Scale and complexity implications of making New Zealand predator-free by 2050

The goal to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050 has drawn strong praise and criticism, but these critiques have focused largely on economic or technological feasibility of long-term large-scale eradication. We suggest that achieving this goal is not a simple ‘scaling-up’ of current eradication efforts, but requires enduring co-ordination and integration of research, management and societal elements if a predator-free goal is to become a reality.