Newsletter #1, May 2009
Contents
Welcome.............................................................................................................................................................1
NATIONAL NEWS..............................................................................................................................................2
Invasive Animals CRC funding bid for island research .....................................................................................2
Prioritising high-conservation status offshore islands .......................................................................................2
ISLANDS iN FOCUS: Australia..........................................................................................................................3
Macquarie Island — update ...............................................................................................................................3
Returning Faure Island’s mammal biodiversity..................................................................................................4
The tale of two rats: Rodent management on Muttonbird Island, Coffs Harbour ............................................6
Black rats (Rattus rattus L.) eradicated from Bowen Island in Jervis Bay ........................................................7
Foxes in Tasmania, Australia — update............................................................................................................8
ISLANDS iN FOCUS: Overseas ........................................................................................................................9
Progress towards restoring the Phoenix Islands ...............................................................................................9
Lessons learnt during an eradication in a (very) remote region ......................................................................10
INTERNATIONAL NEWS.................................................................................................................................12
New 3-yr rodent and cat eradication project funded in the Pacific ..................................................................12
New Zealand Island Eradication Advisory Group ............................................................................................12
Meeting of network on seabird islands and introduced predators...................................................................13
The Invasive Species Specialist Group ...........................................................................................................14
UPCOMING EVENTS ......................................................................................................................................16
Call for islandNet documents and images ......................................................................................................16
Welcome
employees, consultants, companies with commercial interests involving islands, indigenous and
island community representatives.
Welcome to the first quarterly newsletter of
islandNet! The islandNet network was recently
established by the Invasive Animals Cooperative
Research Centre (IA CRC) with funding support from
the Australian Department of Environment, Water,
Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), primarily to help
facilitate the conservation management of Australia's
offshore islands. The network aims to bring together
people and organisations with a common
professional interest in island conservation issues,
and includes researchers, field officers, government
We are developing a comprehensive information
base of experience and expertise that will document
who is doing what, where, programs that have been
undertaken and the lessons learned from the
programs. An islandNet website is currently being
developed on the feral.org.au site. The site will host
a resources database containing articles, reports,
policy documents and images of island-related
research and management. We are currently
collecting relevant items.
Funding support from:
To date, we have about 110 people subscribed from
a wide range of countries, including Australia, New
Zealand, United States, French Polynesia, France,
Japan, Canada, and Fiji. Anyone interested in
subscribing, please contact Elaine Murphy (email:
[email protected]).
1
NATIONAL NEWS
Invasive Animals CRC funding
bid for island research
We are pleased to advise that the Invasive
Animals CRC has been invited to proceed to
Stage 2 of the assessment process for the 11th
(2009) CRC selection round. Our application
comprised a bid for supplementary funding for
island biodiversity and rabbit control projects.
The proposed ‘Islands Secure’ R&D program has
been designed to deliver high-priority actions
under the Threat Abatement Plan to Reduce the
Impacts of Exotic Rodents on Biodiversity on
Australian Off-shore Islands of Less than 100 000
Hectares that have a strong applied research
and/or capacity building dimension. Projects
include:
•
•
•
•
•
investigating possible causes for why mice
are harder to eradicate from islands than rats
and/or in the presence of rats
designing effective bait stations that minimise
non-target impacts
designing and testing best practice for the
sustained control of exotic rodents on islands
designing robust quarantine systems for
rodent-free islands
building capability by sharing recent
eradication experiences and capturing and
transferring lessons learnt.
The Stage 2 interview is set for 1 July, and we will
be informed of the outcome by about mid-July.
Watch this space!
Prioritising high-conservation
status offshore islands
DEWHA recently contracted Ecosure Pty Ltd to
undertake an assessment of the conservation
value of Australia’s offshore islands. Ecosure is an
Australian owned and operated environmental
consultancy, with offices at the Gold Coast, Cairns
and Sydney.
The project team is being led by Dr Louise Shilton
working in collaboration with Dr Ray Pierce (Eco
Oceania Pty Ltd). Louise has eight years
experience working on threatened fauna, including
fauna on oceanic islands. Ray has over 30 years
experience working on the ecology and
management of offshore islands in support of
threatened species recovery programs.
Project objectives include identifying 100 islands of
highest conservation priority measured in terms of
both their overall biodiversity value and the actual
or potential adverse impacts posed by vertebrate
pest animals — in particular: the feral cat, red fox,
European rabbit and goat. Islands exceeding
200 ha will be the primary focus, but highconservation value smaller islands will be
considered for inclusion in the priority listing. A
secondary, summary list of islands considered
closely for inclusion in the top 100 will also be
provided to DEWHA at the completion of the
project in June 2009.
Project tasks include obtaining and analysing data
and management plans from a wide range of
sources in Australia. The project also aims to
assess the extent to which high-priority islands are
the subject of specific management plans and to
identify elements of best practice in existing
management plans that might be more widely
adopted across Australia’s offshore islands.
