Kea not the only ones at risk from 1080, we all are! The Kiwi Party
Press Release
July 31, 2008

Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock reiterated the party’s resolve to end the aerial application of 1080 as means of possum control.

Mr Baldock said that the response given yesterday in the House by the Minister of Conservation to the serious questions raised by Gordon Copeland MP was woeful. Mr Copeland was responding to reports that seven kea died in the Fox Glacier area after eating 1080 poison which had been dropped from the air by DOC and said that the department needed to be reminded that the killing of kea and other native birds in New Zealand is illegal.

“The Ministers claim that it was acceptable for DOC to break the law simply because they didn’t mean to kill the birds is ludicrous. I am sure that neither the department nor the police would show similar mercy to any poor hunter that accidentally and unintentionally killed a native bird.

“This method of pest control must stop now. I am still trying to comprehend the announcement by ERMA earlier this year that 1080 is a necessary evil that must be permitted in this country. They probably maintained that was the case when they used Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Minister further confirmed her ignorance of the real dangers of 1080 when she stated that it broke down safely in water. The tests done to confirm that were carried out with water at 21 degrees C. Perhaps she could please advise which of NZ rivers are flowing at that nice warm toasty temperature so we can all go and have a hot swim completely safe from 1080 poisoning, said Mr Baldock.

"Furthermore there is anecdotal evidence from pig hunters that after a 1080 drop they observe an unusually high number of barren wild sows which could indicate the affect of 1080 has on the reproductive cycle of mammals. This also deserves full investigation." he said.

ENDS

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