Kotare

NZ Govt has declared a policy to exterminate all intoduced predators by 2050!
If you consider this covers rats, possums, stoats, ferrets etc wouldn't have thought it was achieveable (especially the first).

Woodlea

It's a worthwhile and meritorious goal. Bit disappointed that feral cats aren't on the list. Extermination a bit too much for domestic cats, but some sort of control of them should be part of the plan.

BEVS

They would do better to focus on what they could achieve now instead of making that type of pointless useless statement.

How about protecting marine reserves & birdlife from set nets right now for starters. Or protecting environment from encroachment through mining and fracking right now . Or perhaps educating locals not to shoot kea or overfish . Or how about upping the budget for DOC ( although they can be cobblers) and more staff , not less. Or perhaps just actually bluddy well doing something NOW by way of ethical conservation.

Obviously they have bought the world reserve of 1080 or they plan to do away with Sick Smith.

GGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Charismatic

2050? Basically it's a "buggered if I know, leave it to the kids to sort out" which has actually been de facto government policy on any number of issues for years now . Far enough away that everyone responsible will be long retired.

Kotare

The land care group my wife belongs to (adjacent to a kiwi reserve) has trapped over 300 feral cats in 12 months).

Any two conservationists will have three opinions on where the conservation money should go and the correct priorities. Must admit that it takes a mind reset to use 'extermination' and 'conservation' in the same sentence.

Given the very limited funds available I reckon NZ is trying its best compared to some bigger countries.

LittleGreyCat

Lay down enough cyanide and you can exterminate anything.

Although I expect that rats would outlast the native Kiwi wildlife.

This would probably involve combing all of both islands foot by foot; as far as I know that is how they did the small islands which are now pest free.

Charismatic

Could be ways to kill everything using a rolling fence like microwaves or intense radiation sources then reintroduce endangered species subsequently?

jmh

A sort of scorched earth policy - hmmm.... What if there is an unidentified native species we haven't discovered yet.

Charismatic

We'll ask all the animals to complete a census and declare if the are native

Bo-Jangles

It`s an interesting concept - I see Morgan Freeman playing the Character of god and choosing what creatures get to live and which ones get to die. Since the biggest predator and threat to the native flora and fauna of nz is no doubt man and farming industry then I think they should do a proper job and we should all start making tracks and preparing to leave.

Start with the easy stuff; burn all non-native crops of`herbs` and fruit and veggies, be gone all you sheep, cows, grapevines and kiwi fruit. Issue every household with a weekly allocation of poison and traps to kill off all our pets, hedgehogs, rabbits, sparrows and possums and the rest will be self-fullfilling and numbers of humans and other nuisances will dwindle rapidly.

southerner

I think it is good we have a long term goal as well as some shorter term stuff. Long term goal will give some impetus and encouragement to some local groups already wanting to take the next steps on the pathway towards that very challenging goal; eg pest free peninsulas (in the Sounds or Otago), cat free larger islands (such as Stewart Island) or leveraging the conservation effect of current mainland islands (Wellington moves to control cats around Zealandia).


I don't disagree there are some other things that need a good push as well, but to me the one thing that would be absolutely stunning for my kids and grandkids to enjoy, would be to genuinely reverse the plight of NZ native endangered fauna, rather than just holding in there as we are now with very small protected populations.

Justcol

I heard a "government official" declare they would be using "technology that had not yet been invented"

Blilliant, I like a good, well thought out plan !!

Kotare

Well given the target is (carefully) well in the future ie 2050 it would be silly to be planning on using current tech eg Fenn traps. After all in 1980 we didn't have the PC, the internet, DNA analysis, genetic manipulation - the list goes on.

Justcol

Ray guns, give everyone ray guns !!

Charismatic

I'm going to call mine Ronald.

Roses are red,
violets are blue,
I've got a ray gun,
Pew Pew Pew!