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The Chatham Islands is a remote, awe-inspiring place
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Sets out our work and priorities for the next financial year
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Dog Control Bylaw overview
Waitangi Beach vehicle bylaw
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It’s been a big month for biosecurity across the islands, with plenty of activity happening behind the scenes—and out in the community.
Jase Seymour, our resident Biosecurity Officer, has been out and about this month handing out herbicide to successful applicants through our contestable fund.
This support helps land occupiers control gorse on their properties, keeping land productive and preventing this prickly pest from spreading further.
A big thanks to everyone who applied and to the wider community for your ongoing support. We can’t wait to see the results of your control programmes!
These cute wee bait stations might not look like much, but they play an important role in helping us understand whether wasps are present on the islands.
Both common wasps and German wasps are not known to be present on the Chatham Islands. They sit within our exclusion programme under the Chatham Islands Pest Management Plan (CIPMP), and preventing their arrival is a key focus of our border biosecurity mahi.
The team recently completed their annual wasp survey around Waitangi, checking for the presence (or absence!) of wasps. We’re pleased to report that nothing was found—great news for people and wildlife alike.
Wasp trap
While rats are present on Chatham Island / Rēkohu / Wharekauri, they are not known to be present on Pitt Island or the outer islands. Because of this, rats also sit within our CIPMP exclusion programme.
We’re extremely lucky to have local resident Kerri Moir and her talented rat‑detection dog Moki, who regularly check our ports for any sign of rat activity. Recently, Kerri and Moki headed over to Pitt Island to search around Flowerpot Bay and nearby areas, making sure no rats have snuck onboard a vessel and decided to set up home.
With cooler weather on the way, we’ve noticed an increase in bait take at bait stations around our key arrival points. This is a timely reminder for everyone to stay vigilant around their own properties too.
Moki the rat detector dog
Feral cats are some of the most effective predators in our ecosystem. They prey on birds, eggs, bats, lizards, wētā, and other native insects.
We can all do our bit by ensuring our domestic cats are desexed, helping prevent unwanted litters and reducing the risk of increasing feral cat numbers on the island.
Chatham Islands Council continues to support the cat desexing programme, providing sponsorship so cost is not a barrier for owners.
Early indications are that Aorangi Vets are planning to be back on the island in June. If you have a cat that needs desexing, please make sure you book early with Aorangi Vets(external link) ahead of their visit.