DEWHA will use the study findings to guide future
investment in biodiversity conservation on
Australia’s offshore islands.
If you would like to know more about the project, or
provide specific island information, please contact
Louise (email: [email protected] or phone +61
(0)7 4031 9599).
Ship (black) rat (image: Greg Calvert)
2
ISLANDS iN FOCUS: Australia
Macquarie Island — update
Macquarie Island Nature Reserve and World
Heritage Area is situated approximately 1500 km
from Tasmania in the subantarctic. It is 34 km
long, averages 5 km wide, and is 12,870 ha in
size. Macquarie has outstanding conservation
values, supporting some 100,000 seals, 3-4
million penguins and more than 17 threatened
species of marine mammals and seabirds, and
one threatened plant species (with 4 other
species awaiting gazettal).
Unfortunately, the island also has a range of
introduced predators and browsers. Cats, weka (a
predatory New Zealand rail), rabbits, ship (black)
Recent experience, notably on 11,200 ha
subantarctic Campbell Island, shows that
eradication techniques for rodents are now
available for an island the size of Macquarie. In
June 2007, the Tasmanian and Australian
Governments therefore agreed to jointly fund a
program to eradicate rabbits and rodents, which
will cost approximately $25 million over seven
years. The World Wildlife Fund and Peregrine
Adventures have also contributed funds to the
project.
Aerial baiting is scheduled for winter 2010.
Helicopters will be used to drop cereal baits
containing brodifacoum, targeting rabbits, rats
and mice. Field teams will follow up on the
ground to eliminate any rabbits that have
survived the aerial operation. Shooting,
fumigating burrows, searches with trained dogs
and trapping will be continued over a three-year
period. Two years of monitoring will follow to
confirm that no rabbits or rodents have survived.
Clearly Macquarie's large size, remote location
and adverse weather conditions will make the
project a particularly challenging one, but the
benefits for native plants and animals will be
enormous.
Sandell Bay, Macquarie Island (image: Keith Springer).
rats and house mice were all introduced in the
19th century. The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife
Service has been managing these feral animals
on the island since the 1970s. Weka were
eradicated by 1989 and cats by 2000. Myxoma
virus was introduced regularly from the late 1970s
and controlled rabbit numbers for about 30 years,
resulting in partial recovery of the vegetation.
Unfortunately, rabbits have recently increased in
numbers again and both rabbits and rodents are
having substantial impacts on the island's flora
and fauna. Exclosure plots have been established
around the island to protect threatened plant
species.
Keith Springer and Greg Woodhouse on Macquarie
Island (image: John Cheyne).
3
Project manager Keith Springer has responsibility
for overall planning. Keith previously worked on
Macquarie as the Ranger-in-charge and also led
the cat eradication team on the island in 2000.
Geoff Woodhouse is the assistant project
manager and has experience in aerial and
hunting-based control and eradication projects.
Considerable progress with preliminary work has
already been made. Trials have been conducted to
assess weathering rates and palatability of baits,
and likely bait uptake by non-target species. Bait
pods have been trialed to ensure bait is kept
weatherproof. Helicopter flights have been
undertaken to determine impacts on wildlife —
especially King penguins — and the dog team is
training 11 dogs for use from 2010 onwards.
Tenders for helicopter services have recently
closed and permits to use the brodifacoum bait
have been received.
Yeutha May is the administrative officer for the
project. A number of other Parks and contract
staff are assisting with specific elements of
planning.
For more information on the planned eradication please contact the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project
office (email: [email protected]).
Returning Faure Island’s mammal biodiversity
Faure Island, in the midst of the Shark Bay World
Heritage Area off Western Australia, was purchased
in 1999 by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy
(AWC). The organisation has since undertaken an
ambitious and successful transformation of the
5,300 ha island by removing cats and goats and by
reducing stock numbers. Faure Island is now a
wildlife sanctuary of national significance. Five of
Australia’s rarest and most endangered species
have been successfully reintroduced back to Faure
Island, restoring its original biodiversity.
AWC aimed to restore the biodiversity values of
Faure Island and
make it a haven for
threatened species
that once existed
throughout
the
region.
•
protect the existing flora,
ecosystems of Faure Island
•
enhance and rehabilitate Faure Island’s
ecosystems and bio-diversity
•
contribute to the recovery of threatened
species endemic to the Shark Bay World
Heritage Area
•
encourage support and awareness of Faure
Island and its value in the recovery of
endangered species
•
support research contributing to improved
conservation manag-ement of threatened
arid zone fauna.
fauna
and
An intensive feral eradication program began with
help from the Western Australia Department of
Environment and Conservation (DEC), volunteer
groups and contractors. This involved the
broadscale trial of DEC-produced Eradicat® baits
for cat control, and aerial shooting and trapping of
goats. During the following 18 months, surveys
were carried out to monitor the success of the
control program and the impacts of their removal
on existing species.
