Animal Health Board takes tuberculosis to Fieldays

Media release
10 June 2009

Animal Health Board takes tuberculosis to Fieldays

The Animal Health Board (AHB) will be talking bovine tuberculosis during Fieldays as it seeks views on the future direction for control of the disease in New Zealand.

Animal Health Board Chief Executive William McCook said some changes in tuberculosis control priorities are proposed in a discussion paper sent to cattle and deer farmers this week. The document seeks feedback on the five-year review process for the AHB’s national bovine tuberculosis strategy.

Mr McCook said, “Fieldays provides a timely opportunity for people to obtain more information about the strategy review and to question staff about our wildlife control and disease management programmes.

“While much progress has been made, tuberculosis continues to pose a threat to livestock and, by definition, can be devastating for herd owners. Possums, in particular, are known to transmit the disease to farmed cattle and deer.

“To effectively control tuberculosis, the AHB needs to sustain possum numbers at low, even levels. In places where terrain or the sheer size of an area is an issue and ground control is impractical and/or too costly aerial application of 1080 remains highly effective.”

Mr McCook stressed that 1080 has been approved by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) and its use is subject to strict regulation and controls.

He said as well as possums, the poison kills other pests, such as stoats and rats, which harm native wildlife and destroy forests.

“Aerial 1080 is used in less than 20 per cent of the AHB’s possum control operations and the vast majority of this work involves ground based methods using a range of toxins and trapping.”

“We work closely with local communities as part of our operational planning and we reinforce the message that pets and livestock need to be kept away from baited areas until the all clear is given,” he said.

The AHB will be exhibiting at Fieldays (stand K44) from 10-13 June.

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