Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Kia Ora
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and that there are some features you can't use or read.

We are an active community of worldwide senior members participating in chat, politics, travel, health, blogging, graphics, computer issues & help, book club, literature & poetry, finance discussions, recipe exchange and much more. Also, as a member you will be able to access member only sections, many features, send personal messages, make new friends, etc.

Registration is simple, fast and completely free. Why not register today and become a part of the group. Registration button at the very top left of the page.

Thank you for stopping by.

Join our community!

In case of difficulty, email worldwideseniors.org@gmail.com.
If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Raoul Island might provide safety net for pigeon
Topic Started: Jan 23 2007, 04:24 PM (78 Views)
Kahu
Member Avatar

Raoul Island might provide safety net for pigeon
By KENT ATKINSON - NZPA | Wednesday, 17 January 2007

Conservation Minister Chris Carter says he is keen to persuade officials in his department to make more use of predator-free islands as "lifeboats" for endangered native birds and animals.

The minister said yesterday arguments against putting endangered species on to islands where they did not originally live might have to take a back seat to take advantage of whatever safe environments were available.

Advocates of ecological restoration have called for native species to be kept out of regions where they were not originally reared – such as insisting on northern rata being planted around Wellington rather than the pohutukawa from further north.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has led the world in eradicating pests from islands such as Kapiti Island, near Wellington, Campbell Island in the sub-Antarctic, and Raoul Island in the Kermadecs.

More than $1 million has been spent on clearing cats and rats from Raoul, and DOC officials have discussed the possibility of stocking it with species which were never there, but desperately need a safe haven.

"We can't be too pure about what the eco-system was when we can have a very good conservation asset," Mr Carter said. "I'm very enthusiastic about that and I've been driving DOC mad."

One possibility might be to transplant a population of the Chatham Islands wood pigeon – known as the parea – to Raoul Island, 1000km northeast of New Zealand's mainland, Mr Carter.

Its numbers have recovered from a low of about 40 birds in the 1980s, to over 200 – but concerns have been raised by reports that ferrets or stoats might have established in the Chathams.

Raoul once had its own species of wood pigeon which was exterminated by rats and cats in the 1800s.

Mr Carter said a separate population on Raoul Island, might provide extra "insurance" for the Chathams species.

Other conservationists have eyed Raoul Island as a lifeboat for tuatara – which never lived there – in case of some catastropphic collapse of the island populations around the South Island.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Deleted User
Deleted User

Quote:
 
The minister said yesterday arguments against putting endangered species on to islands where they did not originally live might have to take a back seat to take advantage of whatever safe environments were available.

I agree.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Deleted User
Deleted User

......................me too!!
Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Pets & Wildlife · Next Topic »
Add Reply