A baseline biological
survey of the island
was
carried
out
leading
to
the
development of clear
objectives for the
project:
4
The successful reintroduction of mammals to Faure
Island would not have been possible without the
involvement of a number of organisations from the
government, academic, community and nonprofit
sectors (eg DEC, Invasive Animals CRC, CSIRO,
Perth Zoo, Conservation Volunteers Australia Inc,
Western Australia Museum, Useless Loop
Community Biosphere Project Group Inc, and the
previous landholders: the Hoult family). AWC has
had incredible success reintroducing locally extinct
species back to Faure Island, which can be
attributed to the hard work in making this 5,300 ha
island feral-free. AWC’s continuous monitoring and
intensive management will ensure this safe haven
will remain just that for future generations.
Aerial view of Faure Island (image: AWC).
After removing feral predators and the majority of
feral goats from the island, AWC and its partners
carried out translocations of a suite of threatened
mammals to Faure Island. The most appropriate
species to be reintroduced were determined based
on historical records and a survey of subfossil
remains. The following species were reintroduced
to the island:
1. Burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur
lesueur)
2. Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys fieldi)
3. Banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus
fasciatus fasciatus)
4. Western barred bandicoot (Perameles
bougainville bougainville)
Shark Bay mouse (image: AWC).
5. Greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor).
AWC is an independent, non-profit organisation
dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s threatened
wildlife and their habitats. AWC’s strategy includes
establishing wildlife sanctuaries, implementing practical,
onground conservation programs, conducting scientific
research and public education. For further information
about Faure Island, please contact Dr Blair Parsons
(email: [email protected]) or Dr Manda Page
(email: [email protected]) or phone 08
9380 9633.
Ongoing monitoring has confirmed that four of the
five reintroduced species have successfully
established and populations are breeding and
growing in size. The status of the greater stick-nest
rat population is uncertain at present. To
complement the mammal reintroductions, a number
of onground management activities have been
conducted, including reducing stock (sheep)
numbers, controlling introduced weeds (eg boxthorn,
lupins), closing and rehabilitating tracks, and
removing fences and waterpoints.
5
The tale of two rats: Rodent management on Muttonbird Island,
Coffs Harbour
Muttonbird Island (33º18’S, 153º09'E), is an 8 ha
land-bridged island located 600 m off the
Australian east coast at Coffs Harbour, New
South Wales (NSW) at the mouth of the local
marina and fishing port. The island is a tourist
destination and is well used by the local
community for recreational purposes. It is also
home to a regionally significant breeding
population of wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus
pacificus). The vegetation of the island is
characterised by low-growing sedges, grasses
and herbs that dominate the south and centre of
the island, while the northern edges contain
Lantana camara and scattered areas of Cupaniopsis anacardioides and Chrysanthemoides
monilifera. One individual Northern brown
bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) was trapped by
the authors; however, the native mammal
diversity is low.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
(NPWS) manages the island, which was gazetted
as a Nature Reserve in 1971 for the conservation
and study of seabirds. The Muttonbird Island
Research Group was created in 2008, with
members of NPWS, University of New England
and Bird Banders collaborating to inform the site’s
management decisions.
The shearwater population has been monitored
by volunteers for over 40 years and concerns
were raised in recent years about the declining
population of birds and increasing numbers of
rats. In 2007, one of these authors (Meek) carried
out a small mammal survey (400 trap nights) to
identify the potential threats to the birds.
Significant numbers of the native swamp rat
Rattus lutreolus, equal numbers of the introduced
black rat R. rattus and large numbers of the
house mouse Mus domesticus were captured.
The presence of R. lutreolus poses an interesting
management dilemma with regard to rodent
control, because any control of exotic rodents
may also affect this native species. Subsequent
surveys by these authors estimated that the
island still supports a good population density of
R. lutreolus (9 animals/ha), a similar density of
black rats (6.5 animals/ha) and an astonishingly
Muttonbird Island small mammal surveys detected a large
and very unexpected Northern brown bandicoot (image:
Paul Meek).
high density of mice (53 animals/ha). The rat species
have a preference for the denser vegetation
(Flagellaria indica, Dianella congesta, Lantana camara
etc) and appear to co-exist, while the mice are present
across all vegetation types.
Historically, Muttonbird Island has been controlled
using 20 bait stations baited with coumatetralyl during
the shearwater prenesting season. The break wall is
baited with brodifacoum at 15 m intervals and has
been baited every 3 months over the last 12 years by
the Department of Lands. However, this baiting
strategy does not appear to have been effective, so
NSW NPWS are attempting to develop a rodent
control program that has to balance the complex array
of factors of baiting a high human visitation (150,000
people per year) island; particularly where a native rat
and two introduced rodents co-exist. Muttonbird
Island contains the only known R. lutreolus population
on an Australian island.
As an interim measure, coumatetralyl baiting using
bait stations is being carried out on a section of the
island while taxonomic analysis of R. lutreolus is
carried out to clarify the significance of the population.
