Duncan Smith

The recent concern about H5 bird flu is a reminder that unexpected threats to our native birds can arise very quickly.

Offshore islands cannot offer complete protection from disease because wild birds can fly between the mainland and the islands.

However, separate populations remain valuable insurance against disease, fire, predators or another local catastrophe.

Whakatāne has an extraordinary conservation success story.

From only a few breeding pairs surviving in the Ōhope reserves around 25 years ago, intensive predator control and many thousands of volunteer hours have helped the local North Island brown kiwi population grow to several hundred birds.

Moutohorā once played a part in that work.

Kiwi were transferred to the island to establish a separate population, and it was also used as a crèche, a safe place for young kiwi to grow before being returned to the mainland.

As an interested local resident, I wonder whether the time may be right for a fresh conversation about Moutohorā’s possible future role in kiwi conservation.

Any new proposal would need to be developed jointly and respectfully by Ngāti Awa, the Department of Conservation and the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust.

Each would bring something valuable: Ngāti Awa’s role as kaitiaki and deep relationship with the island, DoC’s conservation responsibilities and scientific expertise, and the trust’s long practical experience of protecting kiwi in the reserves surrounding our town.

Moutohorā is also becoming increasingly important to Whakatāne’s nature-based tourism.

Visitors can travel there only through authorised guided operators, helping protect the island’s wildlife and cultural values.

A thriving kiwi population would add another important chapter to the island’s story, even though visitors could not expect to see these nocturnal birds.

Conservation must always come before tourism, but responsible tourism can help people understand and support conservation.

Perhaps this is an opportunity for Ngāti Awa, DoC and the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust to explore together whether Moutohorā could once again play a greater role in protecting our local kiwi. Such a partnership could strengthen the future of this precious taonga and reinforce Whakatāne’s proud identity as the Kiwi Capital of the World.