DOC Staff on Rakiura Face Year of Threats and Harassment Over Predator-Free Programme

Department of Conservation staff working on Rakiura Stewart Island have faced a sustained campaign of threats, harassment and intimidation over the past year and a half, as tensions over the island’s predator-free programme reach a troubling new level.

Official figures obtained under the Official Information Act and reported by RNZ reveal that DOC logged 75 security incidents between September 2024 and December 2025 — roughly one every week. The incidents range from verbal abuse and threats through to damage and theft on boats, one involving hazardous substances, and one of what has been described as obscene behaviour.

The harassment has not been confined to those living and working on Rakiura. DOC’s Southern South Island Operations Director Aaron Fleming says some of the abuse has come from people on the mainland, directed at staff via email and social media.

“It’s not just been people on the island. It’s been people that we’ve heard from around the country as well, who have particular views around that methodology,” Fleming told RNZ.

The programme, known as Predator Free Rakiura, aims to eradicate rats, possums and stoats from the entire island — one of the most ambitious conservation undertakings in New Zealand history. Rakiura is a critical habitat for kiwi, weka and a range of other native species, and conservation advocates argue the long-term ecological gains are enormous.

But for a section of the island’s community, the programme has become a source of deep frustration. At the centre of the conflict is the use of 1080, a toxin applied aerially and on the ground to kill predators. An aerial 1080 drop carried out in August 2025 killed more deer than anticipated, angering hunters who use the island’s rugged terrain as a beloved hunting ground. A protest against the programme was held that same month.

The anger has since spilled over into confrontations with conservation workers. Furhana Ahmad, head of the Protect Rakiura Trust — which she estimates has the support of roughly a third of residents — is unequivocal in her opposition.

“This is our life. We are not their experiment. And it’s absolutely arrogant for them to treat us like this,” Ahmad told RNZ.

Her comments reflect a widely held sentiment among those who feel decisions about Rakiura’s future are being made without meaningful input from the people who live there. Antony Simpson, a trustee of the Rakiura Whitetail Trust, says the community has been left feeling sidelined.

“We feel like this island isn’t our island — we do not really have a say as such. It has been run from the other side of the Strait by people on the mainland,” Simpson said.

The sense of disconnection between the island community and conservation management on the mainland is a recurring theme in the debate. Predator-free programmes across New Zealand have often required difficult conversations between environmental agencies and local residents, but the situation on Rakiura appears to have deteriorated to a level rarely seen elsewhere.

Not everyone on the island shares the opposition. Riki Everest, a member of the Predator Free Rakiura Engagement and Advisory Group, says the confrontations are distressing for longtime conservationists in the community.

“I have seen slightly older people who have dedicated their lives to conservation being treated unkindly by other members of our community who throw stones and are not very kind to them,” Everest said.

DOC says it has worked to help staff handle what it acknowledges are “confronting” situations. Fleming maintains that opposition to the programme comes from a vocal minority, though the scale of the documented incidents suggests the tension is not easily dismissed.

Environment Southland has also reported what it described as “emerging tensions” on Rakiura linked to animal control work in the area, suggesting the conflict extends beyond DOC’s operations alone.

The predator-free vision for Rakiura represents a significant financial and logistical commitment. The island covers more than 170,000 hectares — making it far larger than any other landmass where a full predator eradication has been attempted. The programme has received substantial government and philanthropic funding, and conservation groups argue its success would be transformational for New Zealand’s native wildlife.

Supporters of the programme point out that the threats and intimidation directed at DOC staff and volunteers are counterproductive and potentially unlawful. Conservation work on Rakiura relies heavily on community goodwill and the willingness of local residents to participate in monitoring and reporting. When that relationship is fractured, it creates real operational difficulties.

The debate over 1080 use has long been contentious across New Zealand, with passionate advocates on both sides. Opponents argue the toxin causes unnecessary suffering to non-target animals including deer and dogs, while DOC and successive governments have maintained that no comparable alternative exists at the scale required to protect native species from predators.

What makes Rakiura unusual is the intensity of the conflict and its persistence over many months. The 75 documented incidents are almost certainly an undercount, given that not every confrontation will result in a formal report being filed.

Fleming acknowledged the situation requires ongoing attention. DOC says it remains committed to the programme and to maintaining open dialogue with the community, though the prospect of meaningful reconciliation may depend on how well the programme can demonstrate results for the island’s ecosystem — and whether those results are seen by residents as worth the disruption to their way of life.

For many on Rakiura, the question is deeply personal. The island is home. The birds it shelters are part of its identity. And the argument over how best to protect them is, for now, driving a painful wedge through the community.

What do you think? Should conservation agencies do more to bring island communities along before launching large-scale predator control operations? Share your thoughts in the comments below.