Department of Conservation staff on Stewart Island are logging about one security incident a week linked to predator-free work, including harassment, threats and verbal abuse.
The Department is one of several partners working on an ambitious goal to make Rakiura fully pest-free, but residents say the project - and in particular the use of toxic baits - has proven deeply divisive.
Security incident reports from DOC, revealed under the Official Information Act, show tensions reached a boiling point on 75 occasions from September 2024 to December 2025.
Among a string of incidents linked to predator free work were two involving damage or theft on boats, one involving hazardous substances, and another of "obscene behaviour."
Some of the threats, harassment and verbal abuse was aimed at contractors or volunteers, and some came via email or social media, the records showed.
In August, a group of people opposed to Predator Free Rakiura held a protest.
DOC's Southern South Island Operations Director Aaron Fleming said it was not unusual for DOC staff to encounter harassment or security incidents at work, but there had been a particular increase over the past year as staff on Rakiura worked through 1080 operations.
"We have had to work with [staff on Rakiura] to support them in how to deal with situations which might be a bit confronting, and ensure that we've got measures in place to keep them safe," he said.
The incidents were linked to a "vocal minority", he said.
"It's not just been people on the island. It's been people that we've heard from around the country as well, who have particular views around that methodology. We have really tried hard to work with those people. And it's really important when people have views, which may differ to our own, that we can have constructive dialogue and really productive sessions with them to help them understand their questions, for us to hear their feedback."
Environment Southland reported last month that it too had encountered "emerging tensions" on Rakiura linked to recent animal control work.
DOC and Zero Invasive Predators, the key delivery partner for Predator Free Rakiura, had held a number of public meetings from the outset of the programme, Fleming said.
"We have set up engagement sessions for this project over the last year and a bit. We have brought in experts, so it's not just the DOC voice or the contractor's voice, so they can hear from other people and other perspectives," he said.
'We do not really have a say'
In Oban, one of the groups opposed to the project was the Protect Rakiura Trust, a community group headed by resident Furhana Ahmad.
Ahmad said she would never condone threats or harassment, but she felt the engagement sessions had been rushed and her group's perspective had not been fully acknowledged.
She estimated about a third of the island's residents were members of her group, and said they were worried about the seemingly "indiscriminate" use of toxins including 1080.
"I think it is sad that there is this divide and it has not been helped by the attitudes and the way that DOC have dealt with this whole agenda, which is unfortunately going to carry on and on because there is a mindset that this is the best thing for Rakiura," she said.
"This is our life. We are not their experiment. And it's absolutely arrogant for them to treat us like this."
The hunter-led Rakiura Whitetail Trust had also raised concerns with the project, saying DOC needed to take more care to manage the risks of toxic baits.
Trustee Antony Simpson said DOC should have carried out more rigorous trials before an August 1080 drop that killed more deer than expected - though DOC maintained hunters had been warned in advance that the effectiveness of deer repellent on whitetail deer was unknown.
He said the conversations between his group and those leading Predator Free Rakiura had felt like a box ticking exercise.
"We feel like this island isn't our island - we do not really have a say as such. It has been run from the other side of the Strait by people on the mainland," he said.
That would hopefully change in the future, he said.
"We've been talking to the Department of Conservation and we've got a seat at the table and going forward. We're going to be part of the decision making and if we can come out with a solution that helps the conservation side and the hunting side it's going to be perfect."
'A big faceless government entity'
Among 13 members of Predator Free Rakiura's Engagement and Advisory Group - tasked with representing local voices - is Riki Everest, who is also a Rakiura Māori Lands Trustee.
He said it was disappointing that opposition to Predator Free Rakiura had escalated to verbal abuse and harassment.
"I have seen slightly older people who have dedicated their lives to conservation being treated unkindly by other members of our community who throw stones and are not very kind to them.... most of them are my friends, you know, they are good fishermen, they are good hostesses, they are good chefs... but none of them dedicate their life to conservation. So I mean what gives them the right to throw stones at people and stuff and call them names?" he said.
"Do I believe that the engagement has been satisfactory? No, in some ways - but I don't know if it ever would be for the people that are really staunchly against it. I don't think they'd ever find peace with it. I think they'll find every avenue that they can to stop it."
He said he understood people's concerns about the project because he too had reservations when he first joined the group.
"I sat at that table like most people here on the island and with my arms folded and yeah I was a sceptic, absolutely. I'm in the, I guess, maybe 70/30 or 80/20 comfortable stage of what we're trying to do, and whether it's achievable. We all have doubts about the longevity of things," he said.
But Predator Free Rakiura was worth it, he said.
"I believe that it is, because no one is caring for the ngahere of Rakiura. Who is protecting the taonga species?" he said.
Shona Sangster, a Stewart Island Rakiura Community and Environment Trustee, and another member of the Engagement and Advisory Group, said people opposed to the project generally were not doing so to stick up for rats and possums.
"I am kind of a little bit embarrassed that our community has reacted that way to DOC. I would say that, I think, putting the best interpretation on it, they are reacting to what they see as a big faceless government entity, rather than somebody they see as a member of their own community," she said.
"I think there is a lot of strong feeling. I think there is a natural resistance to change in any small community, especially small rural communities - some people would just prefer things to stay the same."
She said another aerial operation was likely at some point, so it was important to keep open dialogue with the community.
"I think we just need to take people on the journey of why it's happening here and how it'll work here. We need to get people involved in the work, seeing why the choices are being made, why we're choosing one method over another, and why things don't work," she said.
'We are not going to buy into it'
Ahmad maintained that people who opposed Predator Free Rakiura had not been treated with respect, and alleged some of the incidents on DOC's list had been blown out of proportion.
"For DOC staff to go around complaining and basically, almost like creating stories to make the opposition look bad and to make us look like we are being unkind to them or doing the wrong thing or being, you know, taking illegal or nasty tactics is really low life on their part. We're not going to buy into it," she said.
DOC rejected that, saying the list simply reflected the number of entries into its internal Risk Manager system.
"Incident reporting is a standard health and safety requirement and is essential to ensuring staff safety and preventing escalation or normalisation of inappropriate behaviour. It includes social media commentary relating to the predator control work which could originate from elsewhere in New Zealand or internationally," Fleming said.
DOC said threatening and intimidating behaviour would not be tolerated.
While no 1080 drops were planned for the island this year, Fleming said background work was underway to determine the next steps for Predator Free Rakiura.
The community would not be left behind, he said.
"We are absolutely committed to working with our community on achieving this goal. We need to do this with our community. We can't do it without them. So when we are ready and we've got work that we're doing at the moment to understand how we're going to go about this going forward... we'll absolutely be continuing to engage with our community," he said.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
