New Zealand's government announced Monday the country's goal to be predator free by 2050.
“Rats, possums and stoats kill 25 million of our native birds every year, and prey on other native species such as lizards and, along with the rest of our environment, we must do more to protect them,” Prime Minister John Key said in a statement.
Key said one of the greatest threats to wildlife are the introduced predators, and they also threaten the economy with a cost of about $3.3 billion a year.
These species kill 25 million native birds a year, including the national bird, the Kiwi. Approximately 20 Kiwi die per week, according to government estimates, the Independent reported.
The government has pledged $28 million in initial funds for a company, Predator Free New Zealand, to head up the initiative. The funding is in addition to more than $60 million spent on pest control in the island nation annually.
Rob Fenwick, the chair of Predator Free New Zealand and an advocate for pest eradication, said it would allow a military-level response to the issue for the first time, the New Zealand Herald reported.
"It's a real game-changer. We've been killing predators now for decades and in the past it's been quite an un-strategic approach to this campaign," Fenwick told the Herald.
