Aerial 1080

Source Author Year Title Quote
Greymouth Star 2014 Laura Mills 2014 More kea poisoned in 1080 drop “The Department of Conservation says five out of 39 monitored kea have died of poisoning during the first field study using a bird repellent in an aerial 1080 operation near Otira. DOC has been trialling repellents after a number of kea deaths from 1080 poisoning. In 2008 seven died in the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier area, and in 2011 seven more died at Okarito”
Greymouth Star 2014 Laura Mills 2014 More kea poisoned in 1080 drop “Technical advisor threats Michelle Cowell said losing five birds was “naturally disappointing”…But overall the benefits to kea populations from pest control continue to outweigh the loss of individual birds to 1080”
Greymouth Star 2014 Laura Mills 2014 More kea poisoned in 1080 drop “Since 2008, 155 kea have been monitored through ten 1080 operations, with 20 (12.9%) recorded fatalities, DOC says”
TV3News online 29/01/14 Simon Wong 2014 Expanded 1080 drop to curb ‘plague’ of rats “Dr Smith addressed detractors of the poison by saying the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the Environmental Protection Authority make plain that 1080 is safe and the only practical tool that will work” Reason must triumph prejudice about poisons when the very species that define our country at stake”. Money for the programme will be spent over the next five year out of DOC’s $335 million annual budget.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “This includes new standards to achieve effective control of stoats with all aerial 1080 operations, so that any potential kea deaths are offset by improved productivity and survival.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “A previous standard has been removed, which prevented baits from being sown in areas of low structural vegetation cover (eg alpine herb fields and tussock) above the tree line. This was intended to protect kea by keeping baits out of open areas that could be easily avoided. Subsequent kea deaths at Okarito and Otira suggest that most kea ignore 1080 pellets but a small number will find and eat them whether they are highly visible or not”. This draws into question the effectiveness of the alpine exclusion standard. At the same time, a need for predator control in alpine environments is emerging (O’Donnell 2013). Stoats and mice are prevalent predators in the alpine zone and possums are significant predators of snails.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “By designing operations to control stoats, we can reverse the decline of kea at managed sites”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Kea were re-classed from ‘Not threatened’ to “Nationally endangered” by Robertson et al. (2012); the criteria for this classification are a population estimate of 1000-5000 and an ongoing or predicted decline of 50-70% in the total population over the next 10 years due to recruitment failure. In order to prevent this failure, effective predator control is critical.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Kemp et al. (2014 [unpublished]) identified the key predators of kea using a combination of nest cameras, corpse necropsy and inference from predator density fluctuations during nest survival monitoring. Nest cameras recorded visits by stoats, possums, ship rats, house mice and weka. Stoats were identified as the predator in 3 of the 16 nest failures…Two predation events were confirmed by corpse necropsy; one death by stoat predation was confirmed by DNA analysis and the other was predated by a falcon or a stoat…control needs to take place on a landscape scale to protect kea predation by stoats”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “We have photographs of a possum appearing to kill kea chicks (DOC no date)”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “However stoats are a far more important predator, particularly following mast events when kea nest failure and predation of juveniles and adults are at their greatest.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “A total of 150 kea were monitored and 20 keas deaths resulted from consuming 1080…It is also possible that kea deaths were not detected at the other sites due to small sample size.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Half (10) of the 20 of the detected kea deaths occurred the day after 1080 pellets were sown; 6 occurred within 2-5 days and 3 occurred within 10-14 days.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “In order to make up for the few adult kea sometimes killed in aerial 1080 cereal operation, all operations should be designed to achieve stoat control”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “The Department of Conservation is working with others to develop, register and implement an effective bird repellent to prevent kea deaths at aerial 1080 cereal operations…the addition of anthrquinone…seems to be detected and avoided by rats”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “The lure must be cinnamon because all kea monitoring has followed aerial operations using this lure. We do not know how other lures would affect bait attractiveness to kea.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “We restrict the prefeed sowing rate in order to limit kea encounters with prefeed pellets. Kea consumption of prefeed pellets could increase the likelihood that kea eat toxic bait.