1080 debate continues to draw heated views
I WANT to congratulate the ODT on its timely editorial on 1080. For too long anti1080 fanatics have been able to get away with their extravagant misleading claims, without rebuttal, when the truth paints a very different picture.
The day before your editorial, a letter from Mary Molloy of Harihari, stated ‘‘Mast years happened for millions of years. Reality is a mast year benefits all native Biota’’ and ‘‘That nature works in cycles and intertwined food chains with predatorprey relationships in equilibrium.’’ She conveniently ignores the fact this premise changed significantly in the late 13th century, when kiore and kuri came to our shores. Much later, rats, stoats and opossums have brought horrendous devastation to native birdlife, and in some cases, with human intervention as well, extinction.
It is disappointing to see the emotive reaction of Brian Adams (ODT, 21.12.18) to your editorial. I cannot suggest too strongly, that if he considers native birdlife to be only 10% of what it once was, that it is due to predators, including man, not to the use of 1080.
I make this assertion, having been fortunate to observe over the last five years, the project to create a predatorfree environment in the Lower Hollyford valley. Opossums which were rampant, were almost totally eliminated after one drop of 1080. The followup with ground control has maintained a very low population level of rats, stoats, and opossums. The bush is so much healthier looking, and Rata which appeared to have died, are springing back to life. The latest independent monitoring shows a significant increase in bird life, something we have all seen.
Anthony Young. Cromwell [Abridged]
FIONA McQueen (ODT, 22.12.18) quite rightly points out to the unknown writer of the editorial ‘‘The appalling 1080 fanatics’’ that Jeremy Kerr was not affiliated in any way to the anti1080 movement. Jeremy Kerr, the Governmentbranded ‘‘ecoterrorist’’, was for many years an integral part of the Government’s poison research industry.
The (28.2.16) issue of The Sunday
Times revealed a poison, Feratox, developed by Jeremy Kerr had been tested by Landcare Research scientists which led to a 1994 agreement between Kerr’s company, Feral IP, and Landcare Research for further product development. In return Landcare Research received 1% of royalties on pellets sold by Feral IP over 10 years.
This partnership collapsed at the end of 2004 and Kerr’s connections with Connovation turned sour in 2006. Jeremy Kerr of Connovation Ltd was also involved with the Department of Conservation in the 2005 ‘‘Efficacy of microencapsulated zinc phosphide for ferrets’’ research.
If I, being one of the ‘‘appalling 1080 fanatics’’ branded by the writer of that ODT editorial, can use research, accuracy, fairness and balance to find the real truth and present it to the public . . . why couldn’t they?
Ron Eddy
Nelson [Abridged]
IT was past time that someone pointed out that a number of the 1080 opponents are violent and threatening and make ridiculous claims such as having been ‘‘tortured’’ by 1080 use.
Now one of their more academic members, Fiona McQueen (ODT 22.12.18), is trying to carry out damage control by alleging that her antiscience friends are being persecuted by the media whom she compares to Nazis. McQueen seems unconcerned that there have been many threats made by 1080 opponents on social media. Does she think these people are just mouthing off, and Doc workers should take that risk?
I note that the antiscience people are rather fond of making unverified statements claiming all sorts of illness being caused by 1080, including motor neurone disease, Scheuermann’s Disease and cancer. Many of them don’t care about our endemic wildlife unless it suits them to do so.
Take, for example, the releasing of 2000 litres of aviation fuel into a Northland forest in an apparent protest against a 1080 drop. It seems that 1080 opponents are not too bothered about some poisons. C. Lewis
Dunedin