So what does it feel like to watch your animals die of 1080 poisoning?

Wayne Fairhall of Kaiata never wants to be put through that experience again. The experience of arriving home to find dead deer with blood and foam around their mouths, scattered through his paddocks, and his partner holding a deer as it died, screaming in agony.

KAKA has reports like this one called Rains on Farm and some fascinating correspondence with the Animal Health Board about how 1080 poison drops threaten the livelihoods of a wide range of people who depend on tourism in the Karamea region.

It's ironic that even after a debacle like the one in Kaiata, where it is obvious that 1080 kills any unfortunate animal that accidentally eats it, the AHB refuses to acknowledge that it places birdlife at risk.

Does that make sense to you?

Pure and natural New Zealand - yes, well, maybe not

Dropping poison from the sky is an indiscriminate form of pest control. How is anyone supposed to control where it ends up, and what eats it?

1080 baits regularly fall in rivers and streams and are eaten by animals such as koura (freshwater crayfish) and eels. Animals that have consumed 1080 sometimes die and decompose in the water, or are eaten by other animals.

Contaminated water washes over watercress which grows down the sides of streams. These foods are regularly harvested by Maori, who also use this water for their water supply. And trampers and tourists unwittingly wash and drink from these streams without knowing that one of the most 'banned' poisons in the world is in there.

1080 poison safety instructions state clearly that the poison is lethal and that poisoned animals should be buried or removed so that there is no risk of further contamination or secondary poisoning. Photos of dead animals in waterways prove that no one takes this requirement seriously.

Surely a department that is devoted to conservation should be focused on preserving the wellbeing of our wildlife, our waterways, and our wilderness areas. Not on poisoning it.

Spread the word - any way you can

From Created images

It's easy to get frustrated in this campaign. We've been fighting against 1080 for a long time, but we are making progress, and we appreciate all that you do in your work to get 1080 banned in New Zealand. For those of you who are new and want ideas on how to help

• write a letter to the editor
• add your comments on online forums
• sign petitions
• stage protests
• wear an anti-1080 t-shirt
• write to John Key
• talk to friends about it
• turn up to public meetings
• join support networks
• pay for an advert where everyone will see it ...

If everyone uses their skills and does their part, no matter how small, we will win this battle against 1080.

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." Edmund Burke

A tribute to animals killed by 1080

If you have photos of animal victims of 1080 that you would like to include on our slideshow, please email them to thegrafboys@xtra.co.nz

Poisoning Paradise documentary screens 6 Feb 2009

From Poisoning Paradise

To think it all comes from a dilapidated house in Alabama.

85% of the world's production ends up here in New Zealand.

It gets scattered over our beautiful national parks in the form of carrot and cereal baits. It's meant for the possums, but it's irresistible to everything that moves, from insects, dogs and goats, to deer, horses and sheep. Worst of all, native birds are dying for a taste too - kea, weka, kiwi, robins, fantails - and the substance that is supposed to improve their habitat, is actually killing them.

Know what we're talking about yet?

Three hundred and fifty people came to Hokitika from all over New Zealand to watch our preview screening of Poisoning Paradise - Ecocide in New Zealand, a new documentary about the use of 1080 in New Zealand. Most of the viewers already knew that animals die slow, painful deaths from eating 1080 dropped from the sky. But people were surprised to see

- how many animals are dying (It is calculated 100's of dogs, and over 10,000 deer - annually)
- that endangered animals are dying (1000's of native species, annually)
- that pets and domesticated animals are regular victims
- that the operators, and authorities, cover it up

It's gut-wrenching to hear farmers describing their animals as they die excruciating deaths. But when the same people say that the authorities will pay compensation for their animals as long as they write on the invoice that it is for track maintenance or stock feed, it's sickening.

The general public need to see this documentary. Spread the news. It's time to get rid of 1080 once and for all.