Image by Ann Wheatley.
Pest Free Onetahua has a bold ambition to bring an abundance of birds and other native wildlife back to north-west Golden Bay.
It has a long-term vision to give future generations the chance to enjoy a wealth of native wildlife on Onetahua Farewell Spit and the surrounding areas. Sparked by the local community, Pest Free Onetahua is a partnership between Tasman Environmental Trust and Manawhenua Ki Mohua and the Department of Conservation. The project also works closely with local landowners, businesses and residents of Mohua Golden Bay.
The project has initial funding from Predator Free 2050 Ltd. and aims to remove rats, stoats, possums and feral pigs from Onetahua Farewell Spit and reduce pests in the wider project area. The project spans 12,000 ha of unique landscapes from the tip of Onetahua Farewell Spit, through Pākawau Bush in Kahurangi National Park, south to the edge of Whanganui Inlet, with the support of some private landowners bordering these areas.
Pest Free Onetahua is of local, national and international significance. Home to thousands of migratory birds, Onetahua Farewell Spit is a wetland of international significance. A critical stopover for migrating shore birds, it gained international status as a Ramsar site in 1976. Predators threaten many of these and other native species.
