Poisoning Stewart Island - is it ecocide?

The poisoning of Stewart Island

Gareth Morgan, a rich and powerful New Zealand businessman, has a dream. He has teamed up with Department of Conservation, and some locals, and is advocating to rid Stewart Island of mammal pests. Fair enough you say?

Stewart Island is 170,000 hectares of pristine forest, and home to the largest wild kiwi population, per hectare, of anywhere in New Zealand. 4250 tonnes of poisonous bait will be aerially spread, and it will saturate the environment. This dream, should it go ahead, will kill 10's of thousands of resident birds - is it ecocide? ...