Farmers in possum battle, like it or not

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 457, 13 October 1992, Page 1

Farmers in possum battle, like it or not

While bovine tuberculosis is not a serious threat to human health, its presence in some New Zealand meat could be used as a non-tariff trade barrier and that is why millions of dollars are to be spent on boosting the battle against possums. That was part of the message brought to a meeting of Federated Farmers held at the Waimarino RSA hall in Raetihi last week. Animal Health Board

chairman Richard Alspach told the meeting of around 50 people that the campaign needed the co-oper-ation of all farmers if it were to succeed. A proposed TB control programme which would be brought into effect from 1 July next year, would see the doubling of possum control work to reduce the likelihood of reinfestation, and more work on stock movement controls from endcmic areas. Hcrds that showed

TB to be present would be 'white-tagged'. "This would certainly lead to discounting of white tagged animals," said Mr Alspach. "And that would be a strong incentive for a farmer to come off movement control." Farmers outside endemic areas were 'pouring money' into those areas and wanted to see a retum for that money in the form of TB and possum control. "It is vital for the farm-

ing community not to pit farmer against farmer," said Mr Alspach. "It is important that farmers downstream of the buffer zones should not be concemed that the buffer zone farmers are not playing the game, and of equal concern is for the buffer- zone farmers to be sure their concerns aboul the programme are being met." The Waimarino is in the front line of the battle, beTurn to page 2

Possum battle

From page 1 ing a part of one of the five large TB endemic areas of the country and having a buffer zone through its southern bushlands. The buffer zone is a five kilometre strip cleared of possums, which provides an easy habitat for possums migrating south. The idea is that they will stop there and not move on to infect clear areas with TB. The Animal Health Board decided where the boundaries were for the endemic areas, using information from MAF. The boundaries were based on a risk factor of 10 cattle per 10,000. Some areas such as the Ruatiti Valley showed a risk factor less than that but were encompassed by the Central North Island endemic area. Waimarino Federated Farmers president John McCarthy said local farmers were to be penalised by a line drawn on a map. He said stock values and then farm values would drop. Mr Alspach said a group of neighbouring farmers could get together and work to clear their area of TB and possums, then they could work as a group, selling guaranteed TB free cattle. "You could reschedule

your free TB test to coincide with a stock sale." He said there would be strong incentive for farmers to look after their own areas, to avoid being put on movement control. 1080 nightmares Debated at the meeting was the potential trade problems from using 1080 poison to combat possums. Some present felt the threat to the New Zealand meat trade brought about by ihe use of 1080 poison, which is banned in many western nations, could be worse than the TB threat. "I have nightmares about the huge use of 1080 poison in this country," said one man present. "I have nightmares about if we didn't have 1080," said Mr Alspach. "If we lost the use of 1080 we would have a huge problem." The threat to farm dogs from eating poisoned possum carcasses was also a fear. Mr Alspach said the board was aware of the 1080 concems but that it was by far the most effective and safest poison available. He said all other methods studied were not effective, or also had potential consumer-resis-tance problems. He cited gin traps which were now banned in many countries.

He said 1080 was banned in some countries because they had large numbers of native predators that ate poisoned carcasses. Mr Alspach said it was true there could be a problem 1080 use in markets later, but that the TB problem was happening now. He said by the time the TB problem was contained hopefully an altemative to 1080 would be found. Some farmers asked why the programme used 1080 exclusively and why farmers could not choose to do their own possum control, using other methods. Peter Nelson, a consultant to the Animal Health Board, said the programme had to have the confidence of all farmers and they could not afford to risk it using untried methods, especially in the buffer zones. In safe areas, such as well insidc endemic areas, there could be scope for trials of other methods. "My advice is to use any means possible to blow away possums," said a T aumarunui farmer. "Use Taskforce Green, farmer control, 1080, hassle the Department of Conservation to do something about their land - do the lot."