The technology behind plans for a predator-free New Zealand

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

Possums may one day be a relic of New Zealand's history.

Deadly toxins, genetic intervention and poison falling from the sky – the quest to purge New Zealand of predators may involve an arsenal of tools befitting James Bond.

Scientists say getting communities on board with new predator control methods is vital, as some could be controversial.

The Government on Monday announced its target to eradicate all of New Zealand's predators by 2050.

It included a $28 million investment over the next four years and the formation of a company dedicated to finding private backers.

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Some of that investment would be used for research – an announcement welcomed by scientists already working on world-leading solutions to the predator problem.

'We currently don't have the tools to do it, but we're on the path to developing a whole lot of new tools which could,' scientist Dr Elaine Murphy said.

At Lincoln University, she worked on the 'Spitfire' – a tree-mounted trap that sprays a toxic paste at a predator, which they consume through grooming.

It could be used 100 times before it needed re-filling.

For the predator-free project to succeed, scientists would move cautiously, Murphy said.

'It has to be socially acceptable, otherwise it just won't happen. There's a whole variety of tools, and that's why there will be a whole lot of consultation with communities and iwi.

'We're on the cusp of a really exciting time and there is real potential. We just need to grab it and run with it.'

Aerial drops of 1080 poison, the most common method for widespread predator control, have been controversial in some places.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said on Monday that 1080 would still be used.

Advancements in monitoring and trapping were under way in Canterbury, and could lessen the reliance on aerial poison drops.

A monitoring device developed by Lincoln Agritech Ltd, named 'Paws,' uses an electronic trackpad to identify predators based on a footprint.

It could be integrated into traps; a future device could identify a predator, kill it using the appropriate method, and alert the user with a text message all at once.

'The technology is quite advanced now. We think [predator free] is a great opportunity to be able to bring the technology advancements we've made and put it back into the New Zealand ecosystem,' said Lincoln Agritech Ltd scientist Dr Kenji Irie.

The Canterbury-designed Cacophony Project uses thermal cameras to automatically identify predators.

Through a digital device, it attracts them with a sound or video lure, and sprays them with poison.

The Government's pest free target was set partly because of such scientific progress, which made a once 'unattainable dream' possible, said science and innovation minister Steven Joyce.

Scientists were encouraged to make progress through the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, a national research partnership to improve biodiversity.

Methods being investigated by scientists through the challenge included genetic intervention, deadly toxins designed for certain species and ultra-effective ways to lure predators into traps, challenge director Dr Andrea Byrom said.

As New Zealand trailed the path to full predator eradication, the use of powerful technology could become an impediment if not used carefully.

'For example, getting general community agreement is probably the major impediment at this stage to doing an eradication on Stewart Island,' Massey University professor of conservation biology Doug Armstrong said.

'This may actually become more of an issue as new technologies develop.

'[T]here are very promising genetic technologies that may appear quite scary and be difficult to implement due to lack of public support.'