Laysan Albatross. By: Michael Walther

(Washington, D.C. November 23, 2010) Increasingly scarce native seabirds such as the Laysan Albatross and Wedge-tailed Shearwater will benefit from a new predator-proof fence being installed to create a 59-acre area exclosure at Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve located at the northwest tip of the island of O‘ahu.

The 6.5-foot-high fence will be the first of its kind in the United States having been used successfully in 30 New Zealand coastal and forest projects and after undergoing testing on lava flows on the Big Island. The fence provides a combination of features including a rolled hood at the top, fine mesh between the fence posts, and a skirt buried underground, designed to prevent animals from jumping, climbing, squeezing through, or digging their way around the fence and into the protected area.

Ground-nesting seabirds in the area have been targets of dog, cat, and mongoose predation, with the result that up to 15% of chicks are preyed upon each year. The predators have especially preyed on the young birds before they can fly. Rats also have had an impact, eating seabird eggs and chicks and even attacking adult birds. Rats and mice also eat endangered native plants and seeds causing additional habitat degradation. Despite intensive efforts to control these predators, they still pose a major threat to the survival of native species.

“The fence will create a predator-free sanctuary for the birds at Ka‘ena Point, and demonstrates what can be achieved for Hawai‘i’s native species when the resources are secured and wildlife made a priority at the top political levels. There are literally dozens more projects of this scope that could be directed towards the threatened birds of our 50th state if the funding is made available,” said George Wallace, Vice President for Oceans and Islands for American Bird Conservancy, the nation’s leading Bird Conservation organization.

Wallace added that the project has been a very successful cooperative effort involving Hawai‘i’s Department of Lands and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Hawai'i chapter of The Wildlife Society, and local communities.

The marine grade, 2,040-foot long stainless steel fence will be built by a New Zealand and local crew of approximately seven people, with completion anticipated by the end of January 2011. The fencing alignment largely follows a World War II-era roadbed that skirts along the bottom of the hill behind the point, above the sand dunes. By following this track at the base of the slope, the alignment allows for enclosing the greatest area while minimizing interference with scenic vistas and avoiding further disturbance to the delicate habitat.

Access to the area will not be changed due to this fence. People will continue to visit Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve for fishing, hiking, bicycling, and other recreational and educational activities, entering through unlocked gates. To reduce visual impact, the fence will be painted green to blend into the natural surroundings. To minimize the opportunity for predator incursion if doors are propped open, a double-door system is planned where both doors cannot be open at the same time. Instead, a person accessing the Reserve must wait for the first door to close before the second door may be opened. The doorway area will be large enough to fit up to nine people at a time, or someone with a bicycle or fishing pole.

Every effort is being made to take traditional Hawaiian cultural issues into consideration in the building of the fence. For example, access doors will be incorporated at locations where the fencing crosses existing trails at both the Mokulē‘ia and Wai‘anae entrances, and fence designers worked with local Hawaiian cultural leaders to provide a third door above the Leina a ka ‘Uhane, (spirit leap), where traditional beliefs hold that Hawaiian spirits leap into the afterlife.