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Can the operation be timed to comply with Standard 4 based on either (a) rat or (b) mouse density… N: …the approving manager may consider a Code exemption depending on the situation.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Standard 4: Toxic bait application can occur when either (a) or (b) are met: (a) Within 6 months prior to the operation, the tracking index for rats is 20% or higher…(b) Within 6 months prior to the operation, the tracking index for mice is 20% or higher…Stoats do not eat 1080 baits but can be poisoned when they prey on rats (and possibly mice and possums) that have taken bait.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “…toxic bait application must take place before 31st August in the post-seedfall year (i.e. Prior to kea nesting)”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Where rodent monitoring has not been done, toxic bait application can occur when the operation includes forest or tussock in a mast (seedfall) year or in the year following (post-seedfall) as determined either by seed monitoring or by expert judgment..This standard allows mast seeding to be used as a proxy for rodent density where rodent monitoring data is not available, such as for some possum operations.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Where standard 4 or 5 have not been met, aerial operations…can only proceed in kea habitat where rats can be scarce at the discretion of the manager…”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Any aerial 1080 operation in kea habitat…using 0.2% 1080 Pellets or 0.04% 1080 Pellets or 1080 carrot must be monitored for kea survival..the risk is unknown”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “The ‘performance standards to reduce kea deaths’ no longer include a standard to avoid sowing open areas above the tree line…the standard was removed for two reasons. First, kea have found and consumed toxic bait in two areas where this standard was applied…Second, the previous standard prevents application of bait in alpine and tussock areas for predator control to protect threatened alpine species like rock wren. The benefit of predator control in alpine environment could outweigh the potential non-target risk…We are planning to sow 0.15% 1080 Pellets in some open alpine areas to protect rock wren”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Do we need to comply with the ‘performance standards to ensure kea benefit from stoat control?…Any decision to exempt a DOC permission from the Code is at the discretion of the approving manager…”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “What if we plan our operation for June or July, but sustained poor weather means that we miss this deadline? The intention is to achieve stoat control prior to kea nesting…but if this deadline is still not met, the operation should proceed as early as possible.”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Operations need to occur when rodents are widespread…At Mt Arthur, the operation took place in May 2009, when rodent numbers were still climbing…Monitoring showed that the stoat irruption was not prevented…several adult kea disappeared and no kea nests were found despite extensive searches”
DoC 07/05/2014 DoC 2014 DOC code of practice for aerial 1080 in kea habitat “Effective stoat control appears more likely where rats are widespread in the operational area…The transition from prevalent to low rat densities is likely to happen somewhere between 500m and 700m in mixed forests depending on the site and season.”
National Pest Control Agencies Newsletter May 2014 2014 Battle for Our Birds “In the South Island, 23 pest control operations, covering approximately 700,000 ha of beech forest, are planned for the coming late winter and spring. If the beech mast does not reach the intensity set to trigger these operations, four operations to supplement the normal control programme are planned as a contingency…Arrangements have been made for the supply, transport and storage of the large bait quantities required, tenders have been called for helicopter and fixed wing aircraft for bait sowing, and additional or amended consents are being obtained.”
NZ J Ecology 38: 103-109 C.J. Veltman et al. 2014 A principles-based decision tree for future investigations of native New Zealand birds during aerial 1080 operations “It is not advisable to expose nationally critical or endangered birds to aerial 1080 baiting, unless evidence from trials or other sources shows the birds do not consume non-toxic baits.”
NZ J Ecology 38: 103-109 C.J. Veltman et al. 2014 A principles-based decision tree for future investigations of native New Zealand birds during aerial 1080 operations “…prefeeding with non-toxic baits was widely adopted…birds may familiarise themselves with non-toxic baits and be killed when the toxic baits are distributed…Changes in baiting methods have generally not been accompanied by remeasurements of risks for native birds”
NZ J Ecology 38: 103-109 C.J. Veltman et al. 2014 A principles-based decision tree for future investigations of native New Zealand birds during aerial 1080 operations “…we are unaware of any observational studies that have examined the impact of aerial 1080 application on rock wrens”
NZ J Ecology 38: 103-109 C.J. Veltman et al. 2014 A principles-based decision tree for future investigations of native New Zealand birds during aerial 1080 operations “We developed a decision tool…to assist users to identify the bird populations requiring some precautionary investigation at sites that will be exposed to aerial 1080 poison baiting.”
