Thursday, May 19, 2011

FILM NIGHT - PRE SHAKESPEARE PARK POISON DROP

16.5 tonnes of toxic brodifacoum bait will be dropped across Shakespeare Park, on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, in the coming months.

Steve and I have been requested by locals from the area to hold a talk, and screen our documentary,  Poisoning Paradise.

In a recent study - Environmental fate and residual persistence of brodifacoum in wildlife ... it is stated...

"Research over the last 10 years indicates that the contamination of non-target wildlife
by the anticoagulant rodenticide brodifacoum is likely to be widespread and mediated
through a wider range of environmental transfer pathways than are currently described,
e.g. invertebrates as vectors of residues."

"Despite New Zealand field research in the 1990s that demonstrated secondary mortality
in some non-target species, and the occurrence of residual brodifacoum in a range of
wildlife, there has been little ongoing monitoring or investigation of the longer-term
implications of the continued field use of brodifacoum for possum and rodent control."

The study was investigating brofiacoum poison used in bait stations in the Hawkes Bay.

The Shakespeare drop is an aerial drop involving 16.5 tonnes of poisonous bait,
in a fenced off area on the end the the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, in north Auckland.

Shakespeare Park is an area of around 550 hectares, and a predator-proof fence currently under construction, will be completed sometime next month.

The issue is - why is this pest eradication project, in a built-up part of Auckland, being undertaken using aerially applied brodifacoum poison?

Ulva Island (near Stewart Island) is 1075 hectares, and more remote. It was declared pest free in 1997, and more pertinent, it was eradicated by ground controlled methods, not aerially applied poisons. If it can be done down there, why not up in the popular, accessible, Shakespeare Park?

The meeting and film night will be held on Thursday the 26th of May, at the Manly Methodist Hall, 
945 Whangaparaoa Rd, Manly.  Kick off, 7pm.

4 comments:

  1. It is ridiculous to suggest that 'one size fits all' when it comes to pest control. There are so many factors to take into consideration, including topography, bush density and cost. Interestingly, DOC will be using an aerial application of brodifacoum to eradicate the rats that have recently re-colonised Ulva Island http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5029377/Public-support-for-Ulva-Island-poison-drop . They do so with almost unanimous support.

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  2. Gee, could it be because everybody's too scared to use the non-bioaccumulating 1080, because you deerstalkers have kicked up such a stink about it. can't have it both ways Clyde.
    shame on you for promoting the destruction of our native wildlife when we're losing millions of birds a year to predation by the very thing that 1080 kills- rats, possums and stoats. everybody knows you guys have no credibility.

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  3. I don't think everyone is too scared cause they are still plastering the country with the crap (1080). The only promoters of this countries destruction of our wildlife is AHB & DoC and the degenerates at SW council. Credibility assasination belongs to DoC & AHB for dropping 700kgs of poision into a fiordland lake, killing pet horses, dogs, 40% of Haast keas, the list goes on. Deerstalkers are merely conveying what they see.

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  4. Thank God there are real men like the Graf Boys who can stand up against saturating New Zealand with poisons and endangering our health. The Department of Culling has killed off native birds These deadly poisons were banned in Darkest 3rd world Africa in the 50's. How idiotic to think you can kill the terrorists with the hostages just to kill the terrorists. It is cruel and irresponsible to spread poison in a built up area. People should know that this is NOT Clean Green New Zealand.

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