Science has won 1080 debate

New Zealand’s anti-1080 activists have not had a good year. A protest in September delivered a disastrous own goal when an autopsy revealed none of the native birds dramatically dumped on the steps of Parliament by protesters were killed in a 1080 drop. Causes of death included being struck by cars, hitting windows and, in the sad case of a weka, being shot, possibly with a .22 rifle.

The co-organiser of the Hikoi of a Poisoned Nation claims he was told by a scientist who had kept birds in a freezer for four years that 1080 was the cause of death. Whether the deceit was accidental or intended, it reflects poorly on a controversial movement that was already in the news over death threats made to the Prime Minister and to Department of Conservation (DOC) staff.

The anti-1080 movement has been dealt yet another blow this week with the release by DOC and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of numbers that show the overwhelming effectiveness of 1080 as a tool to combat possums, stoats and other pests that are ravaging the New Zealand environment.

DOC released figures on Wednesday following 1080 drops in Russell Forest and Rakaumangamanga/Cape Brett in Northland. Using tracking tunnels to measure rat numbers, DOC found rats left tracks in 76 per cent of the 160 tunnels in Russell Forest before the aerial 1080 drop and in only one after the drop. Possum numbers at the same location fell from 79 per cent to 16 per cent.

At Rakaumangamanga/Cape Brett, rat numbers fell from 14 per cent to zero, mice from 17 per cent to zero and possums from 34.3 per cent to 4 per cent. But some other pests are harder to measure. Both sites are home to native bird and plant species that have been under constant attack from introduced animals.

The EPA’s summary of 1080 use across the country in 2017 also appeared this week. More than 875,000 hectares were treated, with the majority controlled by DOC and the remainder by TBfree and Timberland. The report describes a pest control regime that has also had a positive effect.

While native birds are the headline act, with yellowhead (mohua), blue duck (whio), kea, kaka, rock wren, south island robin, morepork (ruru), grey warbler, New Zealand falcon (karearea) and kiwi all identified as improving, the 1080 drops also benefit long-tailed bats and plant species such as fuchsia, totara and kamahi, along with domestic cattle and deer stock. As for environmental side-effects, the tolerable exposure limit was not exceeded in any of the water catchment tests following the 1080 operations. When it comes to the use of 1080 in New Zealand, science has won the war against superstition and fake news. But there is a darker side to the beliefs held by some in the anti-1080 camp. Not only do they spread misinformation and conspiracy theories and issue death threats, they have also risked the safety of 1080 operations and those who run them.

It was revealed this week a helicopter used for a drop in Northland in September was sabotaged, spilling 2000 litres of aviation fuel, which Forest and Bird say could have drained into nearby streams.

That would have been an ironic side-effect for a movement that has agitated so noisily against the use of poisons.

‘‘. . . there is a darker side to the beliefs held by some in the anti-1080 camp’’