Goat infestations concern board

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 10

Goat infestations concern board

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

Controlling feral goats in New Zealand was a problem unparalleled in the world, a scientist told the North Canterbury National Parks and Reserves Board yesterday.

Dr David Given, of the D.S.I.R. at Lincoln, who is also a board member, said the effects of Cyclone Bola would happen “twice over” in the parts of the North Island and South Island with goat infestations, if they were not controlled. The board and the Department of Conservation have been eradicating goats on Banks Peninsula.

Dr Given said other feral animals such as opossums were also a

problem. The damage done to plants by such animals would add 120 species to New Zealand’s endangered species list. Dr Given, an international expert on endangered species, said the Government ought to allocate more money to deal with the goat problem. According to National Parks and Reserves Board figures, the Conservation Department spent $1.2 million nationally on goat control in 1988/89 and planned' to spend $1.28 million in 1989/90.

The North Canterbury board is eradicating goats on reserves on Banks Peninsula, as well as farmland.

It planned to base two shooters at Akaroa, who would begin once the Con-

servation Departments' had approval from neighbouring farmers. The. meeting also discussed ways of destroying opossums, a problem in the Arthur’s Pass and Otira areas. Mr Neil Clifton, the deputy regional manager of the Conservation Department in Hokitika, said a scheme for trapping the pests in the Deception Valley in Arthur’s Pass had had a 93 per cent success rate, netting 6000 skins.

Aerial poisoning by helicopter had been used in inaccessible areas. The hunters had used a trained dog to recover carcases.

The board gave approval for dogs to be used for carcase recovery in the Otira area.