Maggie Barry with Nick Smith, Nathan Guy, Steven Joyce and John Key after the release of the predator free policy yesterday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Could New Zealand be 100% predator free by 2050? Conservation Minister Maggie Barry thinks so; even though New Zealand First's Richard Prosser claims that the move has the potential to be the worst unintentional ecological blunder of modern times.
Barry spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay today about the
devastation caused by introduced predators such as possums, stoats and rats and how New Zealand has no obligation to see these animals as part of our ecosystem.
Feral cats are also an issue but the general public needn't worry about their pet moggies just yet.
These pests costs New Zealand 3.3 billion dollars a year in lost productivity and Barry says it's time to rectify the mistakes we made 200 years ago when they were introduced.
You can listen to the full interview in the Soundcloud embed below:
