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A Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation – two year’s on
Tamsin Orr-Walker
The knowledge that kea may decline to extinction within our lifetimes triggered the development of the new Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation. A collaborative effort by the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) and Department of Conservation (DOC), the initial 10-year plan describes a strategic direction for the conservation and management of kea in New Zealand. We anticipate that this will inform and stimulate other organisations and individuals interested in kea to get involved with clearly defined initiatives which have direct conservation outcomes for the species. The strategy generates three aims, each of which are described in detail and addressed in separate management documents. These aims look to ensure that population size, trends, dynamics and genetic structure are monitored and understood; to ensure that the kea population is actively managed for conservation and public perceptions; and that awareness of and interactions with kea are proactively managed. Best practice (for kea, volunteers and contractors) is also addressed within this document as is assessment of conservation outcomes. To action these aims, three management plans are in the process of been developed. Each plan goes into depth about current knowledge, management aims, projects to fulfil each aim and to mandate accountability criteria. So what was achieved during 2014? Last year we stated a need to safeguard this plan by looking to the broader community and partnerships 6
within it to ensure sustainability. This is something we have worked hard to achieve over the past year. A community-kea MOU is planned to be rolled out across the South Island during our 2015 Winter Advocacy Tour in July to address this issue. In addition to this, the final draft of the plan has now been finalised, and all three management plans initiated. As soon as the documents have been accepted by our main stakeholders, they will be available for viewing on our website. The strategic plan as a whole continues to be an essential document, identifying, directing and focusing kea conservation initiatives for the future. It has provided our own organisation with clarity of vision and an identification of priorities for the coming years. It has also crystallised our aims and provided recognition of the need for increased stakeholder input across multiple fields and levels. New Zealand’s unique, endemic parrot, the kea (Nestor notabilis), is disappearing from the mountains of Te Wai Pounamu. This strategic plan aims to ensure their future through prioritising conservation actions and encouraging stakeholder involvement. We invite all those people and communities with an interest in kea to become a part of the projects within this plan to ensure that our charismatic ‘clown of the mountains’ and fabled ‘feathered wolf’ is protected for future generations of New Zealanders, as well as visitors to our shores, to appreciate and enjoy.
Photo: Liam Bolitho