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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  20 March 2025

Sarah Dwyer of the DOC Aotea Operations Team and Sierra Fullmer, Research Project Technician for Upwell Turtles, ready to monitor leatherback turtles, the special ‘bubble window’ is a necessity for viewing directly below the plane
Image: DOC

Their research involves a series of flights following gridlines to visually record numbers of leatherback turtles and estimate distribution to help inform conservation strategies.

The research is funded through the DOC Marine Conservation Services Programme and is a first for New Zealand. DOC is leading the study locally, alongside Upwell Turtles (USA), and with support and expertise from NIWA, Monash University (Australia), and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (USA).

International collaboration is essential to these research and conservation efforts because the West Pacific leatherback population being studied migrates huge distances across the entire Pacific Ocean.

DOC Senior Marine Science Advisor, Dr Karen Middlemiss, says leatherbacks are like the tuatara of the sea.

“They are as ancient as dinosaurs and their existence is under threat.

“The Western Pacific leatherback population has declined by more than 80 percent in the past 40 years and is at risk of extinction,” says Karen.

Leatherbacks are seen off the east coast of New Zealand in summer and spring when the weather is warmer.

“Some of the population migrate here after nesting to forage on jellyfish and salps, but we don’t have a lot of information about them while they’re here.

“The Upwell team are world leaders in monitoring leatherback turtles and we are excited to be working together and benefiting from their knowledge and experience,” says Karen.

Dr George Shillinger, Executive Director of Upwell Turtles, says leatherbacks are among the most highly migratory and transboundary marine species on the planet.

“Effective conservation requires international collaboration from nesting beaches all the way to distant foraging habitats. We are thrilled to have New Zealand contributing to our global understanding and conservation of this ancient turtle species.”

“It’s also exciting for our team to be experiencing New Zealand’s marine biodiversity. It’s a hotspot for so many species, we’ve seen beaked whales, baleen whales, ocean sunfish, and many different dolphins and toothed whales,” says George.

Leatherbacks face many threats across their habitats, including unintentional capture by fisheries, the harvesting of adult turtles and eggs, plastic pollution, nesting beach habitat loss, climate change, and vessel strike.

The public can contribute to protecting leatherbacks and other marine animals by preventing plastics and pollution reaching the sea.

No marine turtles nest on beaches in New Zealand. Any turtle on the beach should be reported immediately to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  19 March 2025

“This situation needs urgent action. Kiwi are a taonga species found only in Aotearoa, and if they disappear from here, they’re gone forever. Dog owners and all organisations involved must take their responsibilities seriously.”

“These recent kiwi deaths are devastating, and we need everyone to play their part in protecting our native wildlife,” says Bronwyn BauerHunt, DOC Operations Manager for the Bay of Islands.

The first dead kiwi was reported to DOC on 29 January 2025, followed by two more on 11 February. Between 12 February and 9 March, another six kiwi were found dead. All were found on private land. Some of the carcasses were badly decomposed, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of death, but several were fresh enough to be tested for canine DNA.

DOC rangers met with Far North District Council (FNDC) staff on 14 February, to discuss the best approaches to address uncontrolled dogs in the immediate area. Under the Dog Control Act, only FNDC has the authority to enter private property on reasonable grounds, and seize dogs suspected of attacking kiwi.

DOC has been working closely with Kiwi Coast a community-led, collaborative conservation initiative in Northland, to examine the kiwi, collect DNA samples where possible, and record details of each case. All kiwi in good enough condition will undergo a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

These latest deaths add to a concerning trend. Dogs are the leading cause of kiwi deaths, and in past incidents, they have been responsible for multiple kiwi fatalities across Northland, leading to prosecutions. In 2019, a single roaming dog killed at least six kiwi near Whangārei, resulting in a prosecution and a fine for the owner.

In 2021, another case in the Bay of Islands saw a dog owner fined after their pet was linked to the deaths of several kiwi. These cases highlight the serious consequences of failing to control dogs in kiwi habitat.

“We urge all dog owners in kiwi zones to be responsible. Keep your dogs under control at all times, especially at night. If you live in or near kiwi habitat, the safest option is to keep your dog contained or inside when not supervised,” says Bronwyn.

Anyone with information about uncontrolled dogs in the area is encouraged to contact FNDC 0800 920 029 or DOC 0800 DOC HOT.

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  18 March 2025

The Coromandel Walkway, connecting Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay, follows the contour of the coastline and is a popular visitor site in northern Coromandel. It was damaged during the extreme weather events of summer 2022-23, with large slips causing significant damage and forcing the temporary closure of a 670-metre section.

“In some sections, the landslips had taken out the track completely and it has been completely impassable,” says DOC’s Coromandel Supervisor Matt Flynn.

DOC staff have waited for land movement in the area to cease – and now the land has settled, work has begun to recut the track.

“We weren’t willing to risk a repair with land movement still occurring – waiting for the land to stabilise was vital for this project to be successfully completed.

“We’re conscious this is a popular and picturesque asset which draws visitors to the northern peninsula, so we’re really pleased to have reinstatement work underway,” says Matt.

The reinstatement work has involved contractors using a small 1.5-tonne digger, and also cutting back vegetation.

The contractor has cleared slips which were considered safe to remove using the digger, and the project focus now turns to work at the site which must be done by hand.

Track reinstatement includes a process called benching, which requires removal of soil to create a flat and safe track surface for visitors.

