DOC rangers felt ‘risky’ tracking uncommon bird nesting location throughout Dog crate Day celebration

Department of Preservation (DOC) staff felt it was “risky” to keep an eye on and hinder a big group of Dog crate Day partiers at a threatened bird nesting website.

The department has yet to figure out whether any damage was triggered to the nesting location throughout Saturday’s occasion at the Ashley River in North Canterbury, where about 70 4WDs collected.

Staff had actually been consulted with “aggressiveness” throughout in 2015’s Dog crate Day– a yearly occasion commemorating the very first Saturday of summer season.

Endangered birds like the black-fronted tern and the banded dotterel nest along the river from September to February and DOC’s efforts to hinder this year’s group of 4WD lovers with brand-new indications were disregarded.

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DOC North Canterbury senior biodiversity ranger Sandy Wong stated the department had actually kept an eye on the river on previous Dog crate Days and attempted to move individuals far from understood nesting areas, however did not attend this year after being consulted with “aggressiveness” in 2021.

“Our staff absolutely would have liked to be on the river, however it was our option to not put staff on due to the fact that we were worried for the staff’s security.

“It is rather a threatening scenario when you have actually got lots individuals with lorries, intoxicated.”

The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group cautioned individuals to keep away from the river due to the fact that the bird eggs appeared like stone pebbles and were quickly missed out on.

Group operations supervisor Grant Davey took pictures of the 4WDs at the river on Saturday and was waiting to speak with DOC about any damage done to the birds and their nests.

Davey stated the birds ought to be re-nesting after losing their previous nests in current flooding.

“It’s bad enough for these birds to lose theirs nests in a flood, that’s totally natural, however if they then get disrupted from their nests by a 4WD, that’s simply not on.

“Perhaps they triggered difficulty this year, perhaps they didn’t, however they actually should not be out there.”

Regional DOC staff were not able to evaluate the location till a minimum of Thursday as they were performing a riverbed study in Hurunui that was time delicate due to river tides.

DOC had actually set up indications to attempt to hinder lorry motorists far from the location prior to Saturday.

The indications state “seriously threatened native birds nest on this riverbed” and mention the Wildlife Act 1953 makes troubling wildlife an offense with an optimum charge of 2 years’ jail time and/or a fine of approximately $100,000.

Extra indications along the river read: “Unusual bird nesting nest. Do not disrupt; no driving, strolling or canines allowed in this location.”

Wong stated DOC did not have “a substantial of quantity of self-confidence” about the efficiency of the indications.

Reports of 4WDs being utilized recklessly along the river were “extremely frustrating”, she stated. Next year DOC might think about setting up physically barriers to stop access to the Ashley River.

It is presently legal for individuals to get in the riverbed however DOC can limit gain access to if required.

DOC verified there had actually not been any prosecutions for 4WDing along the river on previous Dog crate Day.

Wong stated it was hard to effectively prosecute and they would likely require direct proof of an automobile running over a nest.

Rivercare group member Judith Hughey stated there was likewise issue the nests or the birds’ food sources might be infected by dripping fluids from lorries.

“When you get seeping of oil, radiator fluid, brake fluid, all of those [things], none of that is going to be any excellent.”