About Us
Kaupapa
What is Kaupapa : (noun) topic, policy, matter for discussion, plan, purpose, scheme, proposal, agenda, subject, programme, theme, issue, initiative.
Arapaoa Kiwi aims to re-introduce kiwi onto Arapaoa Island in the next 5-7 years.
This requires stoats to be eradicated, and prevented from re-establishing for the next 30+ years. By targeting just stoats (and not rats), island wide eradication can be achieved.
How will we achieve this:
1 trap every 5-6Ha will be required (1500-1800 traps). Traps will be placed on the foreshore reserve, on existing tracks and on new trap lines. A combination of different trap types and lures will be used, including self-resetting traps to minimize the servicing. Some stoat specific and weka friendly toxins (eg Papp) will be required for trap shy individuals at specific locations. The local indigenous predators including weka are important to the program, and these toxins will be selected, used and monitored to prevent any by-catch and any ecosystem damage.
We will need permission to access and place and service traps through all large land holdings on the island. We will need permission to access most of the existing tracks on the island.
Monitoring of stoats will be required initially to establish an estimated population, during trapping to determine progress, and continually after eradication to identify a re-incursion. This will be achieved through cameras and lures and any other new technology. A rapid response team will be required to respond to any re-incursion.
Trapping and monitoring will be achieved by land owners, volunteers and contractors.
Funding will be achieved through corporate sponsorship, contributions from landowners, conservation charities, charitable funding organisations, donations and from government funds. Funding must be for the long term, not just the eradication stage.
DOC and Ngai Tahu have specific requirements before allowing kiwis to be introduced:
• Stoats must be eradicated from the island
• The island must be stoat free for at least 3 years
• On going trapping and monitoring (and funding) to ensure stoats do not reinvade the island once kiwis are present
• A dog management plan is required to be in place
• Monitoring of the reintroduced kiwis to ensure success/survival
Arapaoa Kiwi Trust
A project of this size is very complex, and there is a lot of administration overhead and everything takes time. Unfortunately we can’t just go out and purchase a lot of traps and put them around the island.
The Arapaoa Kiwi Trust was formed on the 1st September 2021 to administer the project with three founding trustees and an administrator:
– Registered as a charitable trust Arapaoa Kiwi Trust (CC59615).
– Registered as a registered charity.
– Formed a technical advisory group (TAG) of national experts.
– Drafted and executing an operational plan.