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Keeping islands pest-free and weed-free

Anybody visiting an island has the potential to accidentally bring weed seeds and pests (such as ship rat) to the island. The unique and plentiful plants, birds and animals that make islands attractive to visitors are the same precious factors that any visitors put at risk.

Risk management means being very careful with visits to islands for any purpose and making sure that, when they do occur, visits result in gains for conservation.

Impacts of visits fall into three general categories: risk of invasion (plant and animal pests), physical impact (eg walking tracks, fire) and impacts on species and ecosystems (eg breeding colonies move away from observation points).

Techniques to lower the risk include:

• Reducing the number of visits to an island;
• No night visits (rats are more active at night);
• Boats to be rat and mouse-free;
• Washing boots clean of mud and weed seeds before a visit;
• Packing of equipment in rat-proof containers;
• Leaving pet cats and dogs at home.

Careful visits allow visitors to appreciate what has been lost from the New Zealand mainland and to develop a deeper awareness of the importance of conservation.