Please find attached Ban1080 Press release. We need to get 500 members a.s.a.p. so we can democratically elect an
Executive, and candidates to contest General Election. www.ban1080.co.nz has Constitution and joining page online.
The point we’re trying to make is that DOC’s Battle for the Birds wants to aerially 1080 poison 700,000 hectares (area
same as Taranaki) based on a supposed South Island beech mast (seeding)leading to increased stoat predation on native
birds.
I have attached DOC’s own science papers which show
- beech mast doesn’t happen like that
- DOC’s lack of science on native bird species
- DOC’s scientists own caution on poisoning
- article about new poison which can target small mammals being trialled in Australia
I believe the indiscriminate spreading of 1080, much of it this year into areas that have never been poisoned before,
and where there is anecdotal evidence of significant bird numbers, needs to be discussed, also the absolute terrifying
cruelty of the means of killing for these native birds and the introduced mammals.
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BAN1080 PRESS RELEASE
DOC’s Battle for the Birds plans to spread a deadly inhumane poison called 1080 over 700,000 hectares of New Zealand’s
wilderness over coming months, in response to a possible heavy beech seeding over most South Island forests, which DOC
believes will lead to an increase in predators on native birds.
However DOC’s own Science and Research Division paper published March 2010 says “Predicting the frequency of predation
cycles based on mast years may not be possible, as the periodicity of full beech mast appears to vary between beech
species, latitudes and altitudes, and in different climatic conditions”
DOC’s own Nov 2010 Forest Bird mortality paper records 19 native bird species have had corpses test positive for 1080
after aerial operations, 11 of those native species have not had the poisoning risk quantified.
Of 322 aerial 1080 operations in ten years to 2008, only 15 involved observations with banded or radio carrying birds,
only 25% of surveys included an untreated control area and none took advantage of latest Before/After Control/Impact
survey design.
DOC’s Nov 2013 Principles Based Decision Tree advises DOC planners to pause for reflection before exposing Nationally
Endangered bird species to aerial 1080.
Vast areas of the planned 1080 drop have never been assessed for what bird species and populations are present, some of
these previously un-poisoned areas have anecdotal accounts of significant bird populations.
Add to this the indiscriminate nature of the poison, the 8-24 hours for birds and up to 4 days for mammals, to die a
terrifying struggling cruel death, the potential risk to human health, and the risks to our tourism and export markets,
a political party is being formed in response. Visit the web-site www.ban1080.co.nz
Authorised by Dave Hector - Ban1080 Party Secretary 16th May 2014 , P O Box 712 Nelson 7040