I would like to support what Laurie has said regarding the issue of
flagships in general and the Black Stilt in particular. I worked on the
program in Twizel and there was considerable skepticism about the breeding
of stilts from both within and without. However most united on the point
that they were the symbol for the conservation of the braided rivers. From
this followed the substantial predator control program that Sue alludes to
and the effort to work with leaseholders to revegetate the valleys. The
beneficiaries included the other birds species but also the water quality.
I guess this is why the town of Twizel (a hydro construction town) has the
large metal sculpture of the Kaki in the square - they are symbolic also of
the communities change in economic and social fortunes.
Having worked with these birds, both wild and captive, I am quite in awe of
their tolerance for the conditions in which they not only live but happily
breed in. I have seen both the wild and aviary birds sitting on their eggs
in valleys thick with snow or running wind gusts sufficient to throw me, my
pack and scope into those near freezing waters.
Captive breeding for conservation purposes will always be contentious and
there is should be far more economic analysis of it efficacy versus habitat
preservation or restoration. However in many cases things have been left
just a little too late for anything else (e.g. Kakapo, Takahe, Regent HE,
Lord Howe Woody, OBP). Captive breeding has also contributed substantially
to what we know of the biology of the birds and often their relatives. This
knowledge has delivered benefits in habitat restoration and providing
circumstances for maintaining remnant populations. Our knowledge of diet and
nutrition for captives has implications for the types of vegetation used and
supplementary feeding.
Too much is made of the cost of such programs by comparison with land
purchase or other research efforts. Many of the programs run on shoestrings
and the Kaki breeding budget would buy little more than a few postage stamps
in the braided river valleys. Those who work in the programs are either
volunteers or considerably cheaper than a university based researcher - from
my experience.
Saving habitats and the assemblages that inhabit them will require a range
of tools and the mix of strategies will depend largely on the specific
circumstances. Given our species determination to turn most of our nest to
concrete and carbon as quickly as the DA can be put in, we will need all
available strategies to rescue some of the native 'engineers' that
ultimately provide us with water, oxygen and food.
Chris Lloyd
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