Predator Control

The Big Bay Awarua Conservation Trust manages predator control across 1,500ha at Te Hokiauau/Big Bay centred around Waiuna Lagoon. The main targets are stoats, rats, and possums. This ensures the protection of rare and threatened species including the Big Bay skink, mātātā/fernbird, kōtuku/white heron, matuku-hūrepo/bittern, and kākā. Numerous other forest birds including korimako/bellbird, riroriro/grey warbler, and ngirungiru/South Island tomtit also benefit, along with resident invertebrates and plants.

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Stoat control consists of over 240 double-set Fiordland-style DOC200 trap boxes that are installed every 200m along stoat lines. This forms a grid network around Waiuna Lagoon, extends along the beach, and forms two loops at the southern end of the project area next to McKenzie Creek. Traps are checked 7-9 times per year by trustees and volunteers.​

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Rat control is carried out via our bait station network. There are 850 bait stations installed, at a spacing of 50m apart, within 900ha around Waiuna Lagoon. Rodent tracking tunnel monitoring is conducted regularly and when rat tracking exceeds 10%, this initiates a bait station response. The Trust aims to have rat tracking at 10% during the bird breeding season (August-February). The first rat control operation was carried out in 2024 using pindone in the bait stations. Rat tracking dropped from 54% in June 2024 down to 2% in September 2024. A second rat control operation was carried out in 2025 using pindone. Rat tracking dropped from 16% in March 2025 to 0% in September 2025. An outstanding result in time for the bird breeding season. Another rat control operation is underway in 2026.

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Possum control is also carried out via our bait station network. Possums were controlled with Feratox pellets in bait stations in 2024 and 2025. An estimated 2000+ possums were removed. Chew card monitoring saw possums reduced from 52% in March 2025 to 0% in September 2025. Volunteers and trustees also trap possums when time permits.

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The initial stoat trap network and bait station lines were established in 2021-2024, funded by Jobs for Nature. A total of 71km of track lines enable access for monitoring, trap, and bait station work.