The support and commitment from tangata whenua, individuals and communities across Aotearoa is key to achieving Predator Free 2050. It is a collective effort and everyone has a role to play.

The programme invests in people through our ‘Mobilise for action’ focus area. Our work aims to: 

• Continue to inspire New Zealanders about a predator-free future. We want to grow awareness, increase support and build confidence that Predator Free 2050 is achievable and worthwhile. We will do this by sharing diverse stories from Māori, Moriori and people across the country. 
• Empower New Zealanders to take action for nature and support Predator Free 2050. We want to offer a range of ways and resources that reduce barriers for people to get naturing.

Examples of work we support

The following work plays a critical role in the Predator Free 2050 programme.

Embedding kaitiakitanga and te ao Māori into Predator Free projects  

Te ao Māori is at the heart of hapū and iwi led Predator Free projects. These projects provide Māori with the opportunity to practice rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga in their local environments.

This work also includes the Kairaranga Pilot Project, which aims to embed roles that support kaitiakitanga and te ao Māori in large scale predator elimination projects.

Hosting kura reo 

Te Tira Whakamātaki hosted kura reo to explore the depth and richness of te reo Māori as it relates to our environment, with a focus on its role in shaping pest management strategies.

Hosting wānanga to explore mātauranga Māori for pest management  

Te Tira Whakamātaki hosted a series of wānanga grounded in mātauranga Māori. The wānanga enabled kōrero and exchange among kaitiaki about predator management and its relationship to Māori ways of being, doing and knowing. 

Telling inspiring Predator Free 2050 stories 

Many organisations work to tell people-focussed and place-based stories about the Predator Free 2050 movement.

Documentaries like Fight for the Wild and Fiordland Kiwi Diaries have inspired many New Zealanders to get involved.

To receive an overview of Predator Free 2050 stories each month, subscribe to our newsletter.  

Developing and sharing toolkits for schools, groups and trappers

The Predator Free New Zealand Trust creates practical resources to support individuals and groups doing predator control.

Their resources include toolkits, a map of predator control groups, articles and a shop to purchase traps and other gear.  

Apprenticeship programme to create career pathways 

The Predator Free New Zealand Trust ran an apprenticeship programme to provide career pathways for people who want to work in predator control.

A total of 59 apprentices graduated from the programme and 98% were employed in the sector afterwards. They also shared their knowledge, with over 16,000 hours spent on-the-ground providing support to groups, landowners and projects.  

Social science to understand how New Zealanders think about Predator Free 2050 

The Predator Free New Zealand Trust surveys New Zealanders to understand how they feel about Predator Free 2050 and their involvement in it.

DOC also invests in social science to understand how people think about things like the use of different predator control technologies. 

Examples of research can be found here: Research papers and reports.

By funding work to better understand the perspectives of New Zealanders, we can work towards a predator-free New Zealand that reflects people’s values.

Providing hands-on trapping courses and guides

DOC and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology developed the Predator Trapping Methods course, designed to build practical skills for predator control. So far, 1,500 people have completed this course.

DOC also provides guidance for community trappers: Trap in your community. 

Achieving Predator Free 2050 will take decades, so in the meantime we need to hold the line for threatened native species by regularly controlling predators and protecting existing predator-free areas. 

At sites across the country, there’s proof that removing predators helps populations of native plants and animals stabilise and recover.

Examples of work we support

The following work plays a critical role in the Predator Free 2050 programme.

National predator control programme  

DOC’s National Predator Control Programme protects native wildlife and forests on public conservation land.

The programme controls predators on a sustained, rotational basis to protect more than 67 forest sites across the country. It covers about 1.8 million ha or 20% of public conservation land. 

National predator control programme

Regional pest management plans  

Each council develops and delivers their own Regional Pest Management Plan under the Biosecurity Act.

These plans define priority pests for the region, rules for landowners and council-led predator control programmes. Councils also play an important role in funding and supporting community groups, landowners and iwi to manage pests. 

Regional pest management plans

Community predator control 

Community groups, Māori, Moriori and landowners across New Zealand are playing a vital role in predator control efforts to protect native species.

There are now over 9,000 community initiatives to control predators across New Zealand. These initiatives bring big benefits back to communities and local nature.  

Find a predator control project

Predator-free islands 

New Zealand has over 110 predator-free islands that provide safe habitats for some of our most threatened species.

Islands are critical for preventing extinctions. One in seven threatened species rely on them for their survival.

To keep these islands secure, strong biosecurity measures are essential. DOC has developed an Island Biosecurity Framework/Tiakina Ngā Moutere to reduce the risk of costly responses and to ensure long-term protection for vulnerable species. 

Eradicating predators from islands

Ecosanctuaries 

Ecosanctuaries across New Zealand are critical arks for many rare and threatened species. They also play an important role in engaging people in the vision of Predator Free 2050.

 Visiting an ecosanctuary is a great way to experience what a predator-free future could look and sound like.

Threatened species translocation  

Translocating live plants and animals to new locations helps conserve threatened species, restore ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.

Translocations are essential for protecting popoulations of native species that are locally distinct and in trouble. They can help re-establish native species in areas where they have declined or disappeared.   

With our current tools we’re not yet ready to accelerate predator eradication across all of New Zealand. We’re preparing for this next phase.

Our preparedness work includes actions like building a workforce, developing long-term partnerships to fund Predator Free 2050 and outlining the risks and costs associated with different roll-out scenarios.  

Examples of work we support

The following work plays a critical role in the Predator Free 2050 programme.

Scenario modelling tool 

The Bioeconomy Science Institute – Manaaki Whenua is developing a spatial scenario modelling framework for Predator Free 2050. 

This tool runs on a supercomputer and helps assess the costs, benefits and opportunities of different ways we could achieve Predator Free 2050. It can also help us decide where new technologies or approaches could be trialled.  

National cat management group  

Formed in 2014, the National Cat Management Group brings together organisations to improve cat management in New Zealand.

Their work recommends a comprehensive approach for cat management to improve cat welfare and protect native species and other animals.  

Regulatory landscape

A recent review by the Place Group explored the regulatory challenges faced by researchers and practitioners working on predator elimination and species translocations at landscape scale.

You can read more about this and other research here: Research papers and reports.

Predator trapping methods course  

Delivered by Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and DOC, this NZQA Level 3 qualification builds practical skills for effective and humane predator control. It builds our capability and capacity to achieve Predator Free 2050.  

Predator trapping methods course

Measuring the impact of invasive browser management on carbon storage  

Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) is researching how eliminating invasive browsing mammals (including possums) influences carbon storage in forests. 

This will mean we can assess carbon markets as a potential revenue stream to fund Predator Free 2050.  

Detection dogs

Detection dogs play a crucial role in predator elimination. They are used for operations, surveillance and proving predator absence.

Work is underway to scale this capability for future national needs.  

We’re accelerating already  

Where we already have the know-how and it makes sense, we are doing what we can to achieve Predator Free 2050.

We’re continuing to build on our success in eradicating predators from islands by progressing our two largest eradication projects ever, on Rakiura/Stewart Island and Maukahaka/Auckland Island. 

We’re making progress on the mainland as well with large landscape projects.