1080, News, Poison

Two scientists who reviewed more than 100 of DoC’s scientific papers say: “There’s no credible scientific evidence showing any species of native bird benefits from 1080 drops”

31 Comments

Here is an article from 2007, and the drops continue, in spite of the clear scientific evidence it is not beneficial to our ecosystem.

“We have audited Department of Conservation scientific research and produced an 88-page monograph reviewing more than 100 scientific papers.

The results are startling and belie most of the department’s claims.

  • First, there is no credible scientific evidence showing that any species of native bird benefits from the dropping of tonnes of 1080 into our forest ecosystems
  • Second, considerable evidence exists that DoC’s aerial 1080 operations are doing serious harm”Quinn and Patricia Whiting-O’Keefe

 

Scientists, Quinn and Patricia Whiting-O’Keefe: “Poison facts belie the claims”

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NZ drops into its forests about  4,000 KG of pure 1080 per year, enough to kill 20 million people [Photo: Clyde Graf, from a 1080 drop at Makarora]

There is now a familiar litany of scientifically insupportable claims about what great things aerial 1080, a universal poison, is doing for our forest ecosystems. The people of New Zealand have a right to know the truth about what the scientific evidence shows.

We have audited Department of Conservation scientific research and produced an 88-page monograph reviewing more than 100 scientific papers.

The results are startling and belie most of the department’s claims.

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The oxymoron that DOC’s signage is

First, there is no credible scientific evidence showing that any species of native bird benefits from the dropping of tonnes of 1080 into our forest ecosystems, as claimed by the department and Kevin Hackwell. There is certainly no evidence of net ecosystem benefit.

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1080 is killing large numbers of native species

We have repeatedly challenged DoC and Mr Hackwell, a representative of the Forest and Bird Society, to come forward with the hard scientific evidence for their “dead forest” claims. They have not.

Second, considerable evidence exists that DoC’s aerial 1080 operations are doing serious harm, as one would expect, given that 1080 is toxic to all animals. It kills large numbers of native species of birds, invertebrates and bats.

Moreover, most native species are completely unstudied. In addition considerable evidence shows there are chronic and sublethal effects to vertebrate endocrine and reproductive systems, possibly including those of humans.

clydes mt pukaha dead kiwi vid

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Considerable evidence demonstrates that DoC’s aerial 1080 operations are doing serious harm.  Photos: Upper (Tomtit in hand) by Clyde Graf
Lower (multiple dead birds) by Jim Hilton:
Dead birds found over a few acres, after 270,000 hectare aerial 1080 poison drop, Kahurangi National Park, 2014. This was the first year of DoC’s “Battle for our Birds” drops.

Third, DoC claims that one can drop food laced with 1080, a universal poison (World Health Organisation classification “1A extremely hazardous”) indiscriminately into a semi-tropical forest ecosystem and only negatively affect one or two target “pest” species. That is counterintuitive and scientifically improbable.

Fourth, as far as we can determine no other country in the world is doing (or has ever done) anything remotely similar – mass poisoning of a semi-tropical ecosystem on the scale that the department is now doing to ours.

Fifth, and perhaps most disturbing, is that what the department-sponsored research shows has been habitually misrepresented – entirely unjustifiable assertions regarding 1080’s benefits and lack of harm.

Statements like those of Mr Hackwell that the forests will be “dead” without poisoning them with 1080, and from John McLennan (Landcare Research) and Al Morrison (then Director General of DoC) that 1080 is existentially necessary to Kiwis is pure demagoguery and scientific nonsense.

What is at risk by continuation of this extraordinary practice – and it is unique in the world – is the ecological integrity of our forest ecosystems, our reputation as an environmentally sane and responsible country, and our existence as a society in which reason and rationality can triumph over bureaucratic prerogative and budgetary gain.

Since Galileo Galilee first discovered the moons of Jupiter in the 17th century, the way to resolve this kind of disagreement has been to do the experiment and examine the evidence, and that is precisely what we urge everyone to do.

Don’t believe DoC. Don’t believe Mr Hackwell. Don’t believe us – believe the evidence. To that end we will provide a copy of our report and the source scientific research papers to all who would like to read them.

* Quinn and Patricia Whiting-O’Keefe are retired scientists.

Header Photo: Robin, TV-Wild

ARTICLE SOURCE:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10448063

Read the Whiting-O’Keefe report HERE

If you have difficulty with the link to the report go to our Resources page & see it there.

Copy of kea article

 

keadeaths1080

RELATED:

PUKAHA MT BRUCE, 49 DEAD KIWI SINCE 2013 – ONLY ONE EVER TESTED FOR POISONING – FROM DOC’S OWN RECORDS

OIA REQUEST REVEALS 89 DEAD KIWI IN 1080 TREATED TONGARIRO FOREST – AND NOT ONE WAS TESTED BY DOC FOR 1080 POISONING – PRESS RELEASE FROM GRAF BROTHERS

 

See the TheGrafBoys YT channel and website for more videos. Educate yourself on 1080 poisoning. See also http://1080science.co.nz/

See also our 1080 pages for info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page). 

