What actions, if any, does the Department of Conservation plan to eradicate invasive browser animals?

Answer

The Department of Conservation undertakes a range of actions to eradicate, or where eradication is not yet feasible to progressively remove, invasive browsers across New Zealand. As part of the Government’s Predator Free 2050 programme, eradication of possums nationally by 2050 is a key objective. The Predator Free 2050 Strategy includes a goal to scale up current eradication efforts beyond 2030, building on cost effective and adaptable operational “blueprints”, alongside the development and deployment of innovative technologies. Targeted eradication initiatives are underway or in planning phases for feral pigs on Auckland Island in the Subantarctic Islands, and possums on Rakiura/Stewart Island. The Department is working in partnership with regional councils and others to remove localised populations of wild deer populations in the regions of Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel. DOC is also working with partners targeting removal of other browser species where they threaten ecosystems including the removal of localised goat populations in areas such as South Westland, the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges, and Pirongia, as well as the eradication of wallabies and possums from Kawau Island. These actions reflect a combination of national-scale eradication ambitions and locally targeted programmes to protect biodiversity and prevent further spread of invasive browser species.