Green Party NZ website NZ Green Party 2014 More and better pest control: 1080 as last resort “The unique natural environment of Aotearoa is precious. We must effectively control the pests that threaten our forests, but 1080 poison should be a measure of last resort.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “The 1080 poison killed most of the possums and ship rats in the operation area but not the mice. However it took less than a year for the ship rat numbers to bounce back to densities they were previously…In the next six months rat numbers doubled on the 1080 sites and remained at this level for the duration of the study (Quote from Protect, Autumn 2010)”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “At Waihaha, possum numbers were first reduced to low levels in 1994. This resulted in a sustained 4-5 fold increase in rat abundance. Possum control was repeated in August 2000 using aerially sown 1080 baits and provided effective rat control for about a year before their numbers rose to the high levels seen prior to August 2000. (Quote from Kararehe Kino Vertebrate Past Research Dec 2007)”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “These results suggest that the huge sustained increase in rat abundance following initial possum control in 1994 was reversed by further control in 2000. Since then rat populations have increased rapidly. This increase may have serious consequences not only for native species preyed on by rats but also for native species threatened by stoats or cats as both these predators may increase when rats (a major element in their diet) are very abundant. (Quote from He Korero Paihama, June 2002)”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “In the poisoned block, the number of large invertebrates known to be eaten by rats soared after rat numbers were reduced to near zero, and then plummeted as rat numbers exploded to very high levels. In contrast, in the un-poisoned area, the numbers of rats and of the common large invertebrates remained more or less stable (Quote from Vertebrate Pest Research Dec 2007)”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “The science points noted above all indicate very bad things happening in our forests after 1080 operations have artificially boosted rat populations to levels which no indigenous species can possibly hope to cope with in the medium to long term…imagine a wee short tailed bat fossicking on the forest floor amongst that teeming horde of assassins. It spells doom for many native birds, plants, animals and invertebrates.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “We know that stoats eat rats, lots of rats, but their population recovery after a poison operation is delayed by a process called delayed implantation…Mating occurs in early summer, but births do not occur until the spring of the following year…This extremely long lag phase in the stoat population growth curve gives the rats a huge head start in developing a population.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “Aerial 1080 poison drops kill native birds too, and lots of other native species as well. This fact is freely acknowledged by the pro-poisoning groups. After an aerial operation it takes several breeding cycles for the poisoned bird populations to struggle back to pre-poison levels. If the poisoning cycles are too frequent then some native species will quickly be eliminated…Remember also that these poisoned bird populations have to try and regain their pre-poison levels in the face of an artificially induced rat onslaught.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “In the same time it takes a native bird species to produce four young a pair of rats can produce 4000.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “Very few, if any, resource consents for poisoning operations require the applicants to monitor the operation for unforeseen negative impacts. We have scientists who warn against this blasé attitude such as Clare Veltman when she raised a red flag with this important comment: “Randomized blind replicated experiments may permit strong inference about the risks to non-target forest animals from aerial application of baits containing 1080, but no such experiment has ever been done in New Zealand.””
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “Without at least some post-eradication monitoring, managers cannot possibly catch totally unanticipated side effects or know whether and when to implement contingency plans for dealing with undesired outcomes” (Quote from ES Zavaleta, Univ. California)”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “The main reason we are not looking for unintended consequences is that the Department of Conservation has an institutionalised infatuation with aerial poisoning operations and uses its position to produce public information which can almost be classed as dishonest…An excellent example of this is when I received two kokako research science papers from the Department under the Official Information Act. The cover letter states that “The first two papers show long term improvements in kokako populations after aerial 1080 operations”. Studying the science shows no such thing. Aerial 1080 was used annually from 1990 to 1993 but the graph of the number of territorial adults on page 209 shows a gradual loss of population over this time. It is only after 1993 when targeted pest control using brodifacoum in bait stations was instigated that the kokako population increased markedly…although the Department was strictly correct in stating that the population did increase after aerial 1080 operations the inference should not have been that aerial 1080 operation was the cause of it as it is simply not true…In another example a high DOC official stated on national television that without aerial 1080 the Mapara kokako population would not exist. This is in the face of the science produced by the project which shows that the kokako population continued to decline while aerial 1080 was being used. These sorts of statements are designed to be misleading so the general public remains supporting of unscientific and ineffective pest control campaigns and their funding streams.”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “One group, the aerial poison supporters, see the results after one year and rejoice. Those who oppose aerial poisoning look at the results after three years in dismay and this is why we have so much conflict”
Scoop Independent News 22/5/14 Murray Dench 2014 Why is there an argument over 1080? “Most recent research in this country has been undertaken in an efforts to support the use of widespread aerial poisoning, As such the aim of the science has largely been to identify the BENEFITS of the poisoning campaigns not the IMPACTS of them…Unfortunately, in general, the only facts we can draw on are the small snippets and aside comments which appear from time to time in mainstream science.”
Scoop Independent News 12/2/14 Sporting Hunters’ Outdoor Trust 2014 Conservation Minister Nick Smith on Thin Ice “Bird life was abundant with dawn choruses strong until the late 20th century when the newly formed Department of Conservation began its aerial onslaught on so-called pests,” said Laurie Collins. As a forest Service employee Laurie Collins worked with 1080 in the late 1950s when the government poisoned the Caples Valley fallow deer herds and later working for pest boards and local councils. “To be fair to say, I do understand 1080’s lethal traits. It’s a horrible poison that knows no boundaries”, he said. Originally developed as an insecticide, 1080’s indiscriminate, killing everything – birds, insects, forest floor invertebrates etc.,”””
Scoop Independent News 12/2/14 Sporting Hunters’ Outdoor Trust 2014 Conservation Minister Nick Smith on Thin Ice “I’m angry at the ecological carnage, the destruction and the gross misuse of taxpayers’ money,” he said. “Minister Smith’s “Battle For Birds” is based on a wild unscientific assumption.”
