Wairarapa Key Native Ecosystem Management Areas - Greater ...

Lake Pounui
16. Executive summary
This is a further updated report for Lake Pounui for the year 2007/08. It is a
follow on report from the report prepared in 2006/07.
Predator control was a bit more intensive during the last financial year, with 10
monthly visits made to service the equipment.
17. Recommendations
• Continue to undertake long term integrated predator control at Lake
Pounui with site checks to be carried out on a monthly basis when time is
available.
• Should funding be available consider expanding this operation out towards
the old original operational boundary to once again include the (Dog Hill)
KNE. This extension could possibly be tendered out to a service provider
if it was approved to go ahead.
• Continue to monitor rat and invertebrate dynamics in the Lake Pounui
catchment as per the recommendations of Greater Wellington.
• Continue to carry out point distance monitoring of native bird species at
set times during the year as recommended by Greater Wellington.
18. Objectives
• To maintain possum populations at less than 5% RTC.
• To reduce predator populations to low levels therefore improving the
biodiversity values of the Pounui Lake and its surrounding catchment.
19. Operational area
The operational area remains unchanged at approximately 480 hectares with
emphasis on protecting the lakeshore margins and the Battery Stream. There
are now 66 control sites in place and the control techniques remain unchanged
from previous years.
Most feral cats trapped are caught out on the bush/pasture margins.
During the 2005/06 year there was an Animal Health Board funded aerial 1080
possum control maintenance operation carried out through the Rimutaka Range
which also extended into the back of the Lake Pounui catchment. The front
section of the catchment was treated by hand with bait bags containing 1080
pellets which were stapled to trees.
This operation has further reduced the low possum population that existed
within the catchment and it will have reduced rat densities to low levels also.
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