NZHUNTER MAGAZINE HOW TO
In recent years the Predator Free 2050 movement in this country has been both expansive and intense, and is continuing to be so. All over the country, predators are hunted for sport, profit, conservation, and protection of agriculture, silviculture, and biodiversity.
THE ROLE
Well, it starts with mice, and includes mustelids (stoats, ferrets and weasels), rats, feral cats, hedgehogs and ‘possums, to name the key players. I will note that while wallabies are not predators, they are becoming an increasing threat. In recent years there has been a huge amount of government money poured into pest control, and into biodiversity growth and protection, hand in hand with a huge upswell of community and volunteer effort. The result has been a surge of new conservation work, creating jobs for people to carry out various aspects of the mahi. Success requires the effort of many people and hard work. Across the country, new, established, or growing projects are ongoing. There is pest control activity taking place almost everywhere, from bush areas close to major urban centers to remote locations and inner cities. For example, Predator Free Wellington started in 2018 and now lists itself as covering 30,000 hectares and approx. 70,000 households, covered by no less than 58 trapping groups! That is an incredible amount of effort. Predator Free Mirimar Peninsula is a well-known and very successful project and Capital Kiwi recently facilitated the release of over 50 North Island brown kiwi back into the hills above Wellington. Wellington is now starting to sound and look very different from
