Outdoor Recreation NZ

20 June 2006

Moreporks becoming 'more-porkies' as government continues to kill our envoirnment

"The Government is in cahoots with the Department of Conservation, Animal Health Board and the Regional councils, who are deliberately breaking the laws of New Zealand", said Tony Smart, Spokesperson on 1080 and Animal Control for Outdoor Recreation.

"In fact they almost seem proud of it. By choosing Sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) to poisin and kill possums, deer, goats and a host of other creatures, they are defying the law. Currently it's an offence punishable by large fines or a prison sentence to disturb, harm or kill any endangered or protected native species or bird. And yet the government and its agencies including companies and their helicopter pilots and crews who drop the poison are getting away with it. The real question is how?

"In New Zealand we're all supposed to come under the same laws. I guess that doesn't hold true for this government.

"Their claims of killing only a few birds are a nonsense the public can no longer believe. While they admit they kill some native birds they never mention what happens to the birds that hunt to live, who catch mice and rats such as Moreporks or our Native Hawk.

"When mice, rats and birds are poisoned by 1080 they don't just evaporate but grovel around being easy prey for our native hunting birds. A single dead mouse may contain enough 1080 to kill an adult dog so it is common sense that if a small native bird eats such a poisoned rat or mouse, it will have no chance of survival.

"It won't be long before our unique native hunting birds will only be seen in zoos because the Department of Conservation etc will make sure they will be extinct out in the bush."

ENDS

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