Source: NZ Department of Conservation
On the Chatham Islands, 800 kilometres east of mainland Aotearoa, New Zealand, a group of locals are mobilising to protect hundreds of endangered species, including eight types of albatross.
Taking action for all living beings
The Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust has launched the first phase of its Predator Free Chathams project. This includes targeting introduced predators across an initial 7500-hectare area in the northeast of Rēkohu/Wharekauri/main Chatham.
“Predator Free Chathams is a big step in something larger, for all our communities – human, plant, animal, everything that’s part of our ecosystems,” says Hamish Chisholm, the Trust’s Project Lead and a sixth-generation islander.
Success in this area will show what’s possible for the biggest island in the archipelago, Rēkohu/Wharekauri, and further activate the local movement, he says.
“We’re currently building a network of AT220 automated traps targeting possums and rats in the operational area, and we are working with the Hokotehi Moriori Trust to remove feral cats.
“We’re treating this phase like a pilot – what we learn here will help inform how we approach the rest of the island. We want to build greater opportunities for community involvement and support as we are quite a small organisation with two staff, our trustees, and some dedicated volunteers we couldn’t do without.”
Stories of native species revival
The Chatham Islands community has a proud history of bringing species back from the brink of extinction.
This includes the parea, a wood pigeon much like kererū on mainland Aotearoa, whose population has risen from about 40 birds to around 600.
Another example is the Chatham Island tāiko which was once one of the world’s rarest seabirds before sustained predator control and species recovery work started.
“Tāiko are being carefully monitored and protected in the south of main Chatham by another local conservation group, the Chatham Island Taiko Trust, with 52 known breeding pairs returning to their burrows in the 2024/25 season,” Hamish says.
The project has many stories to draw upon, including the rescue of the kakaruia/karure/black robin which helped put Aotearoa on the international conservation stage in the 1980s.
“Dropping to just five individual birds, DOC teamed up with locals to help bring this species back from the brink, and it now exists on the two nature reserve islands, Mangere/Maung’Re and Rangatiara/Hokorereoro,” Hamish says.
“These islands are now reaching their population capacity, highlighting the real need for safer habitat to be created in other areas of the archipelago.”
“One of the highlights from last year was translocating some hakoakoa/tītī to revive an old seabird site in the area, as part of a project led by the Hokotehi Moriori Trust,” Hamish says.
“These chicks all fledged successfully, and the second translocation of chicks is due to happen at the end of March.”
Image: Hakoakoa/tītī translocation into the northeast project area led by the Hokotehi Moriori Trust.
Creating a sustainable future for the Chatham Island community
The livelihood of the local community is also the heart of the vision for Predator Free Chathams, Hamish says.
“Our mahi isn’t just about endangered species, although we do have 326 of those living across the archipelago. By rewilding and restoring whole ecosystems in the archipelago, we can mitigate against climate change and help create a sustainable future for the 700 or so people who live on these remote islands.”
This includes creating environmental career pathways for young people on the island so they can stay if they choose and help restore their home while building valuable skills.
“Our gardens and agriculture will also benefit a lot, with opportunities for alternative land use or new approaches to farming. With the incredible number of seabirds, and unique species out here, there are also great possibilities for well-managed ecotourism.”
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Chatham Island albatross with chick on nest
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Hamish says there are important opportunities to learn in the Chathams that could benefit the wider predator-free movement and conservation efforts across the country, particularly if a project to remove feral cats from Pitt Island can find funding to go ahead.
“From approaches to targeting feral cats to insight on eradicating predators on inhabited islands, we’re keen to be part of that big picture, working towards a Predator Free Aotearoa where nature, including the people who live in it, is thriving.”
The Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust and Predator Free Chathams has been supported by a range of organisations along the way, including WWF, Wellington Zoo, Predator Free NZ Ltd, Pacific Development Fund, private donors, Chatham Islands Council, and more recently through two operational grants from the Department of Conservation.
You can find more information about the project and the species they are trying to protect by watching the video above or visiting the Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust website.
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