Contractors completed the first stage of the job on 14 March, and their work will be followed by a team of DOC staff who will be using hand tools to complete the benching process along several sites throughout late March.

The resulting section of repaired will be slightly narrower than the original track, but will still meet DOC’s own Day Visitor standard.

Matt says once the physical work at the site is completed, DOC staff will install new signage advising visitors of the risks and urging caution should they choose to use the track.

“One of the most important messages we have for visitors is they need to keep moving through the repaired section.

“Although we’re satisfied the track will be safe enough to use, the repaired section is not a place visitors should stop.”

The track is set to be fully reopen in mid-April.

“We appreciate the community and visitors have been very patient waiting for us to reinstate this track – and we’re glad they will soon be able to again enjoy a wonderful Coromandel coastal experience.”

Visitors to any DOC site are urged to choose the right trip for their fitness and experience, and prepare properly, including visiting DOC’s website.

Like our wildlife, our outdoors is different – don’t underestimate our dramatic landscapes and dynamic weather.

If you’re heading further into the great outdoors, be prepared with the Outdoor safety code.

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  18 March 2025

Upper Cleddau Flats landfill, known colloquially as ‘Little Tahiti,’ extends inland from the Tutoko and Cleddau Rivers.

Department of Conservation Operations Manager, Te Anau, John Lucas, says the clean-up is a legacy from an infrastructure project which took place 70 years before DOC was created.

Gravel was removed from Little Tahiti to construct Milford Road, and afterwards the site was used as a landfill, until the mid-1980s.

“DOC, Environment Southland and Ministry for the Environment have been collaborating on this site since investigations uncovered contaminants like asbestos at levels posing a potential risk to human health and the environment,” says John.

The 8200 m2 landfill also contains waste material and rubbish, along with heavy metals, building materials, hydrocarbons like petroleum, and general municipal waste.

Located 100 m off the main SH94, Little Tahiti is closed to the public and is not a visitor destination. Material is buried and contact is limited to those assessing the site.

John says high-priority remedial work is needed to address the contamination and erosion risk.

“We are seeing more frequent high intensity rainfall events in Milford, like the 2020 floods, which did significant damage across DOC’s network of tracks in the region, including the Milford Track.”

An earlier weather event in 2019 caused a landfill to breach in South Westland, spilling buried waste into the Fox River and sending it 21 kilometres downstream through Westland Tai Poutini National Park into the Tasman Sea – resulting in the need for a massive clean-up, dubbed Operation Tidy Fox.

“What happened at Fox River highlights the pressing need to address Little Tahiti as soon as possible to avoid a similar environmental incident,” says John.

Funding to clean up Little Tahiti is split, with DOC funding 50% while the rest was sourced from the Ministry for the Environment’s Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund before it closed.

The Little Tahiti Landfill has been awarded $2,024,700 for remediation works from the Ministry.

MfE Waste Investments Manager Lara Cowen says the Ministry is pleased to be able to support the remediation of Little Tahiti and enable DOC to proactively address a site at risk of exposure in such a special place for New Zealanders. The Ministry continues to fund projects like Little Tahiti through the newly opened Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund.

The remedial work at Little Tahiti will likely affect State Highway 94 with some traffic delays, and increased truck movements on the road to Milford Sound while underway. It’s expected to take two and a half months.

“Public safety is paramount while work is being carried out,” says John Lucas.

“There will be notifications as early as possible on the visitor information networks for Milford Sound and SH94 Milford Road updates.”

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  13 March 2025

DOC staff and researchers from Sea Through Science were carrying out a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) survey in Tamatea/Dusky Sound in February to collect data on the abundance and diversity of fish species in the fiords.

The work was designed to get a better understanding of two of Fiordland’s ten marine reserves and the health of the recreational fishery within Tamatea/Dusky Sound.

DOC Senior Ranger, Richard Kinsey says the surveys allow researchers to compare fish inside and outside the marine reserves and record how fish numbers change over time.

“This information will also be helpful for assessing whether Fiordland’s new fishing regulations benefit fish stocks in the coming years.

It’s a great opportunity to collect valuable data and to see what species are attracted to the bait.”

The team collected over 200 hours of footage that will be analysed, and recorded several key species including hāpuku, blue cod, octopus and many shark species.

Sea Through Science researcher Adam Smith, who was contracted to undertake the work, was the first to look at the footage.

“The stereo BRUV uses two GoPro cameras in underwater housings. At the end of the day, we download the footage back on the boat to see what has been attracted.

“While reviewing the videos, I saw a mature male white pointer shark turn up to the BRUV – it was quite a shock! We had been laughing about how cool it would be to see something like that. It’s very rare to get such great footage.”

The curious white shark can be seen heading straight to the BRUV unit and mouthing the bait pot a couple of times before slowly swimming away. Great white sharks are endangered and are protected under the Wildlife Act and the Fisheries Act.

“It’s great to see these majestic creatures in their natural environment and to see how curious they are around the BRUVs,” says Adam. “We’ve only seen a white shark once before during our surveys, at the Kermadec Islands, the other end of New Zealand.”

“Over the next few months, the data we collected in Tamatea/Dusky Sound will be really useful in helping to better understand how our marine reserves function and how certain fish species are coping with fishing and other impacts.”

DOC encourages the public to report details of sightings, captures or strandings of great white sharks to sharks@doc.govt.nz or 0800 DOC HOT.

Background information

Great whites are vulnerable to overfishing and there is a growing international concern about their numbers. Since great white sharks were protected their population size is estimated to have been stable or in slight decline.

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