Welcome to 1080: The Facts

Bovine tuberculosis (TB)

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a serious, highly infectious disease found in cattle and deer herds, causing weight loss and death.

Possums are the main source and carrier of bovine TB in New Zealand, and the main self-sustaining reservoir of the disease in the wild. In the early 1970s, it was discovered that possums were the source of chronic infection in cattle herds. Bovine tuberculosis infection transfers relatively easily from possums to cattle and deer due to the proximity of farmland to bush areas in New Zealand. Possums are responsible for around 80% of new infection in cattle and deer herds.

Possum with TB lesion (Source: AHB)

Bovine TB is a major threat to our economy

Dairy and meat exports are worth more than $12 billion annually to New Zealand. Rising international animal health standards and growing concern about food safety are now major factors governing and threatening access to premium overseas markets.

Many of our trading competitors, including Australia, are classed as being free of disease.¹³As at August 2009, New Zealand had 0.35%¹⁴ of cattle and deer herds infected with bovine tuberculosis. This equates to around 131 herds. As a nation with bovine TB infection, New Zealand is banned from exporting live cattle and deer to TB-free countries, including North America and Australia.

Through a nationally coordinated programme comprising ground and aerial control methods and TB-testing cattle and deer, the Animal Health Board (AHB) (the agency charged with controlling bovine tuberculosis in New Zealand) has, in the past decade reduced the number of TB-infected herds by more than 90%. Aerial 1080 operations account for less than 20% of the AHB's control programme, which also uses traps and a range of pest control toxins.

If AHB's bovine TB eradication programme were to stop, the potential cost to New Zealand as a country has been estimated at $5 billion over 10 years.¹⁵ AHB is on track to reach the internationally recognised target for official TB freedom of 0.2% infected cattle and deer herds by 2013.

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Locals join race for survival

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Survival has been helped by a 1080 poison bait drop that has the effect of killing predators.

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Particular areas of concern around Otago were the Strath Taieri, parts of North Otago, coastal s
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Coromandel residents oppose DoC 1080 drop

RadioNZ

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"1080 working well" - Arthur Hinds

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1080 aerial drop for Paeroa ranges

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Click here for information on the upcoming possum control operation planned for the Paeroa Ranges
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Aerial drop of 1080 has cut TB cases

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Introduced predators - by the numbers

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We've seen a number of letters in the media recently expressing concerns about the safety of 1080 to drinking water. In fact, 1080 has nev...read more

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1080 Poison: No Effective Alternative Avaliable

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Study Suggests Increasing 1080 in Rabit Bait

Otago Daily Times

Increasing the concentration of 1080 in carrot bait for rabbits from 0.02%, to the possum level of 0.08 to 0.01...read more

New 1080 Study Challenges Claims About Impacts on Native Wildlife

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A recent University of Otago study into the effects of a 1080 posion operation challenges clai...read more

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In the latest edition of the Listener, editor Pamela Stirling urges each and every New Zealander to take up Sir...read more

Sir Paul Callaghan's Crazy Idea

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In his final lecture, Sir Paul left behind an idea whose time has come: clearing the land of invade