How you might be affected
ZIP, on behalf of the Predator Free South Westland project, is working to remove predators from more than 100,000 hectares in South Westland, including in the Perth River catchment, which sits within the Adams Wilderness Area. Work in the Perth River catchment is focussed on maintaining its predator-free status and will be ongoing throughout the tahr ballot period.
Helicopters are used to occasionally deliver ZIP staff into the field site. Their work mostly involves servicing of detection devices and should be minimally intrusive, with most of the activity along the full stretch of the Barlow River and Perth River.
Hunting areas that fall within the Perth River catchment, and overlap with ZIP work areas, include:
- Abel Lake hunting area
- Barlow River hunting area
- Tiechelmann Creek hunting area
- Perverse Creek hunting area
- North Barlow
- Elizabeth Stream
No 1080 operation planned currently
There are currently no aerial 1080 operations planned for the Ballot period in or adjoining the wilderness area.
However, ZIP does have approval to carry out localised aerial 1080 operations in the event that an emergent rat or possum population is detected. While ZIP requires the ability to quickly respond to predator incursion (to avoid predators taking hold again), they are actively working to minimise disruption to hunters during the ballot. DOC will contact permit holders directly if ZIP advises that an aerial 1080 operation is necessary during the ballot hunting period. If this does occur, it is likely to be focussed alongside the Perth or Barlow rivers and is very unlikely to be above the bush line.
Tahr have previously been monitored by ZIP and Game Animal Council (GAC) in this area, and the results of this trial indicated that tahr are very unlikely to be at risk during aerial 1080 operations.
To view the area currently under management, visit the Predator Free South Westland website via the link below:
Map of Predator Free South Westland project area.
What is the Predator Free South Westland project?
Predator Free South Westland is working to completely remove possums, rats and stoats from 113,000 hectares of land between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea, and the Whataroa and Waiau (Waiho) Rivers. Zero Invasive Predators Ltd (ZIP) is delivering this work on behalf of the project partners, which is seeing kea and other native animals and plants thrive across the landscape.
The approach involves removing all resident predators from within a defined area, then managing reinvasion to prevent predator populations from re-establishing. This is made more achievable by the use of natural barriers (e.g. mountains and large rivers), traps and bait stations around the boundaries, and an extensive network of detection cameras that remotely reports the presence of possums, rats and stoats so that we can quickly respond to remove them.
More about the ZIP programme.
More about Predator Free South Westland Project.