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Dogged efforts keep PESTS AT BAY BY LISAH HENRY Tui and Pai are a mother and son duo with a nose for trouble, so rodents and other pests looking to set up camp on pest-free Hauraki Gulf islands are on notice. T Auckland Council biosecurity team member Brian Shields and Tui check a pest-free island in the Hauraki Gulf he two terriers can probably be best described as "pest surveillance experts". They are the four-legged grunt behind the Treasure Islands campaign, a joint Biosecurity initiative between the Department of Conservation and Auckland Council to keep the gulf islands free of pests. Many of the islands are free of predators and provide a safe haven for several of our rarest and most endangered plants and animals, including Cook's scurvy grass, tuatara, takahe, hihi (stitchbird) and tieke (saddleback). DoC ranger, island biosecurity, Fin Buchanan, has been involved in the department's animal pest control programme for around 30 years. Pai, his trusty sidekick, specialises in locating signs of rats and mice on leisure, passenger and cargo boats as well as passengers' gear and loads. "The basic premise is to detect these predators on boats before they leave the mainland, to stop them before they get out into the Hauraki Gulf and establish themselves," says Buchanan. Also on the case is Auckland Council's Brian Shields and Tui, another terrier and the mother of Pai. She has a nose for sniffing out rodents and mice. Shields has worked in a similar capacity for DoC and joined the Auckland Council in mid-2011. Treasure islands Check for stowaways PLEASE CHECK YOUR BOAT AND GEAR FOR RATS, MICE, ARGENTINE ANTS, RAINBOW SKINKS, SOIL AND SEEDS SET BAIT OR TRAPS FOR ANIMAL PESTS REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS TO 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) VIP.WB12 38 NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2012 The pair can often be found at the region's public wharves and marinas, checking on passengers coming and going from the islands. "This kind of work could not be done by humans alone. The dog's nose is an essential tool we use to find hitchhiking rodents," says Shields. "Dogs can also get in to those nooks and crannies or harder-to-reach areas that we can't, and a lot quicker." It also removes the need to use traps. He says they are also ideal educators, particularly when trying to get messages across to young people, who are quickly drawn to the animals. "When the dogs come on board they are less confronting than a person checking your bag. They are cute and people respond to them well and become interested in what they are doing and why." The dogs monitor the status of all the pest-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf: Tiritiri Matangi, Little Barrier, Broken Islands, Motuora, Rakino, Motutapu, Rangitoto, Motuihe and Browns Islands. It's a tough yet rewarding job for both man and dog. The dogs have to be trained and certified, a process that can take up to 18 months. The hours can be long but the rewards are high. "To be able to say the islands remain pest-free due to our efforts is the best reward. That is what we are here to do," says Buchanan. Shields says the success of the programme is collaboration not just with DoC but also with the boating community of Auckland. "We get really good support from Fullers, Sealink, Auckland Transport and the Marina Operators' Association, who support and welcome the surveillance work." Auckland Council Hauraki Gulf specialist Jeff Cook says the dog programme complements a range of other Treasure Islands initiatives to protect the gulf, its environment and its native inhabitants. ■ www.projectislandsong.co.nz www.treasureislands.co.nz