Pest animals

Pest animal management in Taranaki involves:

• Implementing the Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki: Animals, which focuses mainly on the control of possums, and which has recently been amended to include Argentine ants and four species of exotic fish.
• Delivering non-strategy functions under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

The Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki: Animals covers all the Taranaki region, apart from land administered by the Crown, and declares 23 animal pests in Taranaki, including four fish. All these pest animals are banned from sale, release or distribution.

Management programmes

Each pest animal has a management programme according to its designation. These programmes are summarised in the series of bulletins called 'Pest Animal Facts'.

Council has determined a range of levels of regional intervention for different pest animals:

‘Eradication pest animals’ are of limited distribution or density and the objective is total eradication. There is just one animal so categorised in Taranaki:

Rooks

‘Containment pest animals’ are abundant where the habitat is suitable and land owners may be obliged to take measures to control numbers and prevent the species spreading to neighbouring properties or new areas. In Taranaki these are:

Argentine ants (also see this website's  Argentine ants page)
Brushtail possums
European rabbits

Surveillance pest animals, for which control is voluntary, but the Council monitors the levels of these pests and may undertake direct control as appropriate. Advice and information on the control of these species are available from the Council. In Taranaki they are:

Feral goats
Brown hares
Magpies
Mustelids - ferrets, stoats and weasels
Feral deer - red, sika, sambar, fallow, rusa, white-tailed and wapiti
Feral pigs
Feral cats
Brown bull-headed catfish
Koi carp
Mosquitofish
Rudd

Argentine ants

Considered one of the world’s most invasive and problematic ant species, Argentine ants have been found at Waitara, Bell Block, New Plymouth, Oakura and Patea. However, their distribution is likely to be more widespread and as public awareness increases, more infestations are expected to be reported.

They breed prolifically, forage in trails up to five ants wide, and have a huge appetite. They pose a serious threat to people’s amenity and lifestyle values, as well as horticultural production and biodiversity values.

They resist many commonly used poisons and the only effective solution is a treatment available at cost from the Council. Under the Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki: Animals, land occupiers are required to effectively control any Argentine ants on their property.

Click here for more information.

Possum control

As well as being a major threat to native flora and fauna, possums have an economic impact on farming as around one third of their diet is estimated to be pasture.

Bovine Tuberculosis can be carried and spread by possums, and is a major animal health problem in New Zealand. Fortunately, Taranaki is one of only three regions where Bovine TB is not established and it is important, especially for our dairy industry, for that to continue.

Control of possums is the major focus for animal pest management in Taranaki. The main method used is the Council's self-help possum control programme which, at July 2007, covered 3,725 properties totalling 225,000 hectares . The programme now covers approximately 95% of private land on the ring plain (see map at right - click on it for large version.

The Council undertakes initial control operations to reduce possum numbers to at least a 5% catch rate. Land occupiers are then required to keep the possum numbers below a 10% catch rate. Council staff will monitor and facilitate the maintenance work and if necessary the Council will enforce the requirement.

For a new area to be included in the self-help possum control programme it must be supported by at least 75% of land occupiers, covering at least 75% of the area. Generally there is very strong land occupier support for the scheme.

See our case study on the self-help programme.

Rabbit control

Although rabbits are present throughout Taranaki, high numbers are only a problem in a strip along the south Taranaki coast. Rabbits can reduce agricultural production and increase the risk of soil erosion. Under the Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki: Animals land occupiers are required to keep rabbit numbers below a defined level. The Council monitors rabbit levels throughout the region and facilitates the control of rabbit infestations by providing advice or user-pays control services.

Pest fish

Additions to the Pest Management Strategy for Taranaki: Animals in 2007 include four species of exotic fish – brown bull-headed catfish (which can hibernate on muddy streambeds) , koi carp, mosquitofish and rudd. These prey on native species and their eggs play havoc with the quality of the region’s water. In all cases, their distribution or sale is prohibited.

Control of other unwanted animals

The Council also provides advice on the control of other unwanted animals, such as rats, bees and wasps. These are the responsibility of the property owner. As time and resources allow, the Council will carry out small-scale control programmes where there are public health or safety issues, especially if there is a risk to school children.

Another unwanted species is the rainbow lorikeet, which competes with native birds by dominating food sources and nesting sites. They can also damage fruit crops. See the MAF Biosecurity website for more information.

For further advice or information about pest animal management, contact:
The Pest Animal Management Section

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