Reports have been uploaded in the following categories.
Title: Quantitative decision support for eradication
Provider: Manaaki Whenua
Outputs: Quantitative decision support for eradication: A primer (PDF, 1,774K) Gormley, A.M., Anderson D.P., Lustig, A., Latham C.M., Howard, S., Scroggie, M., and Ramsey D.S.L. (2021)
Title: Shared data standards for predator-free relevant data
Provider: Internal (consultant)
Outputs: Predator related data standards (PDF, 237K)
Title: Measuring the impact of invasive browser management on carbon storage in forests
Provider: Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP)
Output: Measuring the impact of invasive browser management on carbon storage in forests. Phase 1 – Technical feasibility (PDF, 977K)
Title: Underpinning genomic resources for invasive New Zealand rats
Provider: University of Otago / CSIRO
Outputs: Aotearoa Genomic Data Repository
Title: Realistic population modelling of gene drive strategies for rodent control in NZ
Provider: Cornell University / Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
Outputs:
- Forward Genetic Simulations Beyond the Wright–Fisher Model. Molecular Biology and Evolution Haller BC, Messer PW (2019). Slim 3, Volume 36, Issue: 3 Pages 632–637.
- Systematic review of the population and spatial ecology of invasive rats and house mice (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) in New Zealand (PDF, sizeK) Diaz PG (2019). Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
- Performance analysis of novel toxin antidote CRISPR gene drive systems Champer J et al. (2020) BMC Biology 18. Article: 27.
- Computational and experimental performance of CRISPR homing gene drive strategies with multiplexed gRNAs Science Advances. Volume 6, Issue 10 (2020)
- A toxin-antidote CRISPR gene drive system for regional population modification Champer J et al. Nature Communications 11, Article number: 1082 (2020)
- Suppression gene drive in continuous space can result in unstable persistence of both drive and wild-type alleles Champer SE et al . Molecular Ecology Volume 30, Issue: 4 (2021)
- Modeling CRISPR gene drives for suppression of invasive rodents using a supervised machine learning framework Champer SE at al. PLoS Computational Biology 17(12) (2021)
Title: Prospects for manipulating embryonic diapause as a method for stoat fertility control
Provider: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research/Andrew Veale
Outputs: Prospects for manipulating embryonic diapause as a method for stoat fertility control, October 2024 (PDF, 370K)
Title: Management of vertebrate pests using genetic control techniques. In Applied Environmental Genomics
Researcher: Anna Clark
Outputs: Exploring the value of a global gene drive project registry Riley et al. Nature Biotechnology 41 (2023)
Title: A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control
Researcher: Alana Alexander and Anna Clark
Outputs: A framework for identifying fertility gene targets for mammalian pest control Molecular Ecology Resesources Volume 24. Issue: 2
Title: Regulatory Landscape Review
Provider: The Place Group Ltd
Outputs: Final Review: Review of the regulatory landsacape for Predator Free activities (PDF, 2,657K)
Appendix A: Regulatory landscape for PF2050 activities (PDF, 109K)
Appendix B: EPA hazardous substance application process (PDF, 594K)
Appendix C: Potential long list of solutions (PDF, 184K)
Appendix D: Stakeholder engagement methodology (PDF, 102K)
Title: Learnings and achievements
Provider: Predator Free 2050 Limited
Outputs: Overview: Learnings so far (PDF, 12,216K)
Overview: The story so far (PDF, 6,669K)
Title: Rat Deep Dive Proceedings Report
Provider: Collins Consulting Ltd
Outputs: Report: Rat eradiction technical workshop. A Predator Free 2050 Limited deep dive (PDF, 7,179K)
Title: The Use of Dogs in Predator Free Projects
Provider: Collins Consulting Ltd
Outputs: Report: Use of Dogs in Predator Free Projects. A Predator Free 2050 Limited deep dive (PDF, 501K)
Title: Detection Dogs
Provider: Manaaki Whenua Landscare Research / Dr Emma Feenstra
Outputs: Report: Detection dogs towards Predator Free 2050 (PDF, 890K)
Report Summary (PDF, 24K)
Title: Predator Free 2050 Limited Stoat Hui 2023
Provider: Predator Free 2050 Limited
Outputs: Report: Predator Free 2050 Limited Stoat Hui 2023 (PDF,14,367K)
Title: Wielding knowledge of the spatial and temporal distributions of invasive small mammals across an altitudinal gradient to refine and advance mainland pest eradication strategies in the uplands of the Mackenzie Basin
