Animal Health Board welcomes 1080 report

The Animal Health Board (AHB) welcomes the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report on 1080.

"New Zealand relies heavily on aerial pest control to manage TB effectively and protect our access to high-value export markets, so we welcome the Commissioner's independent evaluation," said AHB Chief Executive William McCook.

"Hopefully such a comprehensive report will reassure the New Zealand public that the carefully-regulated use of biodegradable 1080 to control predatory pests such as possums is not only safe, but necessary."

The AHB uses aerial 1080 operations to control possums and other carriers of bovine tuberculosis (TB) on around 400,000 hectares of private and public land, where ground-based pest control is impractical. This represents about 20 per cent of the AHB's control work. Wild animals, particularly possums, are responsible for around 70 per cent of new herd infections in at-risk areas.

"This is the second major independent study in support of the environmental benefits and safety of 1080. Like the comprehensive reassessment undertaken by the Environmental Risk Management Authority in 2007, this document stresses the vital role the toxin plays not only in the protection of our native wildlife, but also the beef, dairy and deer industry, worth more than $12 billion a year to our economy," said Mr McCook.

"The report also reinforces the view that using 1080 to control possums for TB purposes also has spin-offs for native birds and forests."

The PCE report also recommends that the AHB is made subject to the Official Information Act (OIA).

"The AHB endorses the recommendation regarding the OIA. We are of the view that all those engaged in aerial toxin use in New Zealand should be subject to appropriate scrutiny," said Mr McCook.

"Transparency, regulations and professional operations are critical to continued public confidence in the use of 1080."

Notes to editors

* TB is one of the country's most serious animal health problems. Eradicating the disease from both livestock and the environment is vital to protect New Zealand's reputation for high-quality meat and dairy produce, and guarantee continued access to high-value overseas markets.

* TB-infected possum populations are present across about 40 per cent of the country and aerial 1080 accounts for some $6 million annually of the AHB's wildlife control expenditure. Nationally, the combined total aerial 1080 expenditure by all agencies and individuals is estimated at $10m-$15m - not the $100 million being quoted by some sources.

* While the AHB's main focus is to eradicate bovine TB in the wild animal population, there are acknowledged secondary benefits to native wildlife and plants. Increasingly, the AHB works in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide the 'triple hit' needed to control other imported pests, such as rats and stoats. Examples include Project Kaka in the Tararua Ranges in late 2010 and joint aerial operations in the Tongariro and Okarito kiwi sanctuaries planned for this winter.

* The AHB is a supporter of the Pest Control Education Trust - a joint initiative launched last year by Forest & Bird and Federated Farmers to help educate the public about the importance of controlling mammalian pests. The trust provides comprehensive information about how and why 1080 is used in New Zealand. Visit www.1080facts.co.nz for more information.

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