Central North Island Blue Duck Trust
Why are Blue Duck so Special?
The blue duck or whio, is a unique New Zealand bird that lives in clean, fast-flowing mountainous rivers. Unlike other native New Zealand birds such as the kiwi and kakapo, they cannot be shifted to predator-free offshore islands because of their unique habitat.
Blue duck are regarded as Nationally Endangered, the second highest category of threat. Their decline is attributed to many factors, including habitat loss, flooding, disturbance and predation from introduced animals e.g. stoats, rats and cats. Blue duck populations continue to decline in many areas, and while predation is not the only factor involved, evidence suggests that it is a key threat. Evidence of stoats attacking and killing vulnerable nesting females is recorded regularly. Not only do stoats eat the eggs, the female sitting on the nest or attempting to protect the clutch of eggs can also be killed.
The Central North Island Blue Duck Trust
In the early 1990s, ECNZ (Genesis Energy’s predecessor) began work to renew its resource consents for the Tongariro Power Scheme (TPS). This initiated a lengthy process of consultation with many parties, including the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (Forest and Bird). DOC and Forest and Bird were concerned primarily with the effects of the TPS on the environment and especially the impact of the TPS on the blue duck and their habitat, and on the natural character of rivers and streams. Whio are regarded as an indicator of healthy stream ecology.
DOC, Forest and Bird and Genesis Energy agreed to a mitigation package that included the release of minimum flows below the Mangatepopo and Whanganui intakes on the Western Diversion of the TPS and the establishment of the Central North Island Blue Duck Charitable Trust. The Trust provides for ongoing initiatives to enhance, protect and promote Whio populations, habitat and natural character. The Trust was launched on 16th August 2002.
The five current Trustees are Bill Fleury and Peter Morton from DOC, Laura Dawson from Forest and Bird, Warwick Silvester who is an independent scientist, and Elinor Watson from Genesis Energy.
The Trust's primary objective is to create new self-sustaining blue duck populations in appropriate locations - not necessarily limited to the central North Island. The Trust also aims to help enhance existing Blue Duck populations and educate the general public about the Blue Duck.
The Central North Island Blue Duck Trust produces an Annual Report each year.
You can view the reports online:
Annual Report 2009 CNIBDT.PDF
Annual Report 2010 CNIBDT.PDF
Annual Report 2011 CNIBDT.PDF
What projects has the Trust supported?
Between 2003 and 2007 the Trust supported two key projects in the North Island in alignment with the Trust’s 5 year strategic plan.
The first was to support DOC’s project to secure a minimum population of 30 interrelating pairs of blue duck on key rivers in the western central North Island, namely the Whakapapa, upper Whanganui, Mangatepopo and Manganui-te-ao Rivers. This involved predator control management and intensive monitoring. So successful was the project that productivity has increased three fold (see table below).
Table: Productivity of blue duck on the Whakapapa, Mangatepopo and Whanganui Rivers
| Season | Predator Control | Number pairs | No. chicks hatched | No. chicks fledged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2004/05 |
No predator control |
30 |
24 |
20 |
|
2005/06 |
No predator control |
22 |
26 |
16 |
|
2006/07 |
1080 poison adjacent Whakapapa and Mangatepopo Rivers |
27 |
48 |
25 |
|
2007/08 |
Trapping along Whakapapa and Mangatepopo Rivers. |
32 |
86 |
67 |
| 2008/09 | Trapping along Whakapapa, Mangatepopo and Whanganui Rivers. |
36 |
75 |
64 |
2009/10 |
Trapping along Whakapapa, Mangatepopo and Whanganui Rivers. |
46 |
53 |
28 |
2010/11 |
600 traps in place along 22 km of rivers |
48 |
10 |
5 (Productivity affected by flooding in September and December) |
2011/12 |
600 traps in place along 22 km of rivers |
50 |
121 |
102 |
The second project was to support DOC’s proposal to create a self-sustaining population of blue duck at Taranaki. This involved integrated pest control, monitoring of the relocated population and refining techniques for translocating wild and captive blue duck. The population is now close to 50 with the first successful breeding occurring in 2007 and 2008. [Photo Taranaki Ducklings Photo credit: DOC]
In addition to the work DOC carries out, the Trust supported the publication of the first ever book on The Blue Duck - "WHIO - Saving New Zealand’s Blue Duck" the book tells the natural history of the Blue Duck and outlines the work done by a number of individuals to help protect the species. The book was launched in 2006, and has raised the plight of the bird to the wider New Zealand Community
What projects is the Trust supporting now?
In 2008 the Trust implemented its 2008-2012 strategic plan which aligns with the National Whio Recovery Plan. The priority for the Trust is to build-on the success of the projects supported over the previous 5 year period. The key projects that the trust is working with DOC to support are:
- To secure a minimum population of 50 pairs of whio on key rivers in Tongariro Forest (including the Whanganui, Mangatepopo and Whakapapa Rivers). The project involves predator control management and intensive monitoring.
- To secure a minimum population of 50 pairs of whio on the Manganui-o-te-Ao and Retaruke Rivers. The project involves predator control management and intensive monitoring.
- To create a self-sustaining whio population with a minimum of 50 pairs on Mt Taranaki. The project involves integrated pest control, monitoring of the population and refining pest control techniques and techniques for translocating wild and captive bred whio.
Contestable Fund for Whio Recovery
The Central North Island Blue Duck Conservation Charitable Trust is again inviting applications for the 2012 round of Contestable Funding. We wish to allocate these as grants-in-aid in support of recovery and habitat amelioration of whio in the central north island and surrounding districts. The application form below contains all the information required.
Applications close on Monday the 26th of November 2012
CNIBDT_Contestable_Fund_info_and_application_form.doc
Contestable Fund Recipients 2011
| Organisation | Objective | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| East Taranaki Environment Trust | Responsible for maintaining predator traps from the park boundary to approximately 5 km outside of the park on 11 trap lines. The objective is to ensure the traps are checked monthly. | Maintain and replace if required treadle plates on the DOC250 traps. |
| NZ Deer Stalkers Association | The Oroua Blue Duck Protection Project is community started, based and funded. The aim is to increase the blue duck population in each of the Oroua and Pohangina rivers to 30 breeding pairs. | Hire a blue duck survey dog and handler |
| Blue Duck Project Trust | The Blue Duck Project aims to enable business, the community and landowners to enhance whio within the Central North Island. Primary focus is the Tongariro River. | Purchase and establish traps along the Tongariro River from Waikato Falls to Rangipo Dam (11 km). |
| Aorangi Awarua Trust | Te Potae O Awarua is a predator trapping project established in the northwest Ruahine Ranges on February 2007 to create a safe habitat for known populations of whio. | Transport trap checkers into and out of the project site, as well as cover contractor costs for the Ikawatea stoat lines. |
| Black Fern Lodge | Black Fern Lodge Ecological Restoration Project. To restore whio habitat to its original ecosystem by means of eradicating all introduced species. | Purchase and replace traps currently placed 3 km above and below Black Fern Lodge |
Please contact the Trust’s Secretary, if you are interested in donating money to the Trust or finding out more information about the Trust’s initiatives.
C/o Tokaanu Power Station"
Private Bag 36
Turangi
(07) 384 7235
lauren.fletcher@genesisenergy.co.nz