New Zealand has announced that it will eradicate non-native predators in its territory.
All introduced predators will be exterminated. The programme has been described as a “world-first”.
The New Zealand government says that introduced species cost the economy NZ$3.3 billion (£1.76bn) each year and are responsible for killing 25 million native birds a year.
Prime Minister John Key said on Monday said the initiative was aimed at killing species of rats, stoats and possums introduced to the country. The target date for completion is 2050.
“Our ambition is that by 2050 every single part of New Zealand will be completely free of rats, stoats and possums,” he said in a statement.
“This is the most ambitious conservation project attempted anywhere in the world, but we believe if we all work together as a country we can achieve it.”
The policy announcement was greeted with enthusiasm by a number of professionals in various fields, some of whom claim to have been working for years for the country to become predator-free. Optimism was expressed in some quarters that eradication could be achieved as early as 2040.
New Zealand’s National party is said to have already invested money and resources into background research on implementation.
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