Conservation
Whio Project
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation predator trapping program commenced in 2005 and was due to a lot of hard work by founding members of the foundation.
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation predator trapping program commenced in 2005 and was due to a lot of hard work by founding members of the foundation.
That August a large number of volunteers took part in laying out around 175 trap boxes in the Worsley and Castle valleys.
The Nitz valley was added to the program in 2010 and the Glaisnock in 2011. The last valley was the Lugar Burn in 2014, with now a combined total of 500 traps set in all of the valleys.
The Worsley and Castle valleys are part of the Northern Fiordland Whio Security Site.
Whio security sites are nationally important sites for Whio conservation. There are only 8 security sites nationwide (four in the South Island and four in the North Island). The Glaisnock, Nitz and Lugar Burn are Whio Recovery Sites that support Whio Security Sites by offering additional protected habitat for Whio to occupy.
The Glaisnock/Nitz/Lugar Burn Recovery Sites are viewed as some of the more important Recovery Sites nationally.
In 2010/11 WhiONE was performed. Thirteen whio eggs were collected from the wild in Fiordland, all of which hatched, with the ducklings raised to fledglings at the Te Anau Bird sanctuary/Punanga Manu o Te Anau. These fledglings were transferred into the Fiordland Wapiti Area with 8 released in to the Worsley and 5 into the Castle valleys. Sponsorship was provided by the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, through one of its sponsors.
The main focus for this program is saving the endangered Whio (Blue duck) however the predator control program has far more benefits than just saving whio. Other iconic native species in the area, the likes of kiwi, weka, kea and other birds, are all benefiting from the program with the control of predators. The National population for whio is estimated to be 2500-3000 birds and increasing thanks to trapping programs the likes of the Fiordland Wapiti program.
The Wapiti area program operates in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and the Genesis Energy Whioforever Program where currently there are over 600 pairs of whio protected. Volunteers are essential to the success of the program – especially in Recovery Sites. There are many who contribute, often travelling significant distances to participate.
The traps are checked 8 times per year with volunteers coming from all types of backgrounds; not just hunters.
Because the program is undertaken in the Glaisnock wilderness area of the Fiordland National Park (World heritage site) logistics can get a little interesting. The volunteers are dropped in by helicopter to service the trap lines trap lines and coupled with this, the famous Fiordland weather, planning is key to making this program successful. Mainly due to logistics the trap lines come at a significant cost to the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation and thankfully the program is supported by some wonderful sponsors. Estimated costs are approximately $45,000 per year to run the program. This does not include volunteer’s effort.
The main focus for this program is saving the endangered Whio (Blue duck) however the predator control program has far more benefits than just saving whio.
Other iconic native species in the area, the likes of kiwi, weka, kea and other birds, are all benefiting from the program with the control of predators.
The target predators for the trapping program are stoats and rats which are the biggest threat to whio. Whio nest in burrows and caves along the river bank which makes them highly vulnerable to predators
The whio predator control project has been instrumental in bridging the gap between hunters and the Department of Conservation who both now work very closely to achieve a successful future for our whio and other native species in the Wapiti area of Fiordland.
Local Department of Conservation staff are very supportive of the program and offer advice, track markers, tape, and track cutting staff.
Track cutting occurs about every 3 years due to windfall and regrowth. Trapping results are recorded on a Department of Conservation database. Each year, they disseminate information on the year’s activities with an annual report.
There are opportunities for people to be involved with Fiordland Wapiti Foundation whio program or anyone of our other programs like the Kea surveys or Hut restoration. Contact the Foundation fwfsecretary@gmail.com
The Wapiti Foundation has 500 stoat traps to upgrade at a cost of $200 per trap.
Become a guardian of one of Aotearoas’ treasures – Te Waipounamu World Heritage -Fiordland National Park.
Sponsor a trap that will protect Native birds like Kiwi, Kea and Whio.
The FWF will put your name on it. In return we will supply you with its location and annual updates.