Scoop Independent News 12/2/14 Sporting Hunters’ Outdoor Trust 2014 Conservation Minister Nick Smith on Thin Ice “His advice for Minister Nick Smith…”Do your homework.”
Tbfree New Zealand Ltd AEE TBFree 2014 Assessment of Environmental Effects for Possum Control in the Barton Arthur Area May 2014 “Kakariki (parakeet)…Dead chicks in a failed nest in the Hurunui Valley operation contained 1080 residues and the female was not seen after the nest failed…two unmonitored Kakariki were found dead with 1080 residues in their tissues.”
Tbfree New Zealand Ltd AEE TBFree 2014 Assessment of Environmental Effects for Possum Control in the Barton Arthur Area May 2014 “Nationally threatened bird species recorded in or near the operational area are kaka, kea, and New Zealand falcon…These threatened species are potentially at risk from the operation considering the risk that the number of non-target deaths might push the total numbers into a decline from which recovery is difficult…The possible impacts of this operation on the kea population are considered to be negligible compared to the potential benefits accruing from the reduction in rat, stoat and possum predation.”
Stuff.co.nz 30/1/14 B. Moore 2014 War on pests stepped up with ‘battle for our birds’ “”It will save millions of other native birds like fantails, robins, tui, riflemen, bell birds, tomtits and warblers, reptiles like geckos, insects like weta, trees like rata, and plants like mistletoe”, Dr Smith said.”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2013 Operational Report for Possum, Ship rat Control in the Otira Possum Control 29 Jul 2013 – 01 Aug 2013 “1080 is highly soluble and broken down by soil bacteria into non-toxic by-products, mainly Hydrogen, Oxygen and Fluoride.”
Otago Daily Times Online News 7/12/13 Rebecca Fox 2013 Beech 1080 blitz possible: Doc “The 1080 operations would be planned for September to November, dependent on the weather. In areas such as the Catlins, where 1080 had been undertaken for possum control, low rates of poison would be used – 1kg of bait per ha with the concentration of toxin 0.015%”
Otago Daily Times Online News 7/12/13 Rebecca Fox 2013 Beech 1080 blitz possible: Doc “The Mohua Charitable Trust had been doing trapping work in the Makarora Valley and it would be the first time Doc had considered a 1080 programme there”
Otago Daily Times Online News 7/12/13 Rebecca Fox 2013 Beech 1080 blitz possible: Doc “A 1080 poisoning programme may be needed in Otago’s beech forests next year to protect endangered species from a potential pest plague, DoC says…staff will take samples in February, which would hopefully give an indication of the extent of seed fall and then in May results of rat tracking would show if rat numbers were rising as a result”
Otago Daily Times Online News 21/08/13 Ashleigh Stewart 2013 Kea killed in 1080 operation “Five kea have been killed in Arthur’s Pass in a 1080 operation attempting to protect the endangered and protected species…The deaths come after seven kea were killed at Fox Glacier after eating 1080 poison in 2008, wiping out almost half a group of the endangered parrot being monitored by DOC”.
Otago Daily Times Online News 21/08/13 Ashleigh Stewart 2013 Kea killed in 1080 operation “However DOC continues to maintain that pest control using 1080 benefits birds, including kea, by improving nesting success and the survival adult females”.
Otago Daily Times Online News 21/08/13 Ashleigh Stewart 2013 Kea killed in 1080 operation “Further research was now being undertaken to minimise the loss of the “particularly inquisitive” bird, DOC Technical Advisor on Threats Michelle Crowell said.”
Otago Daily Times Online News 21/08/13 Ashleigh Stewart 2013 Kea killed in 1080 operation “The repellent was used in a DOC pest control operation over 10,619 hectares around Otira and a nearby TBfree New Zealand operation at Taipo over 10, 130 hectares from June 26 to August 1.
