Thread: Tell 'em they're dreaming . . . Govt announces new policy, predator free by 2050

The Government's announced an ambitious target to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050.
Prime Minister John Key made the announcement at Wellington's ecosantuary Zealandia on Monday afternoon.
He says the introduces pets such as stoats, rats and possums cost the economy and primary sector around $3.3 billion a year.
"Rats, possums and stoats kill 25 million of our native birds every year, and prey on other native species such as lizards, and along with the rest of our environment, we must do more to protect them," Mr Key says.
The Government will invest $28 million in a joint-venture company called Predator Free New Zealand in a public-private partnership.
The money is on top of the $60 to $80 million already put into pest control by the Government each year, as well as local government and the private sector.


Read more: Govt wants NZ pest free by 2050 | Politics | Newshub

I wonder how many countries in the world are rat free ?

Despite the title, their goals don't seem to actually reflect that at the moment

2020 goals
• Develop a collaborative predator control strategy.
• Another 175,000 hectares in addition to the current
1 million hectares on conservation land and 7 million
hectares led by OSPRI are under some form of control.
• Five projects supported by PFNZ are making progress,
and sharing lessons.
• PFNZ and DOC will tackle larger scale operations.
• Collaborative results will show social and economic benefits.
• PFNZ will foster community participation in local
predator control activities.
2025 goals
• Increase by 1 million hectares the areas of New Zealand
where predators are suppressed.
• Demonstrate predator removal in areas of mainland New
Zealand of 20,000 hectares.
• Remove all mammalian predators from New Zealand’s
offshore island nature reserves.
• Develop science solutions that remove at least one small
mammal predator from the New Zealand mainland

Carpet bombing with 1080...

While 'uneducated' city dwellers continue to release part-grown cats into the bush (can't be bothered re-homing the cat, and other self serving excuses), cat predation of smaller birds and native wildlife will continue.
Rats are one of the most adaptable of all introduced predatory species, so look for heavy 'bombing' of 1080 poison in most of the favored hunting areas.
Stoats and ferrets are smart animals - difficult to find, hard to reduce numbers unless they partake of fresh poisoned carcasses.
Hedgehogs - a new one to me. Didn't know they ate meat of any kind.
Introduced bird species (larger breeds), contribute as much to the decline of native species as any of the above.
No study has been carried out - to my knowledge - on secondary, tertiary and quadrenary poison kills using 1080.
DOC and PCNZ need to clearly indicate through valid studies, that these latter stages of poisoning DO NOT CONTRIBTE to a reduction in the omnivorous native species - Weka, Kea, etc.
My 2c worth.

Removing the animals is only half the battle, how do ylpoy stop a reinvention? Quarantine all ships coming into the country? Ban all imports? Never going to happen

The PM's comment that every part of NZ will be targeted is a pretty big task, imagine how much this is going to cost. To be most effective it would need to be a rolling operation with no let up as reinvasion would be occurring straight away. I think any one who thinks eradication is possible especially with the species mentioned is dreaming.
When I was still employed as a Pest Officer in the BOP, DOC, EBOP and Environment Waikato agree to eradicate wallabies in our regions, I left 6 years ago and still the surveys continue to see how far they have spread, but no closer to eradication. It is a nice thought to do these things and rid the country of these pests but unless they develop better ways to do control work it won't happen.
We as hunters know the challenges of our back country and how difficult it will be to carry out the work, and if the powers to be think spraying 1080 is the answer they are wrong, look at how long 1080 has been used and still the pests are there.
Going back to the wallaby eradication plan we figured that after an area had it's initial control operation most likely 1080, contractors on foot would have to hunt the control area three times with trained wallaby indicator dogs before the area would be considered wallaby free.
That would mean every square meter would need checking not once but three times..... now apply that to this current plan and apply that to the whole country for not one species but three ... who's going to pay.
Don't need to be a genius to work out it is highly unlikely this plan will not work. Who's to say deer etc won't be targeted next?

