Use of Toxin in Environmental Management
I was surprised to see a letter to the editor (The Dominion Post, July 19, 2014) from a correspondent in San Francisco about the proposed expansion of the aerial 1080 programme to kill rats and other introduced pests in New Zealand’s protected natural areas.
Maybe the correspondent is an expat New Zealander or maybe an American.
He calls the proposal “criminal” and likely to result “in an avalanche of disgust”.
Another correspondent (in the same edition) says that rats in a forest area he is familiar with are at a level 2 to 3 times higher than in previous years and that “1080 drops are essential back up” to trapping.
Sodium fluroroacetate is imported raw from the USA to make the biodegradable toxin 1080. New Zealand stands out for using about 80% of the world’s supply. Despite contention, it has been a mainstay of pest control since the 1950s.
Want to read more about why it’s used? Go to: http://www.1080facts.co.nz
Why do I take an interest? I used to work in the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Maybe the correspondent is an expat New Zealander or maybe an American.
He calls the proposal “criminal” and likely to result “in an avalanche of disgust”.
Another correspondent (in the same edition) says that rats in a forest area he is familiar with are at a level 2 to 3 times higher than in previous years and that “1080 drops are essential back up” to trapping.
Sodium fluroroacetate is imported raw from the USA to make the biodegradable toxin 1080. New Zealand stands out for using about 80% of the world’s supply. Despite contention, it has been a mainstay of pest control since the 1950s.
Want to read more about why it’s used? Go to: http://www.1080facts.co.nz
Why do I take an interest? I used to work in the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
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