PF2050 has had support from local communities, iwi and key partners. This has helped to achieve:
- 117 islands declared predator free
- over 5000 groups and iwi registered to perform predator control in their communities
- new funding for DOC's Tiakina Nga Manu programme so it can protect our PF2050 progress and defend native species from a predicted predator plague
- progress towards a new national strategy.
Predator Free has built support for the goal of protecting our native species and seeing them thrive. Momentum has grown in three ways:
- conservation has increased in scale, for example through 13 new landscape-scale partnerships
- more focus on science, innovation and research, with six funders of control innovations.
Developing a national strategy
“The ‘How’ we choose to get to Predator Free, is just as important as arriving at that destination. One pathway will strongly engage our treaty partners and communities, the other will not.” Brent Beaven, Predator Free 2050 Programme Manager, April 2019
Iwi, communities, agencies, business, scientists, councils – all are part of Predator Free.
Our challenge is to create a national strategic plan that ties all the work of all these people together to achieve the bold ambition that is becoming Predator Free. To do this we have:
- held focus groups to provide direction and subject matter expertise to help us produce a discussion guide (PDF, 2,812 K). Groups involved included iwi, scientists, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, the Predator Free Trust, conservation non-governmental organisations, Ngā Whenua Rahui, business representatives and DOC staff
- provided New Zealanders with the opportunity to contribute via online survey or email
- held hui with our Treaty Partners around the country to discuss the aspirations of whānau/hapū and iwi for a Predator Free New Zealand.
Predator Free 2050 an Ambitious Goal for Aōtearoa New Zealand (PDF, 2,299K) summarises the feedback we received, including:
- the need to respect diverse values and approaches rather than ‘embrace’ these, as some will not be embraced
- that a coordinated approach is important, with the alignment of regional and national plans
- this goal belongs to everyone and should not sit with a single entity or culture.
Our next stage is to develop a strategy based on what we heard and test this strategy with Treaty Partners and key collaborators to make sure we have got it right. The new strategy for a Predator Free New Zealand will belong to all New Zealanders.