Insect Losses Symptomatic of Ailing Environment

Insect Losses Symptomatic of Ailing Environment

Insect and other wildlife population declines are evidence of an ailing environment and struggling ecosystem says the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations, (CORANZ).

CORANZ co-chairman Bill Benfield of Martinborough said the disappearance of a number of insects was a strong and urgent warning that chemicals used in widely varying forms were crippling the ecosystem to which humans unavoidably were part of.He said approvals were often granted by authorities like the Environmental Protection Authority with little more than a cursory glance.

“But these chemicals can have side effects which manifest themselves in adversely affecting insect and vertebrate populations,” he said.

tHe discussion was sparked by Fairfax’s science columnist who said blowflies, moths, mayflies and many other species of insects were disappearing. The columnist suggested german wasps had decimated many insects - even blowflies - in the back-country. He also mentioned that residues of DDT banned decades ago, still persisted.

Bill Benfield cited a chemical diazinon the replacement for DDT, which was used to combat grass grub and in combating insects on crops. However Oregon’s State University said "Diazinon is very highly toxic to birds, bees and most other insects--diazinon is moderately toxic to fish and amphibians.”

Bill Benfield said at a Landcorp farm at Cape Foulwind, dead mallard ducks were found to have diazinon residues. The incident which was known to Fish and Game, seemed to be "hushed up”. The toxin 1080 aerially scattered by the Department of Conservation and TBFreeNZ to combat animal “ sets” such as rats and possums was also a wide ranging chemical in its killing.

"Initially developed as an insecticide, it kills all other life, e.g. animals and birds,” said Bill Benfield.

He quoted a study (McIntosh et al) which recorded 16,000 bee deaths from a very small quantity of 1080 jam bait.

"Aerially scattered by government agencies, it must annihilate countless insects including bees vital for pollination.”

Another outdoors organisation the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers” also commented on chemicals in the environment and the impact on the natural environment.

Spokesman Ken Sims of Palmerston North said observant trout anglers had expressed concern at the disappearance of mayfly and caddis sedge hatches on rivers with the subsequent loss of the trout’s evening rise.

"In a few words we strongly suspect, the ecosystem is under attack from Man and his shortsighted use of chemicals in various forms,” said Ken Sims.

Asked about the chemical diazinon known as Dew 600, he said NuFarm’s website described it as “Eco-toxic".

NuFarm’s description said Dew 600 was “very toxic to aquatic organisms —toxic to the soil environment --- to terrestrial vertebrates and terrestrial invertebrates. Very toxic to bees.”

The Federation of Freshwater Anglers was naturally concerned not only at Dew 600’s “very toxic to aquatic organisms” but also the wider implications to the total ecosystem, aquatic and terrestrial said Ken Sims.

Trout anglers had also noted declines in freshwater eels, koura, frogs, invertebrates and other aquatic life.

“It’s all symptomatic of an ailing environment,” he said.

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