.

Since 2002, Solid Energy has contributed $450,000 to the effort (at present, $100,000 a year). It protects the West Coast’s two most valuable whio populations – one on the upper reaches of the Oparara River in northern Buller and the other on the headwaters and tributaries of the Styx and Arahura Rivers inland from Hokitika.

When the partnership began in 2002, DoC believed there were only six breeding whio pairs in the monitored parts of the Oparara and Styx/Arahura headwater systems. Today, the number of breeding whio in the monitored stretches of river has increased to 18 pairs. Not all the protected areas are regularly monitored, however, and DoC estimates there are at least 40 pairs now living on the creeks and rivers within the two protected areas. Adult ducks are known to have successfully raised 75 ducklings to juvenile age and another 16 young ducks have been returned after being hatched and raised at the Isaac Wildlife Trust’s Peacock Springs facility at Christchurch.

The species is threatened with extinction because very few whio survive to breeding age. Stoats are the main destroyer, killing ducklings in the nest and even attacking juvenile whio. To redress this imbalance, the Solid Energy project is now defending 88km of waterway with almost 1500 stoat traps, laid every 100 metres along 144km of trap lines. The traps are checked and rebaited up to 10 times a year and each year destroy about 200 stoats.

The Department matches each dollar put in by Solid Energy and says the energy company can take credit as a catalyst and principal sponsor for whio recovery and management on the West Coast.

“What we’ve shown is that determined and on-going protection makes a difference and, in these two West Coast sites, we’re on the way to reaching our goal of 50 breeding pairs in each area,” says DoC West Coast Conservator, Mike Slater. “But until there’s a solution to stoats, that protection will have to be maintained and that’s why ongoing support like that provided by Solid Energy is so crucial. We are looking forward to extending our partnership and hope to look at ways the programme could be further enhanced.”

Solid Energy National Health, Safety and Environment Manager, Mark Pizey, says the project’s success is heartening. “Our overall goal is to have a net positive effect on the New Zealand environment. We aim to do that by carrying out our own work in an environmentally responsible way and by looking for opportunities to contribute to projects in our communities,” he says. “For this kind of work to succeed, everyone has to make a long-term commitment and while it’s pleasing to see the project is going well, there is still a long way to go to reach our targets. We’re looking forward to continuing the whio work with the Department.”

DoC’s national whio plan

The aim of DoC’s national Whio Recovery Plan has been to first secure the bird from extinction. To do this, it identified eight whio security sites around the country which are large enough to support at least 50 pairs of whio. The Oparara and Styx/Arahura river systems supported by Solid Energy are two of the security sites. Predators are being managed at these sites to allow for abundant and productive whio populations from which young ducks can emigrate and support struggling populations in neighbouring rivers. As stoat-control technologies are refined, the benefits of security sites can be rolled out to more areas to allow for a widespread recovery of the species. Already another 15 smaller-scale, community led “recovery sites” around the country are supporting what is being achieved at security sites.

The Solid Energy-DoC partnership on the West Coast also provides research into whio breeding success, regular population monitoring and the captive incubation and rearing of ducklings at Peacock Springs. Associated research is looking at how the whio work could assist programmes to support natural biodiversity in the areas’ wider ecosystems.

The whio recovery partnership supports Solid Energy’s environmental policy to undertake non-mining activities as part of achieving a company goal of delivering a positive net effect on the environment. Other examples where Solid Energy is working with DoC include the Mokihinui native forest carbon sink (biosequestration) trial and work to fully integrate pest control in the area surrounding Stockton Opencast Mine. More information about Solid Energy’s biosequestration project is on-line at www.coalnz.com/index.cfm/1,444,0,0,html

ENDS

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