The effectiveness of the baiting is also being used to
compare breeding success between the baited and
non-baited areas, accepting the experimental flaws in
this design.
6
Peanut butter wax tags are currently being used For further information, contact:
to monitor rodent activity during the program and
a further trapping exercise will be conducted once Paul Meek, Department of Environment and Climate
Change, Pest Management Unit, PO Box 1236, Coffs
all the shearwaters have left the island.
This program poses some challenges in terms of
tackling the targeting of an exotic rat over a native
rat, minimising off-target raptor kills, the sensitive
nature of the burrowed landscape, the need for
mice and rat control simultaneously, the landbridge immigration pathway, the proximity to a
major port and the high usage by tourists and
locals. If the status of R. lutreolus is considered to
be ecologically important, these rats may have to
be kept in captivity while pest rodent control is
undertaken. Regardless of our decision, over 40
years of shearwater population monitoring has
shown that the breeding success has declined
significantly. Rodent predation of eggs, chicks,
and their indirect impacts on burrows may be
some of the causes.
Harbour,
NSW
2450,
[email protected])
Australia
(email:
Dean Egan or Ann Walton, Department of Environment and
Climate Change, PO Box J200, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450,
Australia
Karl Vernes, Ecosystem Management, School of
Environmental and Rural Science, University of New
England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
Black rats (Rattus rattus L.) eradicated from Bowen Island
in Jervis Bay
Bowen Island is located in the mouth of Jervis
Bay, NSW, Australia, some 250 km south of
Sydney and 35 km east of Nowra. The island is
managed as a part of the NSW Booderee
National Park and is renowned for its breeding
populations of little penguin (Eudyptula minor),
and three species of shearwaters (Puffinus
species). Black rats (Rattus rattus) have been
perceived as a pest on Bowen Island for
decades. They were probably introduced by early
explorers taking shelter in Jervis Bay, and
subsequent arrivals probably occurred via ship
stores during the pioneer farming era.
The author and Wreck Bay Aboriginal field officers
checking cage traps on Bowen Island (image: Paul Meek).
Black rats were abundant on this heath-covered
51 ha island, and given their propensity to prey on
ground-nesting sea birds, were identified as a
threat in the Bowen Island Management Plan
1988. Before implementing a rodent control
program, mammal surveys were carried out to
assess the non-target species at risk of poisoning;
these surveys also provided a non-experimental
index of abundance of resident species. No native
mammal species were detected, although 97 black
rats were trapped over 353 trap nights and two
were observed during spotlighting.
Between 1993 and 1995 a ground baiting strategy
was carried out, aiming to eradicate the rats.
Twenty three baiting transects spaced 50 m apart
in dense vegetation were hand cut across the
island and 228 bait stations made from agricultural
pipe were placed every 50 m along each transect.
Late in the program another 50 bait stations made
of 100 mm PVC pipe were placed on rock
platforms where R. rattus were not exposed to
baits. Two rodenticides, bromadiolone Bromakill
Super Rat Blocks® (20 g) and brodifacoum Talon
Wax Blocks® (20 g) were deployed on 12 baiting
events. Bait removal was determined each visit
and baits that had been eaten were replaced.
7
Baits that were damaged, for example by heat, were
also replaced but not counted as being consumed
by rats.
There were no mice (Mus domesticus) detected, nor
had they been reported from anecdotal observations
by Ranger staff, so there was no reason to address
mice in this program. Chew sticks made from
wooden stakes soaked in peanut oil were deployed
on two occasions by Parks Australia, in 1996 and
2002, to see if black rats were still resident. A control
set was also deployed on the mainland to compare
activity levels. No rodents were detected on the
island.
Subsequently, trapping and spotlighting surveys
were carried out in 2004 by this author to confirm the
eradication, and determine if any native species had
responded to the control. Unfortunately no native
mammals were trapped. However, black rats were
not recorded either, confirming that they have been
eradicated from Bowen Island. They have not
recolonised the island to date and periodic
monitoring is undertaken by Parks Australia to
respond to any new incursion.
The main bait station used on Bowen Island: standard
100mm agricultural pipe with two stabilising brackets
(image: Paul Meek).
For further information contact Paul Meek, Department
of Environment and Climate Change, Pest Management
Unit, PO Box 1236, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 (email:
[email protected]).
Foxes in Tasmania, Australia — update
Unlike mainland Australia, foxes haven't established in Tasmania, and this is one reason the island state
retains such an intact and unique small mammal fauna. However, since 2001, five fox carcases and several
thousand sightings of foxes have been recorded, confirming that foxes have been accidentally or
deliberately introduced. A major fox eradication effort has been
mobilised, but the size of Tasmania requires that the program
focuses on regions where fox activity is greatest. To determine
where these regions are, researchers from the University of
Western Australia and University of Canberra have developed
DNA-based methods to identify foxes from faecal samples.
