New Zealand's War on Rats, Invasive Predators?

From the Washington Post today, they have this headline: "New Zealand vows to kill every weasel, rat and feral cat on its soil".

 

Here are some of the story highlights from this top U.S. newspaper: "New Zealand is a nation that takes its birds seriously, and it’s got very special ones. The country’s currency is adorned with images of winged species found nowhere else. The logo of the national air force is stamped with the famed kiwi. But many of those birds and other native wildlife are under assault from species that showed up with settlers to the island nation 200 years ago. On Monday, Prime Minister John Key announced that, generations after they came, the invaders would have to go. New Zealand has adopted the 'ambitious goal' of eradicating its soil of rats, possums, stoats and all other invasive mammals by 2050."

 

When in wonderful New Zealand, we clearly sense that this nation was worried and on-guard for invasive predators. They view that these foreign creatures have "surpassed poaching and deforestation as the biggest threat to New Zealand’s wildlife". This article has these added details and background: "New Zealand already spends about $40 million a year on invasive species eradication programs, and it’s cleared more than one-third of its 220 islands of predators. But Key suggested Monday that the traps, airdropped poison and fencing already in use haven’t been cutting it. He said $2.3 billion had been devoted to the new plan, some of which would go to a new public-private partnership that would come up with new technologies to defeat the enemies."

 

There is more in this highly-detailed story about how there are challenges as to how NZ people do not like the use of rat poisons to deal with this challenge, nor efforts to limit the numbers of cats.

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/07/25/new-zealand-plans-to-kill-every-weasel-rat-and-feral-cat-on-its-soil/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_animalia-newzealand-240pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 150,479 views for this posting.

Cheers Terry,

Good for NZ, I wish them all the luck, they will need it. I just hope they don't swim the ditch and come here instead.:D

Great idea, take a miracle to achieve it.

Stoats, another introduced species, are a worse problem in the NZ bush.

If anyone is interested, read up about the pest eradication program on Macquarie Island.

 

Here is an overview:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/macquarie-island-once-ruled-by-rabbits-is-saved-by-the-dogs/news-story/903fb81b589d5882e7466168f1deadbf

 

If you have children aged 8-16 there is a brilliant book called One Small Island which they might enjoy (if they're into conservation). It is by Alison Lester.

Edited July 26, 2016 by CupcakeSusie

If anyone is interested, read up about the pest eradication program on Macquarie Island.

 

Here is an overview:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/macquarie-island-once-ruled-by-rabbits-is-saved-by-the-dogs/news-story/903fb81b589d5882e7466168f1deadbf

 

If you have children aged 8-16 there is a brilliant book called One Small Island which they might enjoy (if they're into conservation). It is by Alison Lester.

 

Cheers, they are doing some great work there.:D

South Georgia (near Antarctica) has the most successful rat eradication program on the planet.

 

They have no trees or even bushes, so the rats, and mice, introduced in the whaling days and brought a few birds to be on the brink on extinction.

 

The program run over many years is done a helicopter drop of specially developed pellets (that the rats love and take back to their nests to eat - and therefore die underground which reduces secondary kills) spread by a specially developed spinner.

Then every cave, overhang, shed, peice of machinery...."out house, dog house" etc had to be hand pelleted.

 

They have had the advantage of have glaciers to stop animal migration but have almost got rid of the little beasts.

 

It's been a long and expensive program but the humans and therefore the environment is winning. So very exciting.

 

After being to South Georgia - which is even more amazing and important then Galapagos Islands - I was happy to contribute by sponsoring a few hectares of land!

 

(I did a huge live blog with lots of photos of South Georgia and Antarctica if you are interested http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2342959 )

 

Raina

Edited July 27, 2016 by AussieVisi2r

Great news with some of the programs working so well. The program that is using the dogs to guard the penguins and other birds from introduced species is working well also.

South Georgia (near Antarctica) has the most successful rat eradication program on the planet. They have no trees or even bushes, so the rats, and mice, introduced in the whaling days and brought a few birds to be on the brink on extinction. Raina

 

CupcakeSusie: If anyone is interested' date=' read up about the pest eradication program on [b']Macquarie Island[/b].

 

MicCanberra: Cheers Terry' date=' Good for NZ, I wish them all the luck, they will need it. I just [b']hope they don't swim the ditch[/b] and come here instead.

 

Appreciate this varied and additional information. Had kind of forgotten "the history" for how those pesky rats got their on various ships for way back in the "old days". Good info for what happened in South Georgia, etc.

 

Fun comment, as always, from MicCanberra!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 201,328 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Terry - Dingoes are being introduced to Pelorus Island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area to eradicate several hundred feral goats that are eating out the vegetation.

On local news this week.

Terry - Dingoes are being introduced to Pelorus Island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area to eradicate several hundred feral goats that are eating out the vegetation.

On local news this week.

Yes, I think it is a great idea although the RSPCA (animal protection group) don't agree and think it is both cruel to the goats and then the dingoes (they will be terminated within 2 years due to a slow release poison).

Yes, I think it is a great idea although the RSPCA (animal protection group) don't agree and think it is both cruel to the goats and then the dingoes (they will be terminated within 2 years due to a slow release poison).

 

Interesting efforts with the goats and dingoes. BUT, yes, things get "complicated" with the dingoes getting "terminated" by some slow release poison. Not a pretty or nice thing to be considering and discussing, etc.

 

THANKS for the added background! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 40,720 views for these postings.

I seem to recall that there is a small island off the coast of Norfolk Island that has been revegitated following the eradication of rabbits. It's 8 years since we visited Norfolk so my memory is a little hazy.

I seem to recall that there is a small island off the coast of Norfolk Island that has been revegitated following the eradication of rabbits. It's 8 years since we visited Norfolk so my memory is a little hazy.

 

Here it is , different to the Phillip Island near Melbourne.

http://www.pestsmart.org.au/phillip-island-rabbit-eradication/

Yes, I think it is a great idea although the RSPCA (animal protection group) don't agree and think it is both cruel to the goats and then the dingoes (they will be terminated within 2 years due to a slow release poison).

 

Sometimes by introducing an animal to control another it can set off a chain reaction that was not intended.:eek:

Sometimes by introducing an animal to control another it can set off a chain reaction that was not intended.:eek:

 

Like Cane Toads :eek::eek:

Watched this about dingo trial, eradicating goats Nth Queensland.

Of course there was no mention of the dogs being implanted with a slow release 1080 poison.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-28/rspca-seeks-to-stop-dingo-cull-of-feral-goats-on-barrier-reef/7668268

 

nd then scrolled back and saw Mic had already mentioned it.

Edited July 29, 2016 by mrs and mrs

I suppose there is a very thin line between protecting some species and eradicating others and what method is best.

I can send some of our local red bellied black snakes over to NZ. IMO, the only good snake is a dead snake.

Edited July 29, 2016 by NSWP