Kākāpō Recovery Partnership
The Kākāpō Recovery Partnership is one of the Department of Conservation’s longest running conservation partnerships.
The partnership, involving the Department of Conservation, Forest & Bird and Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand Limited (formally known as Comalco), is a great example of how community organisations, private business and the public sector can work together.
Since its formation more than 20 years ago, this partnership has played a significant role in bringing one of New Zealand’s most endangered species back from the brink of extinction.
A chance meeting with a kākāpō
The kākāpō, listed as critically endangered, is only found in New Zealand.
There are two populations, one on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, a nature reserve just off the Stewart Island coast, and Anchor Island in Fiordland. Both populations are monitored by a team of kākāpō rangers.
The partnership
Not only has the partnership injected more than $3 million towards breeding programmes and predator proof sanctuaries but it has helped bring the population to over 100 birds – more than double the number of kākāpō alive a little over a decade ago.
The agencies meet on a regular basis to agree on work programmes, budgets, and oversee the recovery process.
The partnership has also paved the way for international experts to assist with the programme which as resulted in significant gains being made for the species’ recovery.
How it started
The foundations for a partnership began in the late 1980s after the Department of Conservation realised that for the kākāpō to avoid extinction extra support was needed from others.
The population has doubled since 1995
When Rio Tinto Alcan New Zealand (RTANZ) was approached to sponsor the recovery programme the company had been looking for a way to encourage more people to recycle aluminium.
In 1990 RTANZ, along with conservation organisation Forest & Bird, entered into a partnership with the Department to help save the world’s rarest parrot.
These two organisations continue to assist, and are a vital part of the Department’s kākāpō recovery work
As a major sponsor, RTANZ has contributed to the programme in many areas. Their commitment has seen employees from the company’s aluminium smelter in Bluff (New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited) take an active role in the recovery programme. This has involved such things as supplementary feeding, nest minding and carrying out maintenance on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island and Anchor Island.
If it was not for the support from the RTANZ and Forest & Bird the story of the kākāpō may have already been over. Today, it is just beginning.
back to top