DoC DoC 2013 Operational Report for Norway rat, Ship rat Control in the Arthurs Pass National Park “Operation Summary…Conservation Outcome(s) 1. To ensure the perpetuation of Orange -fronted parakeet throughout their present range…What we got: The orange-fronted parakeet population is present in both the Poulter and Hawdon Valleys however the number of orange-fronted parakeets in the Hawdon and Poulter is not known and it cannot yet be determined whether the populations are still in decline, are stable or increasing. Encounter rates and nests found were down from 13 nests in 2011/2012 to 5 in 2012/2013.”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “The population impacts of 1080 poisoning on forest bird species are largely dependent on the resilience of individual species…For those relatively common bird species that have high reproductive rates…small losses due to 1080 poisoning can be quickly compensated for by increases in reproductive rates…However for more threatened species (particularly those vulnerable to predators and having low reproductive rates…), significant mortality associated with toxin use could exceed any advantage conferred by reduced predation pressure and thus have detrimental population-level effects.”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “Reliable information is clearly required to measure the impacts of aerial 1080 operations…This is particularly important if less resilient species are likely to be present and operational specifications (e.g. bait composition, toxic loading, sowing rate) change.”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “The risk of toxin-related mortality is yet to be quantified at the population level for 11 native bird species that are known to have died…during previous possum control operations…conclusions of negligible impact for individual studies have often been undermined by relatively small sample sizes and sampling designs of limited inferential power…Improved measures of forest bird mortality during 1080 operations are clearly required.”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “Although radio-tagged birds are able to provide extremely robust information on the direct impact of toxins such as 1080…this technique is limited to those species that are able to carry a transmitter for sufficient periods of time without compromising individual survival”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “Using mist nets a total of 34 ruru were captured and radio-tagged…However only 11 were known to be alive at the time of the poison operation, due to transmitter failure, predation, and 18 birds dying during a prolonged period of extremely cold weather 2 weeks prior to the operation.”
NZ J Ecology 19: 97-109 T.C. Green et al. 2013 Monitoring selected forest bird species through aerial application of 1080 baits, Waitutu, New Zealand “…plans to collect such data during the Waitutu operation were abandoned for ethical and operational reasons. Use of ‘backpack’-type harnesses…for attaching transmitters to kereru has been restricted by the Department of Conservation following concerns over instances of harness entanglement and resultant deaths”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2013 Operational Report for Norway rat, Ship rat Control in the Arthurs Pass National Park 23 Nov 2012   – 08 Dec 2012 “Prior to each of the four occasions (2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012) that resource consent needed to be exercised, proposed operations were publicly notified. (N.B. Current consent is for 2011-2016)”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2013 Operational Report for Ship rat Control in the Lewis Pass – Station Creek 30 Oct 2012 – 07 Nov 2012 “Toxic date: 7/11/2012”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2013 Operational Report for Possum, Ship rat Control in the Otira Possum Control 29 Jul 2013 – 01 Aug 2013 “Outcome Targets: To maintain and improve condition factors of indicator species within Otira, improve habitat for several native bird species and enhance the condition of possum palatable sub canopy species by 2013/14. What we got: To be monitored in 2016.”
Kea Conservation Trust updates 16/12/13 Kea Conservation Trust 2013 Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) Update “28/10/13 Controversial 1080 poison will be used in Kahurangi National Park and bordering areas from tomorrow, with supporters and opponents clashing over its benefits and costs. TBfree New Zealand will undertake the large-scale operation to control the bovine tuberculosis (TB) infected possum population…The aerial operation will cover about 22,600 hectares of the national park and adjacent forestry blocks in the upper Takaka and Barron areas across the lower Flora Stream, Mt Campbell and the upper Riwaka…Chair of the Kea Conservation Trust, Tasmin Orr- Walker said 1080 was the best option for widespread pest control in the South Island – as destruction of kea nests by pests was still the greatest threat for the birds. ‘It would be great if someone found an alternative, but at the moment there isn’t anything practical in the South Island area,’ she said.”
Nestor Notabilis 6 T. Orr-Walker 2012 Winter Advocacy Tour “The West Coast has historically been a kea trouble spot with populations of kea heavily persecuted by locals or poisoned during 1080 aerial operations.”
Institute of veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences Anon. 2011 Pathology Reports (n=6) “ID..Ginger nut…Bridget…Ranger…L Bit…Tarza…Oroko…History…Found dead in North Okarito after an aerial 1080 drop on 04-09-2011.” [all in moderate to good body fat condition, 2 had vomit around their beaks, all had congested liver and spleen, 1 had a dilated heart ]
Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 2011 Seven keas dead in the wake of 1080 work “A disappointed Department of Conservation has reported the deaths of seven keas following a recent 1080 pest control operation on the West Coast that was designed to prevent the birds eating poison baits.”
Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 2011 Seven keas dead in the wake of 1080 work “Then conservation minister Steve Chadwick maintained the poison was still the best tool for protecting native forests from the ravages of possums, rats and stoats”.
Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 2011 Seven keas dead in the wake of 1080 work “The recent aerial 1080 operation was three years in planning and jointly run by the Animal Health Board and DoC. It covered 30,000 ha, including the South Okarito kiwi sanctuary, North Okarito forest, and a large forested buffer zone around Franz Josef township. The operation intended to protect New Zealand’s rarest kiwi – the rowi – from rats, stoats and possums, as well as protecting local farms from the threat of bovine tuberculosis”
Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 Otago Daily Times Online News 12/09/11 2011 Seven keas dead in the wake of 1080 work “The seven birds that died recently were among 38 keas fitted with radiotransmitters as part of a four-year programme to assess the risks and benefits of 1080 operations on kea populations”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2011 Operational Report for Possum, Ship rat Control in the Otira Possum Control 16 Jun 2011 – 30 Jun 2011 “The reduction in rats, the main prey of stoats, may lead to an increase in stoat predations on birds. The increase in mice may counter this to some degree if stoats switch to mice as their main prey item. In the short term resident stoats will die from feeding on dead possums and rats but this benefit will not be sustained, as stoats will rapidly re-invade the area. The abundance of introduced birds is more likely to form the bulk of stoat prey until rats become more plentiful again”
DoC Operational Report DoC 2010 Operational Report for Possum, Ship rat Control in the Hawdon Valley Aerial 1080 – Arthurs Pass National Park 03 Sep 2009 – 08 Sep 2009 “the bait sowing may have to be repeated at various intervals within the consent period (15/8/2006 to 15/11/2011) and the resource consent provides for this.”
NZ J Ecology 34: 86-114 J. Innes et al 2010 Predation and other factors currently limiting New Zealand forest birds. “Intermittent control of possums and ship rats may have the nett effect of increasing ship rats for most of the time.”
NZ J Ecology 34: 272-273 D. Armstrong et al. 2010 Impacts of pathogenic disease and native predators on threatened native species. “mice are so far the Achilles heel of many programmes, with mouse numbers irrupting following rat and/or stoat removal.”
The adventures of PK Maebo & Jimjam 9/2/09 Jaimie Stewart 2009 Kea catching “The kea was then “processed”, you know, like processed food. Out of Franny’s bag of tricks came a radiotransmitter, with nylon string to attach it, a beak-measuring device, scales and other fandangos…Oh yeah, I was going to talk abut 1080 and keas. Well the story as far as I can make out is that despite years of scepticism from DOC scientists, recent studies of mortality following an aerial 1080 drop have shown keas dying from 1080 poisoning…One point it is always worth making is that much of the 1080 poisoning in NZ is undertaken by the Animal Health Board in its ongoing battle with TB…But whatever way this does seem to be a big problem. Don’t quote me on this, but abut 1/3 of the keas habitat is under rotational TB control. Alarm bells seem to be ringing and DOC has teamed up with Landcare Research to investigate an effective bird repellent. It will be interesting to see what happens and if the planned drop in Okarito forest goes ahead”
The adventures of PK Maebo & Jimjam 9/2/09 Jaimie Stewart 2009 A day out in Okarito “She gave us a map and some instructions to follow some old stoat trap lines and find these little ink pad things which record nasty voracious predators have been passing by….The map is fascinating, and graphically shows what a unique area the Okarito forest is…The dense rimu forest has provided sanctuary to the final population of Rowi and people have helped buffer the defences in the last ten years or so…Interestingly the article states that the ‘stoat trapping operation in this sanctuary is thought to be the largest in the world’. The extensive network of tracks and dots (representing traps) enabling this operation can be seen on the map we used….A decision has been made now to mothball the trapping programme, relying instead on strategic use of 1080, which is why Franny and Brent are here…But what is left is an amazing network of tracks”
ERMA Appendix N Table N7 2007 ERMA 2007 NZ land birds susceptible t non-recovery if subject to significant impacts and recent monitoring after 1080″ “Species: Kea; Risk of non-recovery: high; Research priority in 1997 and rationale: High priority- infrequent exposure but will eat carrot bait…Monitoring…after aerial 1080 operations…Dobson Valley 1963 – 4 dead Kea”
NZ J Ecology 31: 186-201 P. J. Sweetapple & G. Nugent, G. 2007 Ship rat demography and diet following possum control in a mixed podocarp-hardwood forest “Mean ship rat abundance indices increased nearly fivefold after possum control and remained high for up to 6 years…the typical outcome for most pulsed possum control is an uncontrolled ship rat population in the presence of a low-density possum population for most of the 3-7 year cycle.”
