Breaksea Island, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Breaksea Island is a rugged 1.7 km² (0.65637366960731 sq mi) island in the southwest of New Zealand
, and is part of Fiordland National Park
. Its highest point is 350 m (1,148 ft) asl
and it lies about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the mainland in the entrance to Breaksea Sound, north of Resolution Island
. It is covered in temperate rainforest and was the site of one of the first successful campaigns to eradicate rat
s from a sizeable island.
s, using brodifacoum
in poison baits, was carried out by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) in May and June 1988 following the success of a pilot campaign on the adjacent, and much smaller (90000 m² (968,752 sq ft) or 9 ha (22.2 acre)), Hawea Island in 1986. Breaksea is six times the size of the previous largest island on which rat eradication had successful. Since then, DOC has overseen the eradication of a suite of introduced animals from several other islands, the largest being Campbell Island
at 113 km² (44 sq mi). 9 ha (22.2 acre)
s breed on Breaksea. Since rat eradication various threatened species of New Zealand’s native fauna have been introduced, or reintroduced, there. These include the Saddleback, Yellowhead
, Fiordland Skink
and knobbled weevils
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and is part of Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...
. Its highest point is 350 m (1,148 ft) asl
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
and it lies about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the mainland in the entrance to Breaksea Sound, north of Resolution Island
Resolution Island, New Zealand
Resolution Island is the largest island in Fiordland region of southwest New Zealand, covering a total of . It is the country's seventh largest island...
. It is covered in temperate rainforest and was the site of one of the first successful campaigns to eradicate rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s from a sizeable island.
Rat eradication
The pioneering eradication of Brown RatBrown Rat
The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
s, using brodifacoum
Brodifacoum
Brodifacoum is a highly lethal vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant poison. In recent years, it has become one of the world's most widely used pesticides...
in poison baits, was carried out by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) in May and June 1988 following the success of a pilot campaign on the adjacent, and much smaller (90000 m² (968,752 sq ft) or 9 ha (22.2 acre)), Hawea Island in 1986. Breaksea is six times the size of the previous largest island on which rat eradication had successful. Since then, DOC has overseen the eradication of a suite of introduced animals from several other islands, the largest being Campbell Island
Campbell Island, New Zealand
Campbell Island is a remote, subantarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. It covers of the group's , and is surrounded by numerous stacks, rocks and islets like Dent Island, Folly Island , Isle de Jeanette Marie, and Jacquemart Island, the latter being the...
at 113 km² (44 sq mi). 9 ha (22.2 acre)
Fauna
Fiordland PenguinFiordland Penguin
The Fiordland Crested Penguin , also known as Tawaki , is a species of crested penguin from New Zealand...
s breed on Breaksea. Since rat eradication various threatened species of New Zealand’s native fauna have been introduced, or reintroduced, there. These include the Saddleback, Yellowhead
Yellowhead (bird)
The Yellowhead or Mohua is a small insectivorous, passerine bird endemic to the South Island of New Zealand...
, Fiordland Skink
Oligosoma acrinasum
The Fiordland skink, Oligosoma acrinasum, is a species of skink endemic to the Fiordland temperate forests ecoregion of South Island, New Zealand. The Fiordland skink is found on two mainland locations and the exposed rocky shores of numerous islands along the Fiordland coast . Their distribution...
and knobbled weevils
Hadramphus
Hadramphus , commonly known as knobbled weevils, is a genus of flightless molytine weevils from the family Curculionidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and consists of four species....
.