$900,000 in funding lost for stoat eradication in Marlborough

Lack of access to private land has resulted in the withdrawal of $900,000 in funding to the D’Urville Island stoat eradication project.

The Rangitoto Birdsong Project, run by the D’Urville Island Stoat Eradication Charitable Trust (DISECT), was initially paused in late 2020 due to it being unable to secure access to all of the private land on the island.

Brett Butland, acting chief executive of Predator Free 2050 Limited, which would have provided the funding to the Trust, said that one of the challenges of eradication projects is they typically cover both private and public land.

“Eradicating stoats on D’Urville Island is an important objective, but without guaranteed access to the entire target area on the island eradication isn’t possible.”

Because the access issues on the island had not been resolved, the Rangitoto Birdsong Project has been put into hibernation.

The funds would be redirected to other projects that could get off the ground in 2022.

“We’re disappointed for the Trust as we know how much effort has gone into planning this project to date,” says Brett.

He says says that, importantly, it was not the end of the project.

“We hope land access issues will be resolved in time and we can look to support eradication projects on the island in the future.”

Rupert Wilson, chair for DISECT, echoed Brett’s sentiments saying that while they made every practical attempt to keep the project viable, no further avenues were available to progress the Trust’s vision.

“Our hope is that a project aimed at eradicating the island’s stoats will be launched sometime in the future when access to the whole of the island is available.”

D’Urville Island, located in the Marlborough Sounds, is New Zealand’s eighth-largest island. Known for its diverse geology and plant life, the island is home to a high number of threatened, rare, or unusual species.

DISECT was established in 2004 and has worked with Ngāti Koata on the Rangitoto Birdsong project, aiming to clear the 16,800-hectare island of stoats.