Anti-1080 lobby challenges park drop

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 549, 16 August 1994, Page 1

Anti-1080 lobby challenges park drop

Department of Conservation Officer John Lough is disappointed that misinformation is being spread about the proposed 1080 poison drop in areas of the Tongariro National Park. DoC, in association with the ManawatuWanganui Regional Council, propose to make an aerial drop of 9500kg granular bait over an area of around 1900 hectares in both the park and selected farmland to eradicate possums in these areas. Last week's drop was delayed due to bad weather - Mr Lough said they need a run of three fine days and nights for the drop to be of maximum effectiveness. Anonymous flyer An annonymous flyer being circulated in Ohakune township states that the poison can contaminate the town's water supply and get into local waterways, poisoning fish life. While not denying that 1080 is a toxic poison if ingested by humans, Mr Lough said that

meticulous preparation employed for the drop ensures that the chances of humans coming in contact with the bait is extremely remote. Buffered regions include a corridor on either side of the Ohakune Mountain Road, and in the vicinity of the town's water supply. He said both these regions will be trapped by hand to ensure maximum safety. Mr Lough said an adult would have to swallow at least 20 baits to become seriously ill, if in the remote possibility the baits are ingested. The round bait, in pollard (granular) form are a distincti ve bright green, approximately 4.5mm thick and 15mm in diameter, and weigh around 4.5g. To the accusation of poisoning local recreational rivers, Mr Lough said that previous operations, where water was tested after the drop, found no traces of 1080 poison to be present. He said DoC has taken advice from the medi-

cal officer of health and will be testing several areas, including the Ohakune water supply intake (altough it is not included in the drop zone), immediately after the drop then again after a three centimetre rainfall. Experiments concerning the effect of 1080 poison on trout showed that fingerlings forcefed the granules metabolised the compound and excreted it in the form of harmless acetic acid (vinegar) and sodium chloride (salt). A press release from the department stated that: 1080 is a naturally occurring poison found in the leaves and seeds of a number of Australian and South African plants; 1080 is water soluble and will be washed from baits by rainfall and is then readily broken down in water and soil by a number of common bacteria, fungi and algae, which are able to use it as food; soils have been tested after 1 080 operations and no traces of the Turn to Page 2

1 080 debate

FROMPAGEl chemical have been detected; waterways tested following aerial 1080 drops show no evidence of contamination, despite test equipment being sensitive enough to detect one part per billion. The release said the Department of Conservation is concerned with protecting wildlife and native forests from the irrevocable damage caused by possums. As well as carrying the disease bovine tuberculosis, possums cause serious damage to native forests, agricultural land and wildlife. They eat the eggs of native birds, including kiwi, kokako and kereru. DoC staff said they are happy to talk to anyone about the various methods of possum control including the use of 1080 poison.