Because foxes defecate in prominent places, and faeces are long
lasting, they are useful markers of fox presence.
Over 4000 samples have been processed and 36 of these contain
fox DNA. Using DNA fingerprinting, the researchers have
identified eight individual foxes from among these faecal samples.
Significantly, these include two females, suggesting there is
potential for reproduction and population growth. The project is
ongoing as part of Tasmania’s Fox Eradication Program,
a collaboration between the state's Department of Primary
Industries, the universities mentioned above and the Invasive
Animals CRC.
Fox Vulpes vulpes (image: Carolyn Lee).
Further information can be obtained from Oliver Berry, University of
Western Australia (email: [email protected]).
8
ISLANDS iN FOCUS: Overseas
Progress towards restoring the Phoenix Islands
Nestled just south of the equator, the Phoenix
Islands are the world’s largest marine protected
area and they support globally important seabird
populations. Since 2006, Pacific Expeditions and
Eco Oceania Ltd have been assisting the
Government of Kiribati in capacity building and
island restoration with funding and other support
from Conservation International (CI) who
administer the Critical Ecosystem Partnership
Fund (CEPF), Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII),
New Zealand Department of Conservation, and
many volunteers.
An initial feasibility survey in 2006 identified the
impacts of mammalian pests (particularly rats,
rabbits and/or cats) on all of the Phoenix Islands.
The report recommended the removal of rabbits
and rats from the three smallest islands of 20-50
ha and in 2008 NZAID funded work towards this
goal. This work included pest eradication training
on Kiritimati (Line Islands) and an expedition to
eradicate rabbits from Rawaki, Asian rats from
McKean and Pacific rats from Birnie in the
Phoenix Islands.
The Phoenix Islands eradication work took place
between April and June 2008. Rawaki and
McKean operations appeared to proceed
smoothly, but outcomes will not be known until at
least late 2009. Birnie, however, was aborted due
to risky landing conditions and the excess bait
was subsequently left at Abariringa for transport
to Kiritimati, where it will be used for rat
eradication on some islets this year.
Significant findings included that hermit crabs
did not pose as great a threat to bait loss as
had been perceived, and disturbance of
nesting colonies of frigatebirds and other birds
could be avoided with appropriate precautions.
For the first time, bristle-thighed curlews and
some other waders were shown to eat baits
directly and subsequently die during baiting
operations, but contingency measures were
identified to mitigate this in the future.
Islands in collaboration with anticipated funding from
CEPF, to remove cats from Orona and to plan for rat
eradication on Enderbury and Birnie Islands, and
assess the success of the 2008 operations.
Meanwhile, a Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)
Biosecurity Plan is currently being funded by CEPF.
The Team (image: Derek Brown).
References (available on PII website or from author):
June 2006: Phoenix Islands Conservation Survey
April-May 2006: a feasibility study for the ecological
restoration of the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati. (RJ Pierce,
T Etei, V Kerr, E Saul, A Teatata, M Thorsen and G
Wragg). Eco Oceania Ltd Contract Report for
Conservation International, Samoa, and the Invasive
Species Specialist Group c/- Auckland University,
Auckland.
June 2007: Surveys and capacity building in Kiritimati
(Christmas Island, Kiribati), to assist in restoration of
populations of bokikokiko and seabirds. (R Pierce, R
Anderson, E VanderWerf and L Young). Eco Oceania
Ltd report for Government of Kiribati, SPREP and PII.
April 2008. Report on Phoenix Islands Protected Area
(PIPA) training workshop held at Kiritimati in April
2008. (D Brown and RJ Pierce). Eco Oceania Ltd
report for NZAID.
Future work with Kiribati includes NZAIDfunded work at Kiritimati and at the Phoenix
9
October 2008: Operational work undertaken to
eradicate mammalian pests in the Phoenix
Islands, Kiribati, May-June 2008. Eco Oceania
Ltd report for Government of Kiribati and NZAID.
For further information, contact Ray Pierce, Eco
Oceania Pty Ltd, 165 Stoney Creek Rd, Speewah, Qld,
Australia 4881 (email: [email protected]).
Left: the Rawaki ‘landing’ (image: Mike Thorson), and right: regenerating plants on Rawaki (image: Ray Pierce).
Lessons learnt during an eradication in a (very) remote region
During April and May 2008 a team visited the
remote Phoenix Islands, Kiribati, to attempt
eradications against rabbits, Polynesian rat and
Asian ship rat on three islands. These islands are
small, low (up to about 4 m above sea level),
sparsely-vegetated raised-coral platforms with a
small fringing coral reef. The expedition was selfsupported, with all equipment transported to the site
on a support vessel and landed in an inflatable
boat. Bait spread was by hand. Several lessons
were learnt during this operation and are worth
passing on. These lessons are taken from the full
report on this operation, which is available on the
Pacific Invasives Initiative website.