Environmental Risk Management Authority ERMA Committee p58 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “There is little scientific data on the degradation of 1080 in Nmew Zealand Soils at cool temperatures”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 455 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “the Agency was not able to locate any data on the aquatic toxicity of the metabilite fluorocitrate in water or soil”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 453 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “There are no data as to whether the metabolic compounds are fluorocitrate (toxic) or glycolate (non-toxic) or any other potential product of metabolism” [study on 1080 removal from water by plants]
Environmental Risk Management Authority Applicant’s references p 109 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Looking for microorganisms that degrade 1080 in 8 soil and 8 water samples. Three soils and 2 water samples did contain the required bacteria (Lloyd & McQueen 1998)”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Committee Decision p 71 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “the applicants…clarified that the breakdown of 1080 in the aquatic environment would be better described as dilution”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 349 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Data gaps…reproductive toxicity to birds”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 349 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Data gaps…Toxicity to …aquatic invertebrates given the high toxicity to mosquito larvae”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 351 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “1080 is highly toxic to terrestrial invertebrates”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Applicant’s references p 142 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Comparison of the Whitecliffs data with that of other lowland podocarp/broadleaf forests over one year, shows that 1080 has a severe impact on many other invertebartes. At Whitecliffs, insect larvae, comprsing coleoptera, hymenoptera, diptera and lepidoptera dropped dramatically from July through to October, then stabilised for the rest of the year at the crash level. Insect larvae in other forests followed the normal pattern of continual rise from July until the onset of the following winter (Meads, 1994).
Environmental Risk Management Authority Applicant’s references p 192 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “At least 9 invertebrate orders are prone to 1080 poisoning. Invertebrates have been observed eating baits…their habitats are contaminated by residues leaching from baits, and from anima by-products and carcasses…1080 shoul not be used where susceptible invertebrates or rare insectivores are found (Notman, 1989)”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Applicant’s references p 123 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “No major changes to the [aquatic] invertebrate communities was observed, except for a decrease om the total number of taxa collected in some streams 5 days after the [1080] drop…[and a] slight decline on the EPT taxa collected 5 days aftyer the drop. Such decreases were not evident at the control site (Suren & Lambert 2002)”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Decision App. A p 188 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “[any person who applied aerial 1080 must supply information on]…pre- and post-operational monitoring of birds and invertebrates (if available)
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 350 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Persistence of 1080 baits on soil is dependent on rainfall, bait type and size. Baits can remain intact for several weeks”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 351 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “1080 residues are persistent in animal carcasses for prolonged periods in winter conditions”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. C p 368 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “There is limited information available on the degradation of 1080 in animal carcasses..It is clear that 1080 residues remain in the guts of dead animals for prolonged periods (at least 75 days under cool winter conditions..) and only degrade slowly”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 499 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Rat populations generally recovered within 3-5 months of poisoning, independent of toxicant used [during monitoring of kokako in 4 forests in the 1990’s]”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Committee Decision p 14 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “in dry or cold conditions it could take months to break down”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 499 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Continued presence of predators (rats, mice, cats, stoats) [on Rangitoto Island after 1080 cereal operation]..ongoing predation..less than expected bird population recoveries” (2004)
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 509 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Additional seed produced [after browsing animals were removed from Rangitoto Island] may have led to increased seed consumption by rodents..[which] also consume large quantities of invertebrates, also reducing the resources available to birds”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 532 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “The recovery of ship rat populations to pre-control levels within 2-5 months of a 1080 control operation has been noted by several authors”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 533 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “Mouse populations.. are reported to increase rapidly 3-6 months after reductions in ship rat numbers, peaking after approximately 9 months before declining to pre-poisoning levels”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. F p 533 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “the anticipated benefits of possum and rodent control may result in unforeseen impacts on highly valued species through prey switching, [eg] decreased rodent numbers..leading to increased stoat predation on birds”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. G p 548 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “there have been instances where the use of 1080 has not been successful in adequately managing the risks of predation”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Applicant’s references p 90 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “This study has confirmed that..rats have the propensity of developing considerable genetic resistance to..[1080] (Howard et al., 1973)
Environmental Risk Management Authority Submitter 9074 p194 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “The [US] 1080 poisoning programme went on for a few years, until the predators and raptors were almost gone. The bald and golden eagles that had been common in the valley were seen only rarely, and hilltops that had rung with the howls of coyotes now were still and silent..Then the rodents hit the valley like a horde of locusts. With hardly any meat-eaters left to control their sharply multiplying numbers, the rodents popped up everywhere”
Environmental Risk Management Authority Agency App. O p777 2007 ERMA reassessment of 1080 “the percentage kill..indicates that trapping can be as effective as aerial application”
Rarebits 47 DoC 2002 newsletter “A dramatic increase in fledgling mortality has been noted coinciding with a change to the pest control regime. Seventeen female chicks were monitored since the breeding season and excluding missing birds, eleven of fourteen fledglings have died. Nine of these were probably (some certainly) killed by stoats. And just to show that the predators are not targeting birds wearing radio transmitters, one observation included finding the remains of two untagged kaka within the same den as a dead tagged bird. So the results of a productive nesting season for kaka in the Waipapa has very much been let down by poor fledgling survival. The pest control regime was an aerial 1080 pollard operation in October.”