I am afraid it's well meaning but I think long term it will fall well short of it's objectives.
I have a friend who is very high up in Veterinary science and on NZ animal and export boards. The work has been done through Gene's to make Possums sterile within a few breeding cycles but it can't be used because of NZ law's on Genetic engineering.
This big Rabbit virus that was supposed to be released that some guys talked about on here hasn't happened because the shit mutated in the Lab were it was been developed in Australia and suddenly it's got unknown risks attached.

I look at the massive and very expensive effort that went into the Fruit Fly control in Auckland years back with planes literally flying over the suburbs dropping insecticide on us, cost millions and millions to get on top of a very small area / outbreak, how the f#@k are they going to control multiple species over the massive areas they are talking about.
All I can see is 1080 thrown around like confetti , some poison companys making huge profits and some contractors also making a lot of money.

Like a lot of these idea's it looks great on paper but in the real world Mr Rat will get the last laugh

And remember you entrust the running of your country to these dickheads. We really are rooted with decisions like this! I'd like to employ the salesman that sold it to them!

Pure fantasy. Mission impossible.

Originally Posted by Maca49

And remember you entrust the running of your country to these dickheads. We really are rooted with decisions like this! I'd like to employ the salesman that sold it to them!

They are selling it to themselves

Originally Posted by WallyR

While 'uneducated' city dwellers continue to release part-grown cats into the bush (can't be bothered re-homing the cat, and other self serving excuses), cat predation of smaller birds and native wildlife will continue.
Rats are one of the most adaptable of all introduced predatory species, so look for heavy 'bombing' of 1080 poison in most of the favored hunting areas.
Stoats and ferrets are smart animals - difficult to find, hard to reduce numbers unless they partake of fresh poisoned carcasses.
Hedgehogs - a new one to me. Didn't know they ate meat of any kind.
Introduced bird species (larger breeds), contribute as much to the decline of native species as any of the above.
No study has been carried out - to my knowledge - on secondary, tertiary and quadrenary poison kills using 1080.
DOC and PCNZ need to clearly indicate through valid studies, that these latter stages of poisoning DO NOT CONTRIBTE to a reduction in the omnivorous native species - Weka, Kea, etc.
My 2c worth.

Ask doc how much research has been done on the effects of poison on plant life.

Problem is two fold.

They want to eliminate all "predators" is the quote in the press. Possums included. I know possums are a pest but never thought of them as predators...(Carnivores?)

If they mean pests then they clearly forgot rabbits.

And second, have they not learned that EVERY time man has tried to "help" nature in this country we have only ever succeeded in making the problem worse. Rabbits are getting away on us. Lets use mustilids (Ferrets, stoats and weasels) to get rid of them....Ooops seems they prefer easier feed like birds...bugger. Goats wil eat all the gorse.....Not once has mankind successfully assisted nature in this country. We, as a nation, have poo'd in our nest by introducing foreign species and let them get away on us. By trying to eliminate them all , the only thing we will succeed in is upsetting the balance and causing an increase in the prey. If we remove all weasels, cats ( good luck on that one) ferrets and stoats, then mouse and rabbit numbers will sky rocket.

They probably have a better chance of putting razor blades on kiwis and teaching them to fight back.....and that aint gonna happen either....

Let them eradicate the predators on Stewart island first without killing the kiwis, then we ll see how valid their strategy is for the two main islands.

@WallyR, re hedgehogs...they especially like canned cat food according to one person I know...they also eat ground laying birds' eggs...scabby mongrels...

In the "old days" when the rabbits were in plague numbers, my father shot thousands of them, and also poisoned them with phosphorus laced jam...can you imagine that happening today...?? they were that thick that cabbage trees were completely debarked up as high as a rabbit could get its teeth...

Talking to a young lad the other day about the possums when they were big in numbers...my brother and I shot 80 out of one big old kanuka tree...the boy stated he thought that was a mistake...I said, well, you had to be there, I guess...