Alternatives to 1080
The Pest Control Education Trust, and its sponsors are supportive of ongoing research into finding alternative methods of controlling possums and other mammalian pests. Use of toxins involves ethical issues and trade-offs, i.e. effectiveness relative to humaneness or how much suffering pests inflict on their prey. The same issues arise with regard to protecting our stock from Bovine TB. New Zealand has a responsibility on international and local levels to ensure survival of our native species. We also must protect our farms from disease.
Concerns around the use of 1080 are often justified by assuming there are viable alternatives. All currently available alternatives have characteristics that in certain circumstances mean they are less efficient than 1080.
Scientists, farmers and conservationists are widely united in the view that for now, 1080 is the best solution we have, and until such time as an effective alternative is found, it must remain a key component of New Zealand's overall pest control strategy.
In April 2019 it was announced that DOC had significantly increased funding into research for alternatives to 1080. Read more here.
Below is a closer look at the alternatives.
Concerns around the use of 1080 are often justified by assuming there are viable alternatives. All currently available alternatives have characteristics that in certain circumstances mean they are less efficient than 1080.
Scientists, farmers and conservationists are widely united in the view that for now, 1080 is the best solution we have, and until such time as an effective alternative is found, it must remain a key component of New Zealand's overall pest control strategy.
In April 2019 it was announced that DOC had significantly increased funding into research for alternatives to 1080. Read more here.
Below is a closer look at the alternatives.
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Trapping
The use of traps to kill predators advances every year. Innovative new traps using gas propelled bolts and positioning devices to ensure humane kills have come along way from the now banned and inhumane gin trap. Traps can be deployed effectively in easily accessible areas to control possum and stoat numbers. However rat populations are usually too high for traps to be useful. On a large scale, trapping is more expensive than 1080 due to the difficulty of reaching remote areas and being labour intensive. During mast events traps can simply not be deployed fast enough or in sufficient numbers to control pest numbers. Trapping groups in New Zealand and their position on 1080
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five rats+ two mice from Goodnature on Vimeo. |
Toxins
Biological Controls
Biological controls have seen slow progress in recent years and most projects have been defunded because of this. There are also ethical issues with the public around introducing genetically engineered viruses or bacteria into the environment.
Biological controls have seen slow progress in recent years and most projects have been defunded because of this. There are also ethical issues with the public around introducing genetically engineered viruses or bacteria into the environment.
References:
[1] Eason, C. T. and Wickstrom, M. 2001. Vertebrate pesticide toxicology manual (poisons) .
Department of Conservation technical Series 23.
[2] Eason, C. T. and Wickstrom, M. 2001. Vertebrate pesticide toxicology manual (poisons).
Department of Conservation technical Series 23. [3] Beausoleil, N. J., Fisher, P., Warburton, B. and Mellor D. J. 2010. How humane are our pest control
tools? Part 1. Vertebrate toxic agents and kill traps in mammal species . Unpublished report
prepared for Biosecurity New Zealand, Project No. 11326.
[4] PCE
[5] Marsh, R. E. 1987. Relevant characteristics of zinc phosphide as a rodenticide. Great Plains
wildlife damage control workshop proceedings, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
[6] Shapiro, L., Eason, C. T., Murphy, E., Dilks, P., Hix, S., Ogilvie, S. C. and MacMorran, D. 2010.
Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) research, development, registration, and application for
humane predator control in New Zealand. Proc. 24 th The Vertebrate Plague Conference . (R. M. Timm
and K. A. Fagerstone, eds.) PP. 108-114.
[7] http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/threats-and-impacts/animal-pests/methods-of-control/1080-poison-for-pest-control/the-use-of-1080-for-pest-control/6-other-control-options/6_2-biotechnology-for-possum-control/
[8] Wilkinson, R. and Fitzgerald, G. 2006. Public attitudes toward possum fertility control and
genetic engineering in New Zealand. Landcare Research Science Series No. 29.
[1] Eason, C. T. and Wickstrom, M. 2001. Vertebrate pesticide toxicology manual (poisons) .
Department of Conservation technical Series 23.
[2] Eason, C. T. and Wickstrom, M. 2001. Vertebrate pesticide toxicology manual (poisons).
Department of Conservation technical Series 23. [3] Beausoleil, N. J., Fisher, P., Warburton, B. and Mellor D. J. 2010. How humane are our pest control
tools? Part 1. Vertebrate toxic agents and kill traps in mammal species . Unpublished report
prepared for Biosecurity New Zealand, Project No. 11326.
[4] PCE
[5] Marsh, R. E. 1987. Relevant characteristics of zinc phosphide as a rodenticide. Great Plains
wildlife damage control workshop proceedings, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
[6] Shapiro, L., Eason, C. T., Murphy, E., Dilks, P., Hix, S., Ogilvie, S. C. and MacMorran, D. 2010.
Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) research, development, registration, and application for
humane predator control in New Zealand. Proc. 24 th The Vertebrate Plague Conference . (R. M. Timm
and K. A. Fagerstone, eds.) PP. 108-114.
[7] http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/threats-and-impacts/animal-pests/methods-of-control/1080-poison-for-pest-control/the-use-of-1080-for-pest-control/6-other-control-options/6_2-biotechnology-for-possum-control/
[8] Wilkinson, R. and Fitzgerald, G. 2006. Public attitudes toward possum fertility control and
genetic engineering in New Zealand. Landcare Research Science Series No. 29.
