The Wire with Manny

Every few years, Aotearoa's beech trees produce a great quantity, or mast, of fruit that feeds many of our native birds but also our pests. This coming year, models predict a huge 'mega masting' and conservation experts are gearing up to suppress what they expect will be an explosion of predator species who will turn their sights on native birds when fruit is gone.

To discuss this issue Wednesday Wire Producer Manny spoke to Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Auckland, James Russell and, after that, the Coordinator of DOC's predator control program, Peter Morton.