The recovery of one of Australia’s rarest birds is on track thanks to a rodent control program developed to protect the unique wildlife on World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island.
Minister for Environment James Griffin said the population of endangered Lord Howe Island Woodhens has almost tripled to about 565 since the rodent control was implemented on the in 2019.
“This is good news for the Lord Howe Island woodhen, which was once on the brink of extinction, with the population as low as 22 birds in the 1970s,” Mr Griffin said.
“It’s also good news for the more than 33 other threatened species of flora and fauna found on magnificent Lord Howe Island.
“In addition to the recovery of the woodhen, for the first time, live specimens of 4 different critically endangered land snail species were recorded in a single survey.
“They were previously thought to be extinct, with only shells of the snails having been found. This is an incredibly optimistic sign for the future of conservation.”
The team from the NSW Government’s Saving Our Species program and the Australian Museum spent more than 400 painstaking hours looking for the tiny snails at 200 survey sites on the remote island.
The rodent control program, which began in 2019, is the first such program to be conducted on a permanently inhabited island.
Lord Howe Island has a large number of threatened species found nowhere else on earth. Before the program began, there were thousands of rodents on the island, damaging plants and animals.
“By controlling pigs, cats, goats, plant disease and rodents, Lord Howe Island’s native fauna and flora has been able to recover, demonstrating that good science and management can help to turn back the tide of biodiversity decline,” Mr Griffin said.
Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said community support for the rodent control program has played a central role in its success.
“The woodhen survey, for example, took 14 days to complete as Department of Planning and Environment scientists, working with Islanders, combed the island and recorded every woodhen sighted,” Ms Williams said.
“Community engagement is a critical element, and I thank the Board and Lord Howe Island community for working tirelessly to help protect their magnificent island.”
Department of Planning and Environment scientists, university researchers and locals, were given access to private property to accurately survey populations.
Researchers and Lord Howe Island Board staff will apply any insights gained from the program to future conservation work across the state.
