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The Million Dollar Mouse Campaign to raise sufficient non-governmental funds to eradicate the introduced House Mice Mus musculus of New Zealand's Antipodes Island has now reached over one-quarter of its target, with NZ 302 680 raised by 20 April.

The instigator of the campaign, Gareth Morgan of Our Far South, has written a thoughtful opinion piece  entitled "Public-private ventures could fund protection schemes".  In it he argues that increasingly in these hard economic times the private sector will need to step up to help raise the funds that will allow governments to follow up on conservation initiatives, - such as protecting natural habitats and their native wildlife from introduced predators.

"In the post credit boom era where so many governments have overstretched and accordingly face substantially reduced choices, the direct role people can play to get public services done is greatly enhanced. Put simply, the politicians have exhausted much of their cache, they are and should be open to joint ventures with those championing specific causes directly. Having found the limits to their monopoly power to tax and borrow, governments are welcoming direct involvement by the public."

Well worth a read!

Click here to read a real-life example of how government funds in another country are becoming increasingly tight in the far south - home of most of the suite of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels, although later news paints a more cheery scenario.

See also http://www.acap.aq/latest-news/the-million-dollar-mouse-project-new-zealands-antipodes-islands-are-the-next-albatross-home-in-line-to-lose-their-introduced-rodents

With thanks to Bob Headland for information.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 April 2012