Predator Free 2050 is a plan put forth by the

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

government with the goal of eradicating

possum Possum may refer to: Animals * Didelphimorphia, or (o)possums, an order of marsupials native to the Americas ** Didelphis, a genus of marsupials within Didelphimorphia *** Common opossum, native to Central and South America *** Virginia opossum ...

s, rats and

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern on th ...

s, all introduced predators, by 2050. Opposition to planned procedures associated with poisoning

feral A feral (; ) animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in som ...

cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

arose in September 2018.

Joint venture company

Under the plan, the government invested NZ$28 million into a joint venture company, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, with a plan for an additional $1 added for each $2 invested by the public, third parties such as philanthropic foundations or local councils. It was later reported that they had also pledged an additional $7 million per year after the initial $28 million was provided over the first four years. On 25 July 2017, Conservation Minister

Maggie Barry Margaret Mary Barry (born 5 October 1959), generally known as Maggie Barry, is a New Zealand radio and television presenter and politician. As a member of the National Party Barry was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2011 gen ...

spoke about the project, calling it "the most important conservation project in the history of our country" and also said that Predator Free 2050 Ltd was planning to announce the first major project it would be funding before the end of 2017.

Goals

Aside from the stated goal of eradicating all predator species by 2050, the

Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

has outlined four interim 2025 goals: * Suppress predators on a further . * Eradicate predators from at least 20,000 hectares without the use of fences. * Eradicate predators from island nature reserves. * Achieve a breakthrough science solution capable of eradicating at least one small mammal predator. Prime Minister

John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as leader of the National Party from 2006 to 2016. Following his father's death when ...

said in mid-2016 that current technologies and methods would be insufficient for the ultimate goal of the project, and the Government was banking on a 'major scientific breakthrough' to allow for the eradication of

possums Possum may refer to: Animals * Didelphimorphia, or (o)possums, an order of marsupials native to the Americas ** Didelphis, a genus of marsupials within Didelphimorphia *** Common opossum, native to Central and South America *** Virginia opossum, ...

stoats The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern on th ...

, and

rats Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

Supporting large-scale projects

PF2050 Ltd called for expressions of interest from parties that are capable and committed to achieving the Government’s ambitious goal to rid New Zealand of possums, rats and stoats by 2050. PF2050 wishes to identify regional/local councils, communities, mana whenua, businesses, NGOs and/or other entities who have predator eradication initiatives either underway or contemplated that can contribute toward meeting its interim (2025) goals identified above. A selection of projects will enter a request-for-proposal stage with the aim of approving the first projects for PF2050 investment by mid-February 2018.

Community support

The Predator Free 2050 goal is built on a foundation of strong community conservation efforts with ove
2,000 community groups
across New Zealand taking part in predator control efforts. Those community efforts are supported by the Predator Free New Zealand Trust, a charity founded in 2013 with express purpose of advocating for community conservation in New Zealand.

Research strategy

In November 2017, Predator Free 2050 Ltd announced their research strategy. In contrast to previous speculative commentary, this is the officially approved approach being taken. The strategy outlines four concurrent programmes. 'Environment and society' will explore New Zealand's social and cultural views about predator eradication. 'Eradicating the last 1%' focusses on upgrading current predator control approaches. 'New genetic control tools' aims to inform New Zealanders as to the benefits and risks of new genetic technologies prior to any commitment to develop such tools for Predator Free 2050. 'Computer modelling' will develop shared resources that all communities and agencies contributing to Predator Free 2050 can use to design the right approach for their goals and environment.

Strategy Review and Public Consultation (2025)

In May 2025, the Department of Conservation released a discussion document outlining proposals to update the Predator Free 2050 strategy. It includes revised goals to be achieved by 2030 and considers adding feral cats to the list of nationally targeted predator species. It proposes the creation of a biodiversity investment prospectus to attract external funding from businesses, philanthropists, NGOs, and iwi. This would identify investment-ready conservation projects that deliver biodiversity gains alongside climate and flood resilience benefits. It also includes a proposed review of fee schedules and access rules for commercial and recreational use of public conservation land and waters, with the goal of ensuring fair contribution to conservation outcomes.

Disestablishment of Predator Free 2050 Ltd

In May 2025 the Government announced that Predator Free 2050 Ltd would be disestablished, with management of the project being being handed to the Department of Conservation.

References

External links

Predator Free 2050 Limited

Department of Conservation Predator Free 2050 page
Conservation projects in New Zealand