Conservation translocations of fauna in Aotearoa New Zealand: a review

There have been numerous declines and extinctions of native fauna in Aotearoa New Zealand since human settlement. Against this background of loss there have been remarkable advances in conservation management, including the use of conservation translocations to reduce extinction risk and restore depauperate ecosystems. Here we review conservation translocations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our review assembles knowledge from Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich history of faunal translocations and describes six key considerations for successfully establishing translocated populations: (1) What values will be met by a translocation? (2) What is the natural and conservation history of the translocation candidate? (3) Does the release site habitat match that of the proposed source population, and if not, why is the release site considered appropriate and can management ameliorate differences? (4) Will dispersal be a problem? (5) Will genetic management be required and how realistic is it that this management will be implemented? (6) What do future developments mean for the management of translocated populations? We discourage a focus on any single element of translocation planning but rather encourage all people involved in translocations, particularly decision makers, to explicitly recognise that successful translocations typically have multiple, values-based objectives. We also support recommendations that the principles of good translocation decision-making are embedded in government policy.