Stoat sighted on island sanctuary endangers kakapo survival.

25/12/2006 00:00:00 April 2007. The Department of Conservation were alerted on Good Friday by a member of the public who reported seeing a stoat on the shoreline of an island sanctuary in Dusky Sound, Fiordland. Anchor Island (1380ha) has high ecological and conservation values, and is home to a proportion of the kakapo population, currently totalling 86 individuals. The island has been pest-free since 2001.

Following the sighting information, DOC staff implemented a response plan, and as a precautionary measure yesterday translocated 10 female kakapo to another island refuge. In addition, predator traps operated on the island have been checked and re-baited; and a dog trained to follow stoat scent will be deployed shortly.

Stoat numbers are currently high in Fiordland due to the increased numbers of mice present in the ecosystem, following on from a beech mast-seeding last summer.

DOC’s Kakapo Team Leader, Emma Neill said ‘DOC is very pleased that the member of the public was aware of the significance of the stoat sighting, and promptly advised the local area office in Te Anau’. Anchor Island
The Department of Conservation undertakes the conservation of kakapo by employing a dedicated kakapo management team of technical and research specialists, using an external scientific and technical advisory committee, and accepting generous support from Comalco New Zealand Ltd.

Anchor Island or Pukenui (1380ha) lies near the entrance to Dusky Sound in Fiordland National Park. It has internationally significant ecological, conservation and historical values. It is free of rodents (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) and possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). The resident population of stoats (Mustela erminea) were removed from the island in about 2002 and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in 2006.

Along with its ecological and conservation value, Anchor Island has nationally significant historical value. The island boasts a number of historical ‘firsts.’ It is the site of the first dwelling built by Europeans in New Zealand and also the first European ship built in New Zealand (Begg and Begg 1966; Bradley and MacPherson 1993). There are many known Maori and European archaeological sites on Anchor Island and possibly others which have not yet been recorded.

Anchor Island is administered by the Southland Conservancy, Department of Conservation, as an open sanctuary island. This indicates that its primary conservation function is the protection and interpretation to the public of indigenous species and habitats, including those threatened by extinction or destruction (Department of Conservation 2000).