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No more rats: New Zealand to exterminate all introduced predators. Possums, stoats and other introduced pests to be killed in ‘world-first’ extermination programme unveiled by PM
No more rats: New Zealand to exterminate all introduced predators
The New Zealand government has announced a "world-first" project to make the nation predator free by 2050. The prime minister, John Key, said on Monday it would undertake a radical pest extermination programme - which if successful would be a global first - aiming to wipe out the introduced species of rats, stoats and possums nation-wide in a mere 34 years.
theguardian.com




What could possibly go wrong?
If they kill all the predators won't the prey run rampant and cause just as many problems?
The article does not really say how. I imagine stoats and possums will be relatively easy. Rats and mice must be next to impossible. Are they going to roll out rodent poison to every suburban/urban home? Good goal, considering New Zealand's unique ecology, but, I dunno, this sounds idealistic.