Eastern Whio Link is a large land, water and biodiversity management project in the Waioeka between Gisborne and Opotiki spanning 40,000ha of farm and conservation lands.

Currently we are managing predators such as stoats and cats across this landscape but to build resilience into the depleted forest system and to establish new plantings of native forest we must first control the feral deer issue. Deer have eaten all plantings we have established so far.

Phase one of the project is to control deer across 40,000ha using ground and helicopter hunting.

Phase 2 is to establish plantings on marginal farmland.

Phase 3 is to manage and maintain the deer herd and plantings.