Rarebits 44 DoC 2002 newsletter “Four months after an effective possum and rat knock-down by a 20,000-ha aerial 1080 operation over Tongariro Forest, stoats reappeared in the centre of the forest and began killing kiwi chicks. So far five of the 11 chicks have been predated, and all in the centre of the treatment area…rodent numbers remain surprisingly low, with the same tracking index recorded in February as in December (< 2.0%).”
Rarebits 46 DoC 2002 newsletter “Mice continue to demonstrate their tenacity, or maybe toxin tolerance, by persisiting on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua, and Limestone Island in Whangarei Harbour. In both instances, it is despite two or more very determined eradication attempts. They (mice) quickly reach such low levels as to be impossible to detect, only to be re-detected five or six months later in the odd tracking tunnel. Normal pattern then, is for the place to soon become overrun with the critters.”
Rarebits 38 DoC 2000 newsletter “This project[‘s] objectives include determining the costs (mortality as a result of the poison operation) and benefits (reduced mortality and increased breeding success after the poison operation as a result of poisoning introduced mammalian predators and competitors) of an aerial 1080 possum poisoning operation to kereru and kaka in Whirinaki Forest Park… The carrot-1080 aerial possum poisoning operation occurred in May 2000…the impact of the poison operation on rodent and mustelid populations was monitored using tracking tunnels (10 lines of 10 tunnels in each study area), pre-operation monitoring in April 2000 and postoperation in June, 3 weeks after the drop. The tracking index for rats went from 56 to 76% in the non-treatment area, but 43 to 5% in the treatment area. All rat prints were in one line of tunnels near the boundary of the drop zone. The mouse index declined in the non-treatment area (30 to 14%), but increased in the treatment area (23 to 30%). The mustelid index declined from 2 to 0% in the nontreatment area, and 6 to 0% in the treatment area between the two monitoring sessions.”
NZ J. Ecology 23: 111-127 J. Innes & G. Barker 1999 Ecological consequences of toxin use for mammalian pest control in New Zealand- an overview “Pests, and control methods such as toxin use, can have ecosystem-level effects by influence on properties emergent from the interaction of the biota and the physical environment. These ecosystem level properties include litter decomposition rates, relative size of different nutrient pools, and net primary productivity.”
NZ J Ecology 1999 23: 175-82 Murphy et al. 1999 Secondary poisoning of stoats “After the poison operation in August 1997, no mustelid tracks were detected in any of the lines until early December, when tracks were detected…By May 1998, the mustelid tracking rate at Waimanoa had returned to a level found prior to the poison operation.”
NZ J Ecology 23: 167-173 E.B. Spurr & K.W. Drew 1999 Invertebrate feeding on baits used for vertebrate pest control in New Zealand “Invertebrates feeding on non-toxic baits of the types used for vertebrate pest control were collected and identified…The most common species found on baits was the ant…Other common taxa were…at least eight species of weta…at least none species of beetles…at least three species of harvestmen…at least three species of mites…The number of species and number of individual invertebrates found on baits were a small proportion of the number likely to be present in the forest litter. We predict that vertebrate pest control operations are unlikely to have any long term deleterious effects on invertebrate populations. This prediction should be tested by monitoring populations of invertebrate species”
NZ J Zoology 25: 315-328 E. Murphy et al 1998 Effects of rat-poisoning on abundance and diet of mustelids in New Zealand podocarp forests “stoats are likely to have the greatest effect on birds after successful 1080 poison operations”
NZ J Ecology 23: 95-100 E.C. Murphy & J.E. Dowding 1995 Ecology of the stoat in Nothofagus forest: Home range, habitat use and diet at different stages of the beech mast cycle “Our finding that a juvenile female (probably pregnant) dispersed at least 65 km within four weeks is of particular concern from a conservation perspective. Clearing stoats from sensitive areas (and even from large buffer zones around them as well) is only an effective strategy while trapping is continued; stoats may re-invade within a few weeks after trapping stoats.”
NZ J Ecology 19 (1): 5-17 J. Innes et al 1995 Large-scale poisoning of ship rats (Rattus rattus) in indigenous forests of the North Island, New Zealand “Unexpected ecological repercussions of large-scale poisoning in North Island New Zealand may include a functional change (diet) by stoats and a numerical change (increase) by mice. Assessment of the costs and benefits of large-scale poisoning must allow for these and other repercussions of community perturbation.”
Journal of Hygiene S. Barnett and M. Spencer 1949 Sodium fluoroacetate (1080) as a rat poison “A number of wild birds and some domestic animals were accidentally killed during the tests…1080 is too dangerous for general use”
Epistles I.X.24 Horace 65-8 BC Epistles I.X.24 “Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque revenit.” You can drive nature out with a pitchfork, she will nevertheless come back. (Horace (65-8 BC), Epistles I.X.24)