Farmers and Forest & Bird unite to explain 1080 facts

MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 20 July, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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The Pest Control Education Trust, a joint Federated Farmers and Forest & Bird initiative, today released ‘1080: The Facts’, a resource created to increase public understanding of 1080 and how it is used.

The fact sheet is an illustrated, easy-to-read rundown on which predators are targeted by 1080 and the native species that benefit from its use, and how using 1080 prevents the spread of bovine tuberculosis. It also outlines the precautions taken to ensure 1080 operations are safe. 

Federated Farmers National Board Member and a Trustee of the Pest Control Education Trust (PCET) Chris Allen says the fact sheet has been produced in response to strong public demand for accessible, factual, summary information about 1080 and its use.

“The Trust receives a lot of requests from people – especially students and schools – looking for the facts about 1080 use and its impacts. This will help meet this need and enable those interested to link through to the detailed science behind the facts.”

Some points and case studies highlighted in the fact sheet are that:

• New Zealand has 2,700 species at risk of extinction 1
• 9 out of 10 kiwi born in the wild die from predation before reaching maturity 2
  
• Without predator control most female kokako are killed while sitting on their nests. But following  four 1080 drops in the Mangatutu Ecological Area since 1989, 50 percent of kokako nests have been able to produce young and the kokako population has grown by 700 percent 3
• Without predator control 60% of kea nests are attacked by predators 4. But following a 1080 drop in Okarito in 2011 5 the kea nesting success rate increased from 51 percent to 100 percent
• The number of herds infected with TB has been reduced from 1,700 in 1994 6 down to 80 herds infected in 2014 7, by controlling the possum population with aerial 1080.
  

PCET Trustee and Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell said controlling introduced animal pests in New Zealand involves some tough choices.

“The reality is that we’re dealing with a major, human-induced threat to our biodiversity and our economy. We have to choose either to allow introduced predators to kill our native species or to kill those introduced predators so that our native species can survive,” said Mr Hackwell.

The Pest Control Education Trust is a registered charity established in 2010 to foster public understanding of 1080 and its use to protect our biodiversity and our agriculture industry.

The fact sheet is available online at www.1080facts.co.nz . For hard copies, please contact info@1080facts.co.nz

ENDS

 at info@1080facts.co.nz or 04 471 8207 

 Notes on 1080 baits

• 1080, sodium fluoroacetate, is a manufactured salt form of a naturally occurring toxin that does not bio-accumulate 8. 
  
• 1080 is highly water soluble and breaks down rapidly in the environment 9.
  
• Each bait contains 0.15 percent of raw compound 1080. The rest of the bait consists of cereal, glucose and a gluing agent. Cinnamon and green dye are added to discourage birds from eating it.
  
• In aerial applications 1080 is applied at a rate of four to six baits per hectare. 
  
• 1080 does not harm or kill fish, and humans are at extremely low risk of 1080 poisoning from eating fish that have eaten 1080 bait 10.

References

1. DOC (2007). Annual Report year ending 30 June 2007
   
2. DOC (2014). Battle for our Birds beech mast response, p6
   
3. Innes, J., et al; (1999). Successful recovery of North Island kokako (Callaeas cinerea wilsoni) populations, by adaptive management. Biological Conservation 87(2), pp201–221
   
4. DOC. Birds A – Z, Kea, www.doc.govt.nz, September 2014
   
5. Kemp, J., et al; (2015 in prep). Effects of predators and aerial 1080 on the productivity of the kea (Nestor notabilis) in a West Coast rimu forest. DOC report, Wellington
   
6. OSPRI New Zealand, A brief history of controlling bovine tuberculosis in New Zealand, 5 December 2014
   
7. OSPRI New Zealand. Number of herds in New Zealand, 11 November 2014
   
8. David, W.A.; Gardiner, B.O. 1966. Persistence of fluoroacetate and fluoroacetamide in soil. Nature 209: 1367-1368. Bong, C.L.; Cole, A.L.J.; Walker, J.R.L. 1979. Effect of sodium monofluoroacetate (compound 1080) on soil microflora. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 11 : 13-18. Walker, J.R.L. and Bong, C.L. 1981. Metabolism of fluoroacetate by a soil Pseudomonas and Fusarium solani. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 13: 231- 235.
9. Suren, A. and P. Lambert (2006). "Do toxic baits containing sodium fluroacetate (1080) affect fish and invertebrate communities when they fall into streams?" New Zealand Journal of marine and freshwater research 40(4): 531-546.
10. King, J. E.; Penfound, W. T. (1946) Effects of new herbicides on fish. Science 103, 487. Batcheler, C. L. (1978) Compound 1080, its properties, effectiveness, dangers, and use. (New Zealand Forest Service: Wellington). p.14-17. Suren, A and Bonnett, M (2006), “Consumption of baits containing sodium fluoroactetate (1080) by the NZ freshwater crayfish”. New Zealand Journal of marine and freshwater research 40, 169-178.