Catlins farmers face a losing battle against pests

Catlins landowners are facing a losing battle against pests, saying entire paddocks are being stripped and there has been too much talking and little pest control action over the years. In a letter to the Otago Regional Council, which will be received by the council at a meeting today, Catlins Coast Inc deputy chairwoman Rachel Napier outlined her concerns about pest control in the area. [Missing Credit]Part of a hill overlooking the Owaka Valley has been completely stripped of vegetation thanks to pests. Photo: supplied She said several farmers in the Catlins had lost large portions of their winter crops to feral deer, with one losing an entire paddock even though it had been sprayed with deer repellent. Large numbers of feral deer had been shot but still pasture and crops were disappearing. A farm manger on a large property near Venlaw, in the inland Catlins, employed a hunter to shoot feral deer. The manager paid a bounty of $10 per animal, and 700 were killed in 18 months. That had led to the pasture growing on the hilltops for the first time in more than a decade. Wild pigs were still widespread and were being hit by vehicles on Tahakopa Valley Rd — and the roadsides were rooted up. “It would seem possums are as numerous as ever — evident when taking a drive in the Catlins and counting the possum roadkill,” Ms Napier said. Many landowners were doing their best, but it would seem government policy enabled the damage to continue, by not requiring individual property owners to control pests within their boundary. “[This was] enabling the pests to breed and constantly re-infect neighbouring properties with the largest breeding ground of all, being our vast Department of Conservation land where it would seem no management was taking place.” [Missing Credit]A comparison of ground cover at a deer enclosure plot in the Catlins shows the understory eaten-out by deer against the regeneration behind the deer fence. Photo: Supplied The Catlins Biodiversity Group was formed more than four years ago, after concerns raised by farmers in the Owaka Valley over vast possum numbers they were seeing and the damage to the surrounding bush. After several meetings and with support from landowners throughout the Catlins, the group was formed and began to organise a possum control programme. The group, with support of Catlins Coast Inc, received some funding from the ORC biodiversity fund from which a strategic plan was developed for pest control, such as possums south of the Catlins river. Hours of volunteer time was spent getting permission and buy-in from landowners, but the group failed to get further council funding to actually begin killing possums. The group did receive a small amount of funding from the council’s integrated catchment group “seed money” and decided to bulk purchase reusable Philproof bait stations. . It was aiming to now purchase feed. However, Ms Napier said the group was fighting a losing battle — due to the majority of the Catlins being publicly owned by Doc. “Doc land would seem to have no basic maintenance taking place, with the exception of a few locations where Forest and Bird or community groups are working to protect valuable species, such as our native bats. “Pest control should be in the hands of central government. “It would seem New Zealand’s current management of pest control for public land has for many decades involved a lot of talking, with little bursts of action but long periods of nothing — and when locals ask for help, the talking begins again,” she said.