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.

CLICK HERE TO SEE US BILL TO BAN 1080

Taupo mayor declares war - and a visit to the drop zone

Taupo mayor Rick Cooper has declared war on the 1080 industry.
Click here THE MAYOR WHO DECLARED WAR to read the Sunday Star Times full, 2 page story in yesterday's paper.

10 days ago, 60,000 hectares of forestry, bordering lake Taupo, were aerially applied with compound 1080 poison.

Steve, myself and Taupo mayor Rick Cooper, yesterday visited one of the forests.
The question the Mayor was asking was - Why was the use of aircraft required to indiscriminately spread the deadly toxin across the forests? - Their water runoff flows into Lake Taupo! The terrain is flat, to rolling, and is comprehensively dissected with
roads and tracks. Mr Cooper believes the forestry should have been managed by using professional ground based trappers, hunters, and the use of bait stations.
It was only about 3 years ago that the forestry was aerially poisoned.

During the 6 hours we spent in the block, we found only 1 dead possum.

It is common for us to find more non-target species than target (possums and rats), in areas poisoned with 1080.

Time was spent both driving the roads, and searching in the pine blocks.

Two months ago, when visiting the block, several deer were seen, and the sign of deer throughout the area, was common.

However, after comprehensively searching and driving the block yesterday, not a single fresh sign of deer was seen, not even foot prints.

This suggests the Sika deer living in the area have been poisoned.

5 dead rabbits were found. They had been scavenged, probably by hawks or falcon, given that the drop is meant to have killed any rats. No dead rats were found.

Although the drop took place 10 days earlier, the baits were in good order, and were still laying, clearly visible and intact, in the forest, and on the roads and tracks.

Apart from the 1 dead possum, we also found 5 rabbits - a favourite food source for hawks and falcons - which had been scavenged. 1080 causes secondary poisoning in feeders up the food chain. To allow our native bird life to be lethally, and sub-lethally poisoned, without a second thought for their welfare, is not only

grossly ignorant, but also a breach of the Animal Welfare, and Wildlife acts!

However, ignorance is a key defence for the users and supporters of 1080.

Aside from the target species, we also found 7 dead birds.

6 were finches. These are the most common birds in the forestry block.
Although finches are introduced passerines, they have similar feeding habits to some of our native and endemic passerines, and these deaths only reinforce scientific studies that have shown large numbers of native birds are poisoned in aerial operations.

1 endemic Kereru (Wood Pigeon) was also found, and It had been partly scavenged. It is common for birds, but not possums (apart from areas where kea, weka or pukeko are present), to be scavenged after they have been killed by 1080. Sometimes only a pile of feathers is all that authenticates their pre-poison existence.

In the past, Kiwi have been found dead after poisoning operations, but their deaths are often dismissed by DoC as caused by predation (rather than the possibility that they have been predated on while dying, or scavenged when killed by poisoning), so are, conveniently, not tested.

The users of 1080 - DoC, AHB, and regional councils - continue to deliberately mislead the public over their use of this poison. These bureaucracies habitually inform the public that aerial drops only take place in difficult terrain, and across inaccessible areas.

We have travelled the country, visiting many drop zones, and in most cases, the drop areas can be managed with responsible, targeted, ground control - with ease.

We congratulate Taupo mayor Rick Cooper for his stance on the irresponsible use of aerially applied 1080 poison in the Taupo district, and raising the issue of what drives this industry.

By advocating the abolition of this anti-Kiwi method of animal control - he is a true patriot!