1080 usage in New Zealand

The use of 1080, a pesticide using sodium fluoroacetate, is a contentious issue in New Zealand, with the majority of the debate occurring between conservationists and hunters.

Although the use of 1080 in New Zealand was deemed "effective and safe" by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in a 2011 re-evaluation and is widely considered to be the most effective tool currently available for controlling possums over large areas, it remains a contentious issue, with the majority of the debate occurring between conservationists and livestock farmers on one side and hunters and animal rights activists on the other. Concerns are also raised about security of potable water supplies in areas where 1080 is applied.

New Zealand is the largest user of biodegradable 1080 poison, using about 80% of the world's supply. Biodegradable 1080 poison is the only poison currently registered for use on mainland New Zealand as suitable for aerial targeting of the common brushtail possum - a major conservation and agricultural pest. It has been used as such since the late 1950s. Sodium fluoroacetate is imported in a raw form from the United States.

The largest users of 1080 in New Zealand are the Animal Health Board and the Department of Conservation (DOC). It is also used on a smaller scale for pest control by Regional Councils and private landowners. The first trials were carried out in New Zealand in 1954, and by 1957 its use had become widespread. 1080 baits are used through ground-based and aerial application. 1080 is considered to be suitable for use as a mammalian pest control in New Zealand because the country has only two native land mammals (bats). It should also be noted that 1080 is commonly used in Western Australia to kill feral carnivores, as the compound is naturally occurring in Western Australian flora and the native herbivores and their native predators are immune.

New Zealand's flora and fauna evolved for 80 million years with moa being the primary browsing animals and no predatory mammals. Consequently, the native birds, insects, and flora have developed no natural defence mechanisms against introduced animals such as possums, rats, mustelids and feral cats. These exotic species have become ecological pests, and their presence has had a disastrous effect on the populations of many endemic species, including the national symbol, the kiwi bird. Populations of the reptile tuatara have also been severely impacted. An estimated 30 million possums inhabit New Zealand, and they are found in 98% of vegetated areas on mainland New Zealand.

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Wikipedia