PREDATOR FREE HALFMOON BAY PROJECT Technical Aspects of the Project - Summary Phil Bell, Department of Conservation Introduction ‘The Predator Free Halfmoon Bay Project seeks to eradicate kiore, ship rats, Norway rats, Possums, feral cats, and hedgehogs from an approx. 4800ha area encompassing the Haltmoon Bay/Oban township. It is proposed that this area is delineated by a predator proof fence that stretches from North Arm to Maori Beach. This project is the starting point to creating predator- free RakiuralStewart Island, ‘The full island eradication requires significant research and development in new technologies before it can proceed, The Halfmoon Bay project would be undertaken using current tools and techniques, so that the environmental (and subsequent economic and social) benefits can be experienced by the island community within the immediate future. ‘The intention of this paper is to provide a starting point for the conversation on how a predator- free Halfmoon Bay could be created. This paper summarises the technical options available to eradicate predators from the Halfmoon Bay area, but needs social dimension to evaluate preferred approach. Itis important to note that multi-species eradications usually require a combination of techniques to achieve success. As such, itis likely thatthe final methodology for this project would need to be some form of combination of the tools and techniques outlined below. The Decision Makers No decision has been made on the method to be used to remove any of these predators from Halfmoon Bay. A Governance Group, comprising representatives of the community, has been established to oversee the Predator-free RakiuralStewart Island project. This Group will be the decision makers for this project It is expected that the Stewart Island community be given the opportunity to discuss and debate the various options (and seek further advice), before the Governance Group make the decision on which method(s) to pursue. To assist that process, further in-depth information on each method will be provided for the Governance Group to discuss and share with all stakeholders and interested parties. Principles of Eradication Eradication cltfers from control in one fundamental way — the purpose is to remove every individual of the target species’ population(s). Eradication is the most appropriate strategic option for predator management when the following § principles can be met.These principles are: 1. Reinvasion can be managed (to zero population establishment) Every individual predator is killed The target species are killed faster than they can breed The project is acceptable to people ‘The benefits are greater than the costsKeeping Halfmoon Bay Predator-Free Removing all the predators to create a predator-free Halfmoon Bay is only half of the job. The equally critical component is keeping the predators out of Halfmoon Bay. Biosecurity would be required forever the island will always be at risk of invasion. Even with a predator-tree Stewart Island, biosecurity would be needed to protect the island from invasion from the mainland of New Zealand, Biosecurity has three elements — prevention; surveillance; and response. The ideal biosecurity system has a balanced investment in each of those elements. This balance would need to be found for the Halfmoon Bay situation, A biosecurity plan for the Halfmoon Bay project would be required to identity all the pathways of invasion, the ideal sute of prevention actions needed, the necessary detection devices and surveillance systems, and the response capability and protocols needed. This plan would need to be implemented before the eradication begins. Summary of Technical Options Available for Eradication Trapping This could include kil traps (which kill the animal once the trap is triggered); feg-hold traps (which hold the animal by its leg unti itis Killed by the trapper); andlor cage trapping (which catch the animal alive in a smal cage). Live capture traps (leg hold or cage traps) must be checked every day by law, while kill traps require less frequent servicing. Toxic bait in bait stations or bait bags Toxic bait is placed in a bait station or bait bag that is located where the target species can access it. Bat stations or bait bags are usually set up along marked tracks in a grid pattern. Hand spreading of toxie bait Toxie baits (brodifacour) are sown into the operational area by hand, thrown from designated GPS points. Aerial application of toxic bait Toxie baits (brodifacoum or sodium fluoroacetate (1080)) are sown into the operational area by aircraft, usually a helicopter with an under-slung bucket guided by a GPS navigational system. ‘A summary of the pros and cons of each technical option is in Appendix One. Eradication Design and Planning Using any of the above options as the only tool is unlikaly to result in eradication of these predators (with the exception of the use of aerial application of broditacoum to eradicate rats). As such, itis likely that combinations of these tools would be required to achieve a predator-ree Halfmoon Bay. Once direction is given by the Governance Board, an operational plan would need to be developed to detail the specifics of the methodology to be used during the eradication operation.