TURANGI - An increase in possum trapping has led the Department of Conservation to fear kiwi will be caught in the traps.
Turangi conservation officer Cam Speedy said many people were setting traps to cash in on the increasingly lucrative plucked possum fur market, with fibre presently fetching about $55
a kg.
The fur is being mixed with fine merino wool and exported, but traps rather than cyanide pellets are being used as the fur is more valuable if hand-plucked from the possum within 10 minutes of death.
"Every man and his dog is out there trapping possums again," said Mr Speedy. "We haven't had this level of interest in possum hunting in over a decade."
He said traps should be set at least 70cm off the ground as two kiwi with severe leg injuries had to be put down by DoC staff in the past two months.
"Possum trappers make a valuable contribution to protecting our native species and habitats but every kiwi is precious and trappers must ensure their work does not put our dwindling kiwi populations further at risk."
Mr Speedy said kiwi had enough predators without the added risk of poorly set traps.
All DoC's possum blocks in the central North Island are currently being used and Mt Maunganui trap importer Maurice Woodcraft has sold 7000 traps in the past two months.
"This year we are definitely getting more individuals that are moving back into trapping possums because there's a bit of an income there," he said.
Helen McCormick, head of the Operation Nest Egg kiwi breeding programme, said it was tragic when kiwi had to have limbs amputated and could not return to the wild.
She said the kiwi population had been halving every decade.
