Hon Maggie Barry

Minister of Conservation
11 October 2016 Media Statement

Minister praises Maud Island eradication effort

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated DOC staff involved in the successful eradication of mice from Maud Island in the Cook Strait.

“It’s now two years since a mouse was found on Maud Island and we’re able to declare it a pest-free sanctuary, as it was from the 1970s until 2013,” Ms Barry says.

Mice were discovered on the island in 2013. DOC workers carried out an eradication operation with brodifacoum poison over the following winter.

“Maud Island is an important habitat for native species such as the Cook Strait giant weta, kakariki and the unique Maud Island frog/pakeka. DOC is a world leader in island pest eradications and island biosecurity – I congratulate everyone involved in this important work.”

Keeping pests off islands like Maud is an ongoing challenge requiring constant vigilance from DOC and the public. How the mice found in 2013 got there is not known.

“It’s an important reminder of the continued risk to predator-free islands, and the vulnerable species which live on them, from reinfestation. These mice could have decimated the population of native insects and lizards if they were left unchecked.

“People visiting or boating near pest-free islands should visit the DOC website,http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/visiting-pest-free-islands/ for more information about what they need to do to keep them safe.

“The recently-announced conservation dogs partnership with KiwiBank will enable DOC to employ full-time pest detection dogs for the first time which will allow even faster reaction to this kind of situation in future.”

Following the discovery of the mice some Maud Island frogs were moved off the island for safe keeping while other species like the takahē were removed entirely.

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