Dannevirke: Trapping 'makes environmental sense'

Birds are back in big numbers on an Akitio block of land after six-and-a-half years of trapping predators. Photo / Supplied

A Tararua farmer is urging Woodville Districts Vision to reinstate its cat-trapping project for the sake of the environment.

The man, who doesn't want to be identified, told the Dannevirke News he believes people don't realise the impact stray cats have on the bird life and wants the trapping project in Woodville back.

Volunteers carrying out the town's cat cull called off trapping the town's more than 100 stray cats, which had been running wild, fighting, stealing food and spreading disease, after they were subjected to a hate campaign, but the farmer said it was a good way to rid the town of predators threatening native birds.

"I've seen the Woodville stray cats and there's no way you can catch them without trapping," he said. "Some of us out there care and we'll do what we have to to protect our environment.

"When I first took over a farm at Akitio six-and-a-half years ago, the bush was silent, so it's been my mission to bring the birds back again by trapping cats, ferrets and stoats. It's been on my bucket list to visit Kapiti Island to listen to the dawn chorus, but now I don't have to as getting rid of the pests means the forest is starting to boom. It's fantastic.

The sound of the birds and the noise they make on a beautiful sunny day is wonderful. I've never heard anything like this and, with a couple of cabbage trees flowering, the bird song is deafening. I've just seen a rifleman for the first time and I didn't know they were here. There's also a lot of tuis and bell-birds and a pair of falcon, it's neat."

The man said, although he doesn't yet have kaka on the block, staff at Pukaha Mt Bruce have told him kaka are now free range in the Tararua Ranges and spreading into the Ruahine Ranges, and may eventually make their way to the coast where his property is.

And with a 1.5km drive down a track to his property and the nearest house 1km away, the farmer said trapping urban cats was not an issue.

"I did find three cats of the same size on the property and I believe they were all from the same litter and probably dumped here," he said.

"I've cameras installed to protect against poachers and they show me where the cats are roaming, so, in trapping the wild cats and other predators, I'm doing my bit for the environment."

Robin Winter, chairwoman of Woodville Districts Vision, has asked the Tararua District Council to consider adopting a bylaw to control roaming cats and the number of cats able to be kept on a property.

The council said it would consider the matter as part of the work in preparing for an upcoming review of its bylaws.

Council's governance manager Richard Taylor told community board members other councils did have bylaws, but there were challenges.

"It's difficult to keep cats on a property," he said.

Community board member Tim Delaney said the bylaw might require owners to register and microchip their cats.