Goats pose a particular threat to native vegetation. Voracious feeders,
they are widespread in New Zealand conservation areas. Many were released
onto islands by early sealers and whalers to provide food for potential
castaways. They have since been eradicated from 15 of the 20 islands they
were established on.
Goats have been long established on the mainland in some areas and
absent in others. However, escapes from goat farms during the 1980s led to
many new goat populations becoming established.
The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy aims to carry out high priority
goat control to improve natural habitats and prevent expansion of goat
populations into currently goat-free areas.
The Department of Conservation has ongoing goat control programmes
covering 2.5 million hectares of public conservation land. Additional
funding provided by the strategy has expanded control into a further 430,000
hectares of high priority conservation sites.
Goats are targeted throughout New Zealand, including offshore islands
such as Great Barrier Island. Here goats are being eradicated in a programme
involving the Department of Conservation, local authorities and the
community. |
