Bovine Tuberculosis and Vector Management
The Hawkes Bay Regional Council is committed to the control and eradication of wildlife which carry bovine Tb within the Region. Such carriers are possums, feral deer, pigs and mustelids (stoats, ferrets and weasels)
The Council is contracted to the Animal Health Board (AHB) as Vector Manager for the Hawkes Bay Region to:
- Design in conjunction with the AHB DiseaseControl Manager all vector control programmes
- Apply effective control of populations of Tb infected wild animals (vectors)
- Create buffer zones between populations of Tb infected vectors and cattle and deer herds
- Direct surveys of wild animal populations to determine the presence and/or extent of Tb infected wildlife i.e. targeting possums, ferrets, pigs, feral cats and deer.
As manager of the vector control programme the HBRC does not carry out the service delivery of this work. All projects are tendered then managed for compliance.
Within the Hawkes Bay Region there is presently 450,000 hectares of land under management for Tb possum control, this area has been broken up into 45 individual AHB projects ranging in size from 2,000 hectares to 23,000 hectares. In addition there is another 180,000 hectares of land over which 7 wildlife surveys are being conducted.