E N V I R O N M EN T WATCH
INDUSTRY EMBRACES
PEST- FREE CERTIFICATE!
BY JEFF COOK
A
uckland Council and the Department
of Conservation���s Pest-Free Warrant
accreditation programme is going
from strength to strength, and the prime
movers in the programme have recently
celebrated their first year in operation.
The scheme involves DOC and Auckland
Council working with ferry, freight, and
tourism operators who run vessels or carry
out contracts on islands in the Hauraki Gulf
Marine Park, including Pest-Free Rangitoto,
Motutapu and Rakino. It is designed to
ensure they don���t carry pests such as rats,
mice, rainbow skinks and Argentine ants to
the islands, and to raise awareness among operators and their
customers about the islands and what to do to protect them.
���A lot of work has been done to create pest-free islands
like Tiritiri Matangi, Motutapu, Rangitoto and Motuihe, which
are conservation sanctuaries and great for tourism,��� says Sean
Goddard, DOC���s Auckland Conservator. ���They enable us to
grow the populations of threatened wildlife like Coromandel
brown kiwi and takahe and they���re close to downtown Auckland
so Aucklanders and tourists can enjoy them. The Pest-Free
Warrant is an essential tool to help keep islands like these pestfree, and to protect the other islands of the Gulf, and we would
like to thank the 20 operators who have gained a warrant, and
those currently undergoing their inspections.���
Nic Mead owns and operates Auckland Sea Kayaks and was
the first operator to gain a Pest-Free Warrant and he was the first
to renew it:
���How I see it, is that you can sea kayak anywhere in the world
but our point of difference is the pest-free islands of the Hauraki
Gulf. In order to protect them, everyone has to be on board and the
Pest-Free Warrant is a way to do that. It also raises the awareness
of operators and gets them into that ���biosecurity��� space. We had
a biosecurity management plan in place beforehand but this has
confirmed for us, from the experts, that what we were doing is
working, and has built on that. It also helps our business. Those
islands are home to some endangered and rare species and are
very special. We use this in our marketing and it���s in our interest
to protect that. I���m super passionate about it.���
Treasure islands
Check for stowaways
PLEASE
Jack Craw, Biosecurity Manager at Auckland Council says,
���Not only have these organisations gained their warrant, they���re
also now acting as ambassadors for the wider Treasure islands
programme and its values.���
Visit www.treasureislands.co.nz for more information on the
Pest-Free Warrant.
Congratulations to the following Pest-Free Warrant Holders:
��� 360 Discovery
��� Abalone Cruises
��� Aquatic Adventures Limited
��� Auckland Sea Kayaks Limited
��� Auckland Water Taxis
��� Classic Boat Charters Limited
��� David Wade
��� Department of Conservation, Auckland Area Office
��� Department of Conservation, Great Barrier Island Field Centre
��� Explore NZ
��� Fish HQ
��� Fullers Group Ltd
��� Gladiator Marine
��� Kawau Island Experience
��� Norma Jean Charters
��� Outdoor Discoveries 2009 Limited
��� The Red Boats
��� The Royal New Zealand Navy ��� Maritime Survey Unit
��� Sealink Travel Group NZ Limited
��� Te Ngahere (2009) Ltd
www.treasureislands.co.nz
www.projectislandsong.co.nz
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)
54 Professional Skipper March/April 2013