1. An adequate period is needed to prepare for an
expedition of this nature. The only reasons why this
expedition managed to keep to its May departure
schedule was due to the efforts of those involved.
Some team members were planning the
eradication in December, well before funding was
available in February.
10
2. Ideally, the Eradication Leader should visit the
target islands beforehand (this was not possible
in this case); this would help in decision making
on the appropriateness of various techniques.
3. There are problems with using a third country
as a staging post. It increases bureaucracy and
complicates biosecurity planning. Using an
intermediary based on the staging island is
invaluable, but needs to be budgeted for.
4. Never underestimate the bureaucracy!
Surprisingly, the biggest problems in this
operation were the New Zealand agencies when
dealing with departures from their normal
operating procedures.
5. 200-litre barrels were a good way to transport
the bait as they alleviated concerns about
biosecurity (particularly crazy ants). Dessicant
was not needed within the barrels, and may have
a counterproductive effect by concentrating
moisture in one area. Unless empty, these barrels
are too heavy to man-handle and the bags of bait
need to be landed some other way (in this case
using large-capacity drybags). The barrels also
proved handy as temporary waterproof storage of
bait on the islands. The black coloration of the
barrels did not seem to affect bait quality.
6. Two baiting applications of 12 kg per hectare
should be sufficient against rat species on crabinfested islands of a similar nature; including
coconut palm-dominated coral atolls.
7. A high incidental bait take (particularly by
terrestrial crabs) was thought to be a certainty
based on advice from other projects in tropical
areas. In reality, this issue, although significant,
was not as bad as had been expected. More bait
was used than was necessary, as large quantities
remained uneaten at the end of the operation.
Future operations could potentially be more costeffective and time-effective if lower quantities of
bait were transported and used, but planners would
also need to factor in fluctuations in rainfall (if
known) and potential effects of weather patterns on
crab and pest densities.
8. The labour-saving use of marking alternate lines
only as the basis for bait broadcast proved effective
and time saving. However, it is a technique best
suited to open islands where there is good visibility
between the intermediate person and the people on
the adjacent marked lines. Use of such a technique
on densely vegetated islands may be prone to
error, but is worth contemplating.
10. Our design of bait station proved effective at
excluding crabs at reasonable population
densities.
11. Some bristle-thighed curlews and other
waders eat poison baits, so risks to waders are
not confined to secondary poisoning. Late May
and June should be the main target period for
future poisoning (in this region), allowing time
for poison baits to break down before the return
of adult migrants. It may be practical to scare
curlews away from target islands at the start of
a bait-spread operation and this strategy should
be attempted in future operations.
12. This operation demonstrated that with
reasonable care it is possible to hand broadcast
bait into large colonies of lesser and greater
frigatebirds without causing mass desertions.
13. No eradication was attempted on one
island due to landing being more difficult than
realised during the 2006 survey. Taking careful
notes on landing conditions and weather
patterns whenever a remote island is visited is
invaluable.
14. Learning by sharing is an ideal way to pass
on eradication expertise between practitioners.
However, the learning by sharing of the
critically important planning tasks does not
seem to be often pursued! Those responsible
for planning future eradications should be
looking for opportunities to be involved in the
planning and implementation of current
operations.
9. Leaving bait stations on one island was felt to be
justified due to uncertainties around Asian ship rat
bait acceptance (unable to be trialed before the
expedition), but risks to non-targets need to be
assessed.
For further information, contact Mike Thorsen (ERA Environment Solution NZ Ltd, email
[email protected]) or Ray Pierce (Eco Oceania Ltd, email: [email protected]).
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
New 3-yr rodent and cat eradication project funded in the Pacific
The UK Government’s Darwin Initiative has
granted BirdLife International almost £290,000
(AU $594,000) to implement a three-year island
conservation project in the Pacific. The project
will establish a regional network of cat and rodent
eradication practitioners, and disseminate skills
and best practices. It aims to achieve sustainable
management of island ecosystems in Palau and
Fiji.
Specifically, the new project aims to (i) eradicate
rodents and cats from Kayangel, and to develop
the capacity of civil society and the Government
of Palau to eradicate invasive species and
prevent reintroductions, and (ii) enhance the
sustainability of nine ‘restored’ islands in Fiji
where rodents have been eradicated, and
facilitate the establishment of community-based
Protected Areas.
Feral cat (image: Tony Buckmaster).
News posted on BirdLife International website 31 March
2009.
New Zealand Island Eradication Advisory Group
The Island Eradication Advisory Group (IEAG) is
a small group of staff within the New Zealand
Department of Conservation (DOC) who
represent the best island eradication experience
available within DOC. Set up in 1997 to support
DOC projects with technical advice and learning
from previous experience, the role has diversified
into six key areas:
1) Eradication project technical support.
2) Island biosecurity technical support.
3) Best practice for pest eradication. DOC
operates a system of ‘current agreed best
practice’ whereby the best way of undertaking
eradication projects for various species are
evaluated by the IEAG and kept current with
changing information.
