A project that aims to eradicate all major pests from Rakiura/Stewart Island will be the largest island-based predator eradication attempt in the world.
The aim is to eliminate all possums, rats, feral cats and hedgehogs from the Island.
The project is a partnership between Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and Predator Free Rakiura. The two organisations have signed a research agreement worth $2.8 million over four years. This will involve research into predator behaviour, distribution and density and the social and economic impacts of predator eradication.
Forest and Bird spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer said it was an ambitious and important project that would pave the way for environmental protection in the rest of New Zealand, and around the world.
“As well as being a game-changer for native species like the Stewart Island brown kiwi, hoiho, New Zealand dotterel and many more native and endemic species, Predator Free Rakiura would be a major draw card for nature tourism and the local economy, and for the expression of mātauranga Māori.”
Rakiura/Stuart Island is about 180,000 hectares in size and has a population of 400 permanent residents.