Provider: Te Manahuna Aoraki
Outputs: Paper: Altitudinal distribution of the entire invasive small mammal guild in the eastern dryland zone of New Zealand’s Southern Alps Foster NJ et al. Biological Invasions 23: 1837–1857. (2021)
Title: Low-cost eradication of possums from native forest
Provider: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
Outputs:
Paper: Dual 1080 bait switching for killing cereal-bait-shy possums Nugent G et al. (2020) New Zealand Journal of Ecology. Issue: 44 (1)
Title: Testing the efficacy of the Victor Professional rat trap for catching ship and Norway rats and Modified Victor stoat and rat trap for catching Norway rats
Provider: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
Outputs: Report: Pen testing of the kill efficacy of the Victor Professional rat trap and the Modified Victor stoat and rat trap for capturing ship and Norway rats (PDF, 805K)
Title: Social research on novel pest control methods
Provider: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research
Outputs: Paper: Conservation pest control with new technologies: public perceptions MacDonald EA et al. (2022) Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume: 52 Issue: 1 (95-107)
Title: Evaluating the Papa Taiao Predator Free Secondary Schools Leadership and Awards programmes as tools to scale the predator free kaupapa across schools and kura in Aotearoa NZ
Provider: Papa Taiao Earthcare
Outputs: Report: Understanding how to empower, inspire and upskill young leaders to contribute to a predator free Aotearoa (PDF, 615K)
Title: Identifying key conditions for biodiversity and social outcomes from community led conservation
Provider: The Catalyst Group
Brief description of research: Using interviews, surveys and literature reviews to identify the social dimensions of a community conservation initiatives that achieve measurable social and environmental outcomes
Outputs: Report: Social and ecological outcomes from community-led conservation (PDF, 9,013K) Collaborative research project prepared for Predator Free 2050 Ltd. Shanahan D, Maseyk F, Johnston G, Doole M 2021. The Catalyst Group Contract Report No. 2021/160.
Title: Predator Free 2050 – Social and ethical challenges
Provider: Alexandra Palmer
Brief description of research: This report describes findings from a qualitative analysis of interviews with people involved in Predator Free 2050, to understand what New Zealanders might object to or disagree with, with regards to Predator Free 2050.
Outputs: Report: Predator Free 2050 - Social and ethical challenges (PDF, 9,247K)
Title: Predator free 2050 and pedagogy: Teaching about introduced predators in Aotearoa New Zealand
Provider: Alexandra Palmer
Brief description of research: Invasive species pose a threat to biodiversity, and as such feature in some conservation education programs. However, there is debate about how to teach this difficult subject. This paper explores perspectives using a case study of education about introduced mammalian predators in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ).
Outputs: Report: Predator free 2050 and pedagogy - Teaching about introduced predators in Aotearoa New Zealand The Journal of Environmental Education. Volume 54. Issue: 6. (2023)
Title: Landing among the stars: risks and benefits of Predator Free 2050 and other ambitious conservation targets
Provider: Alexandra Palmer
Brief description of research: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 government policy is commonly described as the nation’s ‘moonshot’ goal. This paper goes through the implications, positive and negative, of the PF2050 goal if it were not to be achieved.
Outputs: Paper: Landing among the stars: Risk and benefits of Predator Free 2050 and other ambitious conservation targets Biological Conservation Volume 284. (2023)
Title: Categorisation of cats: managing liminal felines in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom
Provider: Alexandra Palmer
Brief description of research: Aotearoa, New Zealand and Britain are two case studies where they manage domestic or wild cats differently in terms of conservation. New Zealand supports humane killing of feral cats, while Britain are conserving wild cats. This paper will explores how people draw these boundaries, which has implications for understanding conservation and animal management controversies.