4) Building capability within DOC for pest
eradication work.
5) Advice on national priorities for island
eradication projects.
6) International networking to maintain DOC’s
knowledge base by participating in the learning and
resolution of island eradication issues worldwide.
New Zealand is recognised as a pioneer in this field
and remains involved in a global network of
eradication practitioners at the leading edge of
development.
How does it work?
The group meets three times each year, in February,
May and October. These meetings involve
discussion and problem solving with project
managers and are followed up by written advice
agreed at the meeting. IEAG will respond to
requests for advice at any time to meet the needs of
project managers. Individual members will contribute
to group discussion via email or conference call to
provide a collective view.
Many projects have the IEAG undertake ‘readiness
checks’ of the planning to identify outstanding issues
to address before implementation.
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Priorities
Because the work of IEAG members is often in
addition to their ‘day job’, the group’s terms of
reference sets priorities to help manage the
workload. DOC projects have first priority,
followed by projects within New Zealand
undertaken by others. Third priority goes to
projects outside New Zealand. Priority within this
last category goes to projects that give effect to
existing agreements and to those that benefit
both parties: that is, high biodiversity gain,
opportunities to build DOC capability, low risk to
DOC and low opportunity cost to the ongoing core
work of members.
•
•
•
Why does it work?
Key elements to the success of the group are:
• A strong customer focus to meet the
needs of the project manager.
Clear separation between advice provided by
the IEAG and decision making done by the
project manager who is ultimately responsible
for the success of the project. Decisions taken
by project mangers are respected by the group
regardless of how they align with the technical
advice provided.
The group fosters a team approach to each
project. Group members become as committed
to the success of a project as the project
managers and they strive to support rather than
judge their performance.
Effective communication is an important factor.
IEAG advice is always frank and direct even if
it’s not what the project manager wants to hear.
The catch phrase heard most often at IEAG
meetings is ‘minimise the risk of failure’.
Recent projects accessing advice from IEAG:
Date
Island project
Target species
Country
2009
Macquarie
mice, ship (black) rats, rabbits
Australia
2009
Lord Howe
mice, ship rats
Australia
2009
Rangitoto/Motutapu
multiple species
New Zealand
2008
Rat Island, Aleutians
Norway rats
USA
2008
Phoenix
rabbits, Asian ship rats
Kiribati
2007
Abel Tasman islands
mice
New Zealand
2006
Taukihepa
ship rats
New Zealand
2006
Secretary
stoat, deer
New Zealand
For more information, contact Keith Broome, Chair of IEAG (email: [email protected]).
Meeting of network on seabird islands and introduced predators
For the past three years the United States
National Science Foundation has funded a
research coordination network on Seabird Islands
and Introduced Predators (SEAPRE). The
network is convened by Prof Christa Mulder
(University of Alaska, Fairbanks), Prof Wendy
Anderson (Drury University, Missouri), and Dr
Julie Ellis (Tufts University, Massachusetts) and
has an international steering committee.
The purpose of the network has been to produce a
synthesis of current knowledge about seabird effects
on island ecosystems, and how introduced predators
alter island ecosystems. The synthesis also
includes:
• what is known about eradicating introduced
predators
• prospects for restoring seabird islands
• the social context for restoration.
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Participants in the network include ecologists and
restoration practitioners from nine countries working
on islands from the Aleutian Islands to the Juan
Fernández Islands, from warm temperate New
Zealand to the tropical Indian Ocean, Mediterranean
France, arid Mexico, and cool temperate Gulf of
Maine, to name a few.
The synthesis will appear as a book ‘Seabird
Islands: Ecology, Invasion and Restoration’
published by Oxford University Press.
The third meeting of the network was held in early
April 2009 on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands,
north of Seattle near the Canadian border.
The recent meeting served as a venue for chapter
authors to convene and combine material. The
network has, over the past few years, funded
student exchanges to visit different island
ecosystems from those they are working on: at this
meeting, graduate students reported on visits to
Palmyra atoll (Jo Smith, The Nature Conservancy)
and the Great Barrier Reef (Holly Jones, Yale
University). Presentations at the network from
island managers included details of successful
eradications on Guadelupe Island (Maria Felix,
Conservación des Islas, Mexico) and on Lehua
(Peter Dunlevy, US Fish and Wildlife Department,
Hawaii). The network also has an outreach program
with a web site and a DVD in production.
For further information, contact Peter Bellingham at Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
(email: [email protected]).
The Invasive Species Specialist Group
of the brown tree snake (Bioga irregularis) on the
avifauna of Guam. This snake was introduced to
Guam and the Northern Marianna islands as a
stowaway in military cargo, and has severely
affected 22 bird species, including 17 of 18 native
species.
The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is a
network of expert volunteers, organised under the
auspices of the Species Survival Commission of
the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN). The mission of the ISSG is to reduce the
threat of invasive species to natural ecosystems
and the native species they contain, by increasing
awareness of alien invasions and of ways to
prevent, control or eradicate them.
