Forest & Bird warn: without 1080, the forests will fall silent

Reprinted with permission of ACP Media. NZ Lifestyle Block May 2007 Issue 36

Image: Forest and Bird stress the importance of 1080.

As the debate over the use of 1080 poison rages on, Forest and Bird and Federated Farmers have jointly endorsed its continued use.

“It’s this simple: if we don’t continue to use 1080 to control pests, we run the risk that in 20 years most of our forests will fall silent,” warns Helen Bain on behalf of Forest and Bird and Federated Farmers.

She says the fact that both Forest and Bird and Federated Farmers of New Zealand have jointly endorsed the benefits of 1080 shows that this is more than just an environmental issue.

“But for us, the threat to our wildlife and forests is the key concern. If we want to avoid some of our most special native species like the kiwi, the kakariki and the blue duck joining the ranks of the huia, the moa and too many others that have already become extinct, we must reject the scare-mongering over 1080 and look to the scientific evidence that shows that continued use of 1080 offers the best chance of survival our unique New Zealand species have.

“Introduced animal pests – mainly possums, stoats, rats and deer – are the key threat to our native forests and animals. Already they have been the main factor in the extinction of many of our birds, and the continued decimation of many native plant and animal species through predation and damage to forest habitats.

Without the most efficient and cost-effective system of pest control, we cannot hold back the tide of pests – and the impact on our native wildlife would be devastating.

Ms Bain says 1080 has been used to control pests in New Zealand since the 1950s.

“Over the last 30 years extensive monitoring of bird populations following 1080 application has shown that 1080 is highly effective in reducing pest numbers, and bird numbers rapidly increase following 1080 operations. Time after time, the research has shown native bird populations – robins, kiwi, kaka, kokako and many more - thriving once the key threat of pests has been effectively reduced by use of 1080.”

In contrast, she says, bounties have been used in the past in attempts to control pests, and have been proven to be ineffective.

“From 1951-1961 a bounty equivalent to two shillings and sixpence a possum was offered – equivalent to $13 a possum in today’s terms – yet throughout that decade possum numbers continued to grow.

The bounty encouraged possum ‘farming’ in areas that were easy to reach – the forest fringes, while possums in the millions of hectares of our rugged back country remained unscathed. The Department of Conservation estimates that a bounty system on possums would double the cost of pest control and would still be much less efficient in controlling pests.”

She says bounties also fail to deal with other pest species such as rats, which 1080 can effectively control.

“During recent ‘mast years’ in South Island beech forests, when the forests produce unusually high levels of seed, rat numbers have reached plague proportions.”

The ensuing predation of endangered species such as the mohua [yellowhead] and kakariki by rats would have risked pushing the birds into extinction if it had not been for the use of 1080 [among other pest control tools]. A bounty on rats would clearly be unfeasible.

“The survival of our native birds and forests is not the only thing at stake – effective control of possums and other pests which are munching their way through millions of tonnes of forest vegetation each year may also be crucial to reducing our net greenhouse gas emissions.Halting the destruction of existing forests has potential to greatly contribute to New Zealand reaching the goal of carbon neutrality.”

Ms Bain warns that farming exports could also be under threat if the protection of 1080 is removed.

“Possums are the main ‘vector’ by which tuberculosis spreads among cattle herds. Over the last decade of intensive possum control using 1080, bovine tuberculosis rates have fallen by more than 90 percent and New Zealand is on target to become Tb-free.”

If the Tb eradication programme were to stop, the cost to our export industries has been estimated at $5 billion over 10 years.

“Introduced animal pests – mainly possums, stoats, rats and deer – are the key threat to our native forests and animals. Already they have been the main factor in the extinction of many of our birds, and the continued decimation of many native plant and animal species through predation and damage to forest habitats. Without the most efficient and cost-effective system of pest control, we cannot hold back the tide of pests – and the impact on our native wildlife would be devastating.”

print