1080 plea to TV star
Tasmanian fishing identity alerts Attenborough to poison
WELL- KNOWN highlands fishing guide Ken Orr is writing to David Attenborough to alert him to the “outdated and cruel” wildlife practices still conducted in the Tasmania he so eloquently spoke about in a recent documentary.
Mr Orr, who is vice chairman of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, has also started a petition calling for a 1080 poison ban in Tasmania, which he plans to give to Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney this week.
“David Attenborough waxed lyrical about the beauty of Tasmania and its special wildlife in the recent documentary yet our Government allows this wildlife to be killed in a most barbaric fashion,” Mr Orr said. “The petition is attracting hundreds of signatures a day from people not only in Tasmania and Australia but from around the world.
“This poison, banned by the US in the 1940s, kills wildlife non-selectively. The target species is not the only one impacted.
“A recent baiting permit issued for a private property near Penstock Lagoon to kill possums and wallabies will no doubt affect other species including the rare spotted-tail quoll and wedge-tailed eagles.
“I want to show Sir Atten- borough how this state really treats its endangered species.”
Australia is one of only three countries, including Japan and New Zealand, still using 1080.
A plan by the former Labor government to ban 1080 was not implemented by the Liberals in 2014.
Yesterday, the Government said a permit for 1080 was only issued if there was an unacceptable risk to a crop or pasture, its use did not pose an unacceptable risk to non-target species and that other measures had been imple- mented and judged to be ineffective.
“Browsing animals can have a significant impact on pastures and crops. Until a viable, safe and cost-effective alternative becomes available, we believe farmers should continue to have access to 1080 as one of the tools available to mitigate against the damage caused,” a spokesman said.
However, The RSPCA says on its website: “The available evidence on the effect of 1080 on affected species indicates that it is not a humane poison.”
Mr Orr said wallabies and possums were once hunted, rather than poisoned, on the property in question.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment is the only importer of 1080 into Tasmania and only authorised officers handle the poison.
“Poisoning of non-target animals may occur with 1080 baiting. However, the impacts are either localised, or limited to individual animals and do not result in significant adverse effects on the non-target animals at a population level,” the department says.