The ISSG promotes and facilitates the exchange of
invasive species knowledge across the globe and
ensures linkage between knowledge, practice and
policy so that decision making is informed. Key
activities managed by the ISSG include:
• production of a biannual newsletter ‘Aliens’ —
featuring articles on conservation and other
issues related to invasive species
• maintenance of the Aliens-L list server —
allowing users to freely seek and share
information on invasive species and related
issues
• maintenance of the Global Invasive Species
Database (GISD) — featuring 665 profiles of
invasive species online.
Established in 1994, the ISSG currently has 196
core members from over 40 countries and a wide
informal global network of over 2000 conservation
practitioners and experts. The ISSG network
contributes expertise and skills at all levels: policy,
practitioner, grassroots and community. The Chair
of the ISSG is Dr. Piero Genovesi, of the Institute
for Environmental Protection and Research, in
Italy. The Secretariat of the ISSG is also located in
Italy, while the newly formed Regional Office for
the Pacific is located in Auckland, New Zealand.
Prevention of spread of invasive species on island
ecosystems is a key area of interest for the ISSG.
Insular island ecosystems exhibit high levels of
endemism and are especially vulnerable to the
impacts of invasive species. For instance, invasive
species impacts threaten two thirds of threatened
bird species on islands, predominantly by
predation. One of the best known examples is that
Thematic databases of information related to
invasive species that the ISSG is working on include:
• threatened species (on the IUCN Red List)
impacted by invasive species
• invasive species threats on islands ecosystems
and protected areas
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•
The ISSG is one of several partners of the PII. PII
activities are focused on raising awareness of
invasive species issues, building capacity in the
region to manage invasives, and facilitating
cooperative approaches to achieve and sustain
desired outcomes.
invasive species information on priority Key
Biodiversity Areas of the PolynesiaMicronesia hotspot (supported by the
Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund
Polynesia-Micronesia program).
These databases will all be made freely available
on the ISSG portal.
Implementation of carefully selected on-the-ground
‘demonstration projects’ provide PII with an
opportunity to focus on specific management
objectives and build management capacity in Pacific
communities. Examples of demonstration projects
include: management of Mimosa pigra in Madang,
Papua New Guinea; Pacific rat eradication on Viwa
Island Fiji, and rat eradication on Ahnd Atoll
Pohnpei.
The ISSG in the Pacific
The newly formed Regional Office for the Pacific,
together with the regional ISSG membership, has
been closely involved in raising awareness of
invasive species issues in the Pacific region. The
ISSG coordinated the ‘Cooperative Islands
Initiative’ following calls from countries with islands
for more effective efforts to manage invasive
species. The Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII) is one
of its first initiatives, aiming to conserve island
biodiversity and enhance the sustainability of
peoples’ livelihoods in the Pacific.
Upcoming events: The ISSG together with the
Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity in New
Zealand is co-hosting the Island Invasives:
Eradication and Management conference at
University of Auckland, in February 2010.
Left: ‘garden weeding’ in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, and right: checking rat trap lines, Pohnpei, Federated
States of Micronesia (images: Bill Nagle).
ISSG welcomes contributions of information on invasive species, any management action to prevent their spread, and
any records of impacts on biodiversity from practitioners, experts and researchers. If you can contribute, or would like
further information, contact Shyama Pagad, Manager Information Services, IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist
Group, Regional Office for the Pacific, New Zealand (email: [email protected]).
15
UPCOMING EVENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) International 2009: World Conference on Ecological
Restoration. Perth, Western Australia, 23-27 August 2009.
6th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions. Portland, Oregon, USA. 24-27 August 2009.
7th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Lyon, France, 8-12 September 2009.
First International Congress on Biological Invasions. Fuzhou, China, 2-6 November 2009.
Australasian Wildlife Management Society Conference. Napier, New Zealand, 30 Nov-2 Dec 2009.
Island Arks Symposium. Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia. 7-11 December 2009.
Island Invasives: Eradication and Management. Auckland, New Zealand, 8-12 February 2010.
Global Biosecurity 2010. Brisbane, Australia, 28 February-3 March 2010.
Call for islandNet documents and images
We are asking all islandNet members for your help with our collation of island-related items; especially
‘grey’ literature reports and images, to house in our feral.org.au resources database. Copyright permission
will be obtained before making any document or image available (basically, we would like low resolution
pictures acknowledging the source to be allowed for educational use only). If you are happy to provide a
copy of relevant research, policy or other documents/pictures for our database, please contact Wendy
Henderson (email: [email protected]).
We hope you found this newsletter interesting and informative — any constructive feedback is welcome.
Thank-you to everyone who contributed to this edition.
If you would like to contribute to the next newsletter, please contact Elaine Murphy ([email protected])
or Wendy Henderson ([email protected]).
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