Outputs: Press article: Categorisation of cats: Managing boundary fields in Aotearoa New Zealand and Britian British Ecologoical Society. Volume: 5. Issue: 5. (2023)
Title: Interoperability and remote communications
Provider: Angu Chen, Liam O’Donoghue, Matthew Hellicar
Outputs: Report: Interoperability and remote comms (PDF, 829K)
Title: Executive summary: Interoperability and remote comms
Provider: Angu Chen, Liam O’Donoghue, Matthew Hellicar
Outputs: Investigating and evaluating Predator Free 2050 Remote Communications Pathways Project (PDF, 123K)
Brief description: A summarised document of interoperability and the state of remote communication networks in PF2050.
Title: Remote communication feature matrix
Provider: Angu Chen, Liam O’Donoghue, Matthew Hellicar
Outputs: Remote communitcation feature matrix (PDF, 4,183K)
Brief description: A matrix of all current remote communication networks with providers and what features are supported by all current devices.
Title: Delivering a central data platform
Provider: Angu Chen, Liam O’Donoghue, Matthew Hellicar
Outputs: Delivering a central data platform (PDF, 193K)
Brief description: On the same topic as remote communications, it is proposed that a central data platform is created and made available to projects and developers.
Title: Evaluating the potential of foliage penetrating radar systems for detecting brushtail possum in New Zealand forests and scoping novel technologies for advancing PF2050’s mission
Provider: Environment & Conservation Technologies
Outputs: Report: Current and Near-Future Technology for a Predator Free New Zealand (PDF, 6,096K)
Title: Automatic Noise Reduction of Extremely Sparse Vocalisations for Bioacoustic Monitoring
Researcher: Ben McEwen
Outputs: Paper: Automatic noice reduction of extremely sparse vocalisation for biocoustic monitoring Ecological Informatics Volume: 77 (2023)
Title: The effects of noise reduction on bioacoustic segmentation and classification
Researcher: Ben McEwen
Outputs: Paper: The effects of noise reduction on bioacoustic segementation and classification SSRN
Brief description: This paper explores the a ssumption that common noise reduction approaches have little to no performance benefits in segmentation precision, in the context of bioacoustic monitoring.
Title: Active few-shot learning for rare bioacoustic feature annotation
Researcher: Ben McEwen
Outputs: Paper: Active few-short learning for rare bioacoustic feature annotation Ecological Informatics Volume: 82. (2024)
Brief description: Two main issues with the bioacoustic monitoring of rare (sparse) species, are the cost of collecting and processing empty field data with low ecological value. This paper presents a methodology specifically designed help in these rare acoustic events within long-term field recordings.
Title: An Invasive Species Dataset for Common Brushtail Possum Detection
Researcher: Ben McEwen
Outputs: Paper: An invasive species model and dataset for bioacoustic monitoring of common brushtail possum (PDF, sizeK) New Zealand Ecology. Volume 48(1) (2024)
Brief description: Passive acoustic monitoring has been used as a critical monitoring tool for native species but has been under-utilised. Now, the first publicly available dataset of invasive common brushtail possum vocalisations is available.
Title: An improved computational bioacoustic monitoring approach for sparse features detection
Researcher: Ben McEwen
Outputs: Paper: An improved computational bioacoustic monitoring approach for sparse features detection McEwen, B., Soltero, K., Gutschmidt, S., Bainbridge-Smith, A., Atlas, J. and Green, R. (2023) In Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Vol. 52, AIP Publishing
Brief description: Bioacoustic data collection and analysis often have constraints to highly vocal species. This methodology presents a human-in-the-loop approach that combines computational and human analysis.
Predator Free 2050 Limited Annual Report 2025 (PDF, 3,684K)
Final Annual Report Predator Free 2050 Limited 1 July - 31 October 2025 (PDF, 1,023K)
2016-2025 PF2050 Ltd
In the 25/26 Budget the Government decided to close the Crown-owned company, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, to streamline the Predator Free 2050 system and remove duplication.
Their work is now absorbed into DOC’s existing activities as part of its role as the lead government agency for the wider PF2050 programme.