Introduction

The South West NZ Endangered Species Charitable Trust works with DOC to restore Coal Island in Fiordland National Park. The aim is to establish a world class sanctuary for rare and endangered native species.

Te Puka-Hereka (the tied anchor) or Coal Island is situated in Preservation Inlet and is part of Fiordland National Park. At over 1000 hectares, it is large enough to provide breeding habitat for a wide range of threatened species.

The South West NZ Endangered Species Trust aims to establish and fund a world class sanctuary on Te Puka-Hereka Island for rare and endangered native species of flora and fauna.

Coal Island.
Coal Island

Restoration work

Intensive trapping, hunting and poison operations have ensured the eradication of invasive species such as red deer, stoats and mice.

The Trust has established a large-scale trapping programme to prevent further invasion of the island.

Over 15 km of trap line have been set up on Coal Island itself and traps have been placed on several smaller islands around Coal Island to reduce the chance of pests being able to swim between the mainland and Coal Island.

Trapping of the adjacent mainland has added to the buffer zone protecting Coal Island.

Successes

In 2015;

  • 69 South Island robin/kakaruai were released onto Coal Island from Anchor Island (Pukenui) in Dusky Sound.
  • 80 mohua were translocated from nearby Chalky Island (Te Kakahu).
  • Four Haast tokoeka from Rona Island on Lake Manapouri were released to supplement the exsiting kiwi population.

Planned species reintroductions

Although Coal Island is still home to many native species, it is not nearly as diverse as it once was. The Trust plans to reintroduce a raft of native flora and fauna to Coal Island. These species include:

Birds

  • Saddleback/tīeke
  • Rock wren/tuke
  • Kiwi (brown or little spotted)
  • Kākāpō
  • Snipe

Reptiles

  • Tuatara
  • Gecko

Plants

  • Mistletoe (several beech varieties, Peraxilla tetrapetala and colensoi and Alepsis flavida)
  • Orchid (Drymoanthus flavis)
  • Sand spurge (Euphorbia glauca)
  • Punui (Stilbocarpa lyallii)
  • Water milfoil (Myriophyllum robustum)

Coal Island (Te Puka-Hereka) Restoration Plan (PDF, 677K) September 2013

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