A charity will set 1500 stoat traps on Auckland's Waiheke Island on Monday.
Waiheke Island. Photo: RNZ / Nita Blake-Persen
It is part of plans by Te Korowai O Waiheke, or Towards a Predator Free Waiheke, to eradicate all predators on the island.
Project director Mary Frankham said they were not sure how many stoats are on Waiheke, but that even one could be devastating to native birds and insects.
"It's an eradication project. So it's really about getting the last one," she said.
"The wildlife on Waiheke will feel the difference fairly quickly."
The traps will be live until December 2021, followed by a two-year results monitoring programme.
Te Korowai O Waiheke is also planning a separate rat eradication programme, Ms Frankham said.