Several endangered fowl nests have been “considerably disturbed” after a 150-strong 4WD Crate Day convoy up a Canterbury river yesterday regardless of the pleas of conservationists.
Around 150 automobiles gathered close to the Okuku Bridge yesterday morning to embark on a 22km drive alongside the Ashley River/Rakahuri.
It comes after conservationists warned four-wheel-drive fans in Canterbury to take care on Crate Day when driving on and round braided rivers the place endangered birds are nesting.
From early September to the tip of January, a number of threatened native birds breed within the South Island braided rivers just like the Ashley River/Rakahuri, with three colonies of the endangered tarapiroe or black-fronted tern nesting alongside the river’s higher stretch.
Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group (ARRG), which fashioned in 1999 to guard riverbed birds and their habitats, stated they had been “angry that these rallies go ahead despite the fact it is peak breeding season”.
“They drove into nesting areas which were clearly signposted, and in one case past protesters,” stated spokesperson Grant Davey.
Protesters managed to maintain automobiles away from an space the place there have been “little helpless chicks had been working round everywhere in the place”, he stated.
Davey instructed 1News at the least 4 nests have been discovered to be broken within the small part of the river searched thus far.
“Black-fronted terns are very critically threatened, in the previous couple of years roughly one fledgling has been produced for each 10 nests on the Ashley River,” he stated.
“This yr the outlook is a lot better, however it isn’t helped by the actions of irresponsible folks.”
Department of Conservation operations supervisor Leeann Ellis stated whereas there have been “obvious good intentions, there was nonetheless harm to nationally endangered black-fronted tern nests, eggs and chicks” after they had been hit by flying stones.
Ellis stated DOC want to see the exercise take place outdoors of breeding season, doubtlessly in late summer season.
“It may very well be higher for each birds and drivers,” she stated.
