SPCA invites The Graf Boys to speak to their inspectors

Steve and I were invited by the SPCA to do a presentation for the North Island Inspectors and Centre Management Workshop 2010 conference held in Taupo, which covered Saturday and Sunday. We used a PowerPoint presentation, photos, and also showed the first 15 minutes of Poisoning Paradise, which included some of the animal welfare issues. About 70 inspectors from across the North Island, and a couple visiting from Australia, attended the 90 minute presentation.

Anti-1080 Taupo mayor Rick Cooper was also present, and addressed the crowd. The overall presentation went well, with a good number of the inspectors showing genuine interest and concern. It was interesting to note that only about 10% of the inspectors had seen Poisoning Paradise. Rick Cooper offered to have copies of Poisoning Paradise duplicated and supplied to the inspectors. As a result of this opportunity, I believe we will start to see more action from SPCA.

We later listened to a presentation from visiting American forensic scientist and entomologist (insects) Dr. Jason Byrd, who is also a member of the American SPCA. He investigates crime scene forensic cases, and is employed by a university in Florida, I think he said. He appeared on TVone's Closeup tonight. He showed similar concern to the aerial use of 1080 as Dr's Pat and Quinn Whiting-Okeefe, and other scientists and experts, in regard to dropping food, laced with poison, into an ecosystem.

Dr Byrd has agreed to be interviewed for the new doco we are working on, due for release next year.
He raised similar concerns to the late Mike Meads (who was also an entomologist), in regard to the Krebs cycle and how the Krebs cycle is a process used by most organisms. Even the ones that break 1080 down. He suggested that when the 1080 is broken down it is possibly changed into some other toxic entity.

Dr Byrd pointed out that our native koura, among other things, will most likely be affected, and killed by 1080, if enough is eaten - whereas our DoC denies 1080 harms koura. DoC claims koura can eat 1080, and just pass it out with no harm being done. We dispute this, and believe it should be researched further, as where koura are present, they are poisoned in all streams 3 metres in width and under, on all aerial drops where cereal bait is used. They are also a food source for other animals and fish.

Dr Byrd also pointed out that plants have a Krebs cycle, and depending on dose, could be negatively affected by up taking 1080. (Once again, depending on dose) This could translate into poor flowering, or growth for example. Admittedly DoC have continued to drop their application doses more and more over recent years. I believe this is because they have still not been able to find benefit, and only harm is being realised. I think when DoC get to the stage where they go so light in dose, that they aren't actually dropping the poison at all - is when they will find benefit.

After all, up until the 80's, when 1080 had never been used over much of the country, and even when wild animal numbers were high, and had been so for many years, the forests were in a far better state than they are now, including higher presence of bird numbers, and species - when compared to areas where 1080 has been repeatedly used.

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