On the 11th of March the Minister of Conservation, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, officially launched Predator Free South Westland (PFSW).
Eliminating possums, rats and stoats from 100,000 hectares of South Westland is an ambitious goal. We are excited to play our part in PFSW. ZIP will be responsible for the day-to-day operational delivery of the project. This is the first time as an organisation that we will be playing dual roles of being the ’boots on the ground’, while also researching and developing novel ways to eliminate predators.
No-one has ever attempted to completely remove possums, rats and stoats from such a large area of the New Zealand mainland, let alone across such diverse landscape types, from the mountains to the sea. We expect there to be challenges along the way. We might even need to go back to the drawing board to further refine our methods. There will also be circumstances, like Covid-19 and extreme weather, that may slow us down. But this mahi is worth doing — eliminating predators will allow the unique and special species that live in the area to thrive. And, by using our remove and protect approach, once free of predators, there will be no need for large-scale repeated use of aerial toxin in the project area.
PFSW is a massive investment in the future of South Westland. The impact from Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of people in South Westland. This project won’t just benefit nature — it will also bring social and economic benefits to the region. ZIP has been based on the West Coast for several years now. Basing ourselves in South Westland not only makes sense in terms of doing our work, but it also embeds us within the local community.
For more information about the project, please visit Predator Free South Westland's website.