27th April 2019

The Department of Conservation are hiding behind a brave face after the revaluation that two (or 4) of 11 radio monitored kea were killed during this months 1080 drop in the Whataroa valley in South Westland.

Alan Simmons, co-leader and President of the NZ Outdoors Party said "That is a shocking figure. This valley had a thriving kea population estimated to be around 100 before the aerial poisoning. If the monitored kea are representative, 30 of our endangered kea could have been killed.

The dead kea that were recovered were adult breeding females. These birds are long living - with a similar lifespan to humans - and slow breeding, so losses like this devastate the kea population and are completely unsustainable" he said.

Alan, the author of "Born To The Outdoors" recalled the days before 1080 when kea were a pest in the high country while rats plagued back country huts. 1080 has killed an average of over 12% monitored kea and sometimes half the monitored population. Now kea are endangered and on the brink of becoming extinct. The loss of habitat is a serious enough threat without our government recklessly poisoning our iconic birds in the name of conservation.

"I urge the government to act responsibly and place an immediate moratorium.on any further aerial 1080 poison operations in kea habitat" says Alan. "They are supposed to protect kea for future generations. Their strategy has failed. They must now be honest, admit this and take immediate steps to stop further massacres of kea before they are all gone. "

END

© Scoop Media