DOC quiet about 1080 drop

The Department of Conservation will not disclose when 1080 poison will be dropped in Manawatu¯ amid fears staff could be threatened.

In early November, police were notified about a DOC staff member being intimidated by a member of the public in Manawatu¯ .

DOC lower North Island operations director Reg Kemper said the incident was in relation to 1080 drops, and any threat or intimidation of staff was taken extremely seriously.

‘‘While we respect people’s right to peaceful protest, the wellbeing of staff is the department’s primary concern and threats to their safety won’t be tolerated.’’

The incident came after an announcement that there would be a 1080 drop in the northern Ruahine Range between November 2017 and April 2018.

Another DOC staff member, Jayne Ramage, said for the safety of staff, the department would not elaborate to media on when the northern Ruahine drop would occur.

A police spokeswoman said police received a report of intimidation of a DOC staff member and appropriate action was being taken.

The 1080 poison drops target predators such as rats, stoats and possums that threaten native plants and animals including whio, North Island brown kiwi, ka¯ ka¯ and North Island robin.

Department of Conservation spokesman Herb Christopher said the drop was weather-dependent, requiring a certain amount of fine weather followed by a period of rain.

About a week before the drop, affected people, such as neighbours, would be notified, Christopher said.

The drop in the northern Ruahine Range will cover 30,000 hectares in a bid to stop an expected surge in predator numbers.

Every two to six years beech trees flower and produce massive quantities of seed, in an event known as a ‘‘mast’’, which gives predators a bounty of food.

In February, the department sampled areas of the ranges that confirmed a mast was occurring in the range.

Once the drop happens, warning signs are placed in the range for 10 months.