The government's use of 1080 poison has long drawn angry protest from opponents, who push a range of scientific claims about its efficiency and danger. In his new book, Protecting Paradise , Science writer Dave Hansford scrutinises each of the claims - and concludes 1080 isn't the evil it's so often painted as. He talked to herald science reporter Jamie Morton.

So far we have carried out more than a third of our planned pest control over 820,000 hectares using aerial 1080 and 70,000 hectares largely by traps alone. Several long-term study sites show the cumulative benefits of regular, carefully-timed, 1080 treatment. Our monitoring shows that kiwi, kākā, kea and whio, among others, have better breeding success and produce more young after aerial 1080 pest control. ​

New food safety advice for trout fishers

The Department of Conservation wants anglers to be aware of new food safety advice about eating trout caught in areas after aerial 1080 pest control operations.
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DOC Director National Operations Martin Kessick says DOC has responded to concerns raised by Fish and Game earlier this month and asked MPI to assess the risk to trout consumers if trout ate 1080 baits.

A long-time campaigner against the pesticide 1080 has persuaded a council to add more cautionary details to warning signs used during aerial bait drops.
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Waikato Regional Councillor Clyde Graf got a motion passed that adds a line to warning signs which states: "Poison baits or carcasses may be present in waterways".

​A tentative start date for two planned 1080 drops near Queenstown has been set.
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Department of Conservation Wakatipu operations manager Geoff Owen said the operation, to kill the predators of native birds, would begin any time from September 5.

More than $ 6 million will be spent dropping 1080 poison on the South Island's West Coast in the coming months.
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About 230,000 hectares of the region will be targeted in this year's Battle for our Birds programme, which focuses on western and southern parts of the South Island.

Federated Farmers is mystified as to why people are still complaining about the use of 1080, long after it's been established as a key tool in New Zealand's environmental protection system.
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The Commissioner for the environment concluded five years ago that 1080 was the only viable tool for protection against pests on much of New Zealand's conservation land.

A far North community that pitched in to save an ancient forest from possums and rats now has a new enemy to contend with - kauri dieback.

​Warawara forest in North Hokianga has been bouncing back after a 1080 poison drop last spring and intensive trapping on surrounding farmland.

But scientists have now confirmed the presence of the kauri killing pathogen phytopthera agathidicida (PTA) around trees on private land in the Puapua area, just north west of the forest.

Two scheduled 1080 drops to combat bovine tuberculosis in southern Marlborough have been delayed.

The drops were planned to cover more than 25,000 hectares at Isolated Hill, near the Waima River, and at Kowhai-Swyncombe, near Kaikoura, and have been pushed back until late winter.

An aerial drop of toxic 1080 baits over about 3635ha at Isolated Hill was originally scheduled from May until June but will now take place in the next period of suitable fine weather, an Ospri TBfree spokeswoman said.
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The area has been pre-fed before the 1080 baits were due to be spread.

Via RadioNZ

1080 poison will be dropped over hundreds of thousands hectares this winter as part of the largest ever pest control operation in New Zealand.

The government has today announced $20.7 million of new operating funding as part of the 2015/16 budget.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the country's largest pest control operation was being conducted to fight against the rise in the pest population expected over the winter months which threaten native wildlife.