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Getting ready for a world-first predator eradication project
Predator Free Rakiura is getting ready for the immense and challenging task of tackling the world’s largest inhabited island predator eradication ever undertaken.
Since its funding announcement in October 2020, the Predator Free Rakiura Leadership Group (PFR LG) has been busy working on creating a formal governance entity and developing key milestones for the next stage of the project.
Predator Free Rakiura chair, Paul Norris, says these actions will also enable the group to receive funding.
"The project intends to harness existing knowledge and work, along with the latest science and technology, to come up with sustainable solutions that are beneficial to our ecosystem, community, culture, and economy. All learnings will be shared regularly locally, nationally and internationally during this ambitious and complex long-term project"
The project intends to harness existing knowledge and work, along with the latest science and technology, to come up with sustainable solutions that are beneficial to our ecosystem, community, culture, and economy.
Paul says the focus of Predator Free Rakiura will always be to place community and mana whenua at the centre of its work.
"A project priority is to communicate and coordinate with the local community as the team tests and develops its predator eradication plan. This two-way communication will be led by the Predator Free Rakiura Engagement Group.”
He adds that the PFR LG greatly appreciates and supports the environmental initiatives already happening on Rakiura and the surrounding islands.
“These continue the vital role of managing predator numbers on the island while allowing us the space to plan the enormous island-wide eradication project. We are also keen to identify ways we can work alongside these initiatives.”
The PFR LG are looking forward to being able to share the details of the new entity and its next steps over the next few months.
