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 Paul Green 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

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

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 invites applications from interested individuals or community groups for grants-in-aid in support of recovery and habitat amelioration of whio in the Central North Island and surrounding districts. Download the application form and further information below. Applications close 30 November 2011.

CNIBDT Contestable Fund info and application form.pdf

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