Share & help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told,

Thank you!

EnvirowatchRangitikei

Please Note re commenting:

Your comments are welcome, however if you are a fan of 1080 & wish to highlight DoC’s data then mainstream media is the place to go. This site is reserved for providing independent research & unfortunately I do not have the time to monitor long discussions. As well, I decline to publish information that is freely available on DoC’s own website. People can go there and peruse that for themselves.

31 thoughts on “Two scientists who reviewed more than 100 of DoC’s scientific papers say: “There’s no credible scientific evidence showing any species of native bird benefits from 1080 drops””

  1. Pingback: Two scientists who reviewed more than 100 of DoC’s scientific papers say: “There’s no credible scientific evidence showing any species of native bird benefits from 1080 drops” | Waikanae Watch

  2. They can fine the Public between $50,000 and $500,000 for killing native birds. They should fine DOC the same amount.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. It is also logically incomprehensible that the indiscriminate use of the most toxic poison ,namely 1080 .is in any way beneficial to anything .and is in fact very dangerous to humans .by its insidiousness in that it cannot be detected in the human body after a certain amount of time !

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sad. My heart sinks when I hear of the drops. Our birds are disappearing. Any opposition besides yourself that you know of John? Could check out FB groups for that.

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  5. I am a registered 1080 applicator I lived in the ruahine range for 6 months cutting tracks and erecting bait stations before filling with 1080 pellets . Had a great possum kill side effect was total demise of more pork population tomtit population also took a hit. Tui kereru and bellbird all prospred next fruiting season. Don’t think it was worth it as I am sure 1080 has a a bad effect on invertebrates . We need to no more.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. The O’Keefe’s have done a fantastic critique of all the 1080 information and have stated that after spending 8 months examining 200 of DOC, Landcare Research etc papers have stated :that not one proved that 1080 was of any benefit to the biodiversity of New Zealand and in fact, some papers were absolute lies! They challenged anyone to prove them wrong and guess what? NOT ONE GOVT DEPARTMENT has challenged them. The O’Keefes are absolute experts in their respective specialist fields and I know whom to believe!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Lloyd for your comment. About time folk started scratching below the surface stories. NOT ONE GOVT DEPT. That’s telling.

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      1. I told those barstads at BIRD AND FOREST.AUCKLAND..D.O.C.KERIKERI ALL SOLD BULSHIT INFORMATION.THEY DIF IT WITH S GRIN…PROMISES.THANKS SO MUCH O’KEEF’S.MR WHITING REPORT.IM A MAORI IVE SEEN WITH. MY OWN EYES IN PUKETI FOREST..TAUPO.KIA ORA.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Kia ora Owen, thanks for your feedback. If you can, tell us what you’ve seen in the forest. Take photos when you’re there & send them to us.

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  7. Tell me again why DOC and the entirety of it’s staff have lied so consistently and for so long about this?

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I answer your question Daryl Rhodes. Because the Heads of Departments (HOD’s) who work for DOC, OSPRI / TBfree / MPI, Landcare Research, Cawthron Institute, Councils etc can and still do extract money from Government for PEST CONTROL and roll the money over year after year. Some of these Government employees don’t want to lose their jobs, they don’t bite the hand that feeds them, they don’t question decisions by their superiors.
      They will be sacked or sidelined if they do. Landcare sacked insect scientist Mike Meads for telling the truth about 1080 many years ago, they made an example of him. Military tactics, not what honest people expect of senior Government advisors. Their lies and propaganda, their thirst for seniority, recognition and money exceeding their morality.
      That’s how simple it is. These people employ communication managers, spin doctors and shills, they talk one on one with the media, they play golf together. They con ambitious politicians, trick conservation volunteers and the pawns in their own departments into believing plausible make believe stories about pests, predators and diseases.
      I assume you have read Bill Benfield’s books exposing some of the key people in this disgraceful fraud and explaining the history of deceit, deception and lies. Maybe you haven’t read Reihana  Robinson’s book .“The Killing Nation – New Zealand’s State-Sponsored Addiction To Poison 1080” (193 pages) (available on Amazon) published 2017.
      It’s the last in a series of books called Rural Revolt  In Defence of Coromandel’s  Wild Kingdom.   Part One: “First They Came for the Goats”,  (80 pages) was published in 2015, Part Two:   “Save Our Wild Pigs” (125 pages),  Part Three   “Don’t Fence Us In”   (117 pages)  and Part Four: “Voices of the Coromandel: Poison Peninsula” (285 pages) were published in 2016. What a sorry trail of lies, corruption and manipulation of democratic process, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch your’s. Shame on the people named in this book.
      Some people might think they are pillars of New Zealand society.
      Thy are not, many could be prosecuted for the crimes and deception they have individually and collectively committed against honest citizens.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I have to agree, i do recall the sacking of Mike, and can personally state that i have seen Kaka pecking 1080 pellets

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  8. Unfortunately our NZ culture is great at perpetuating environmental lies, without any self-reflection or shame. We have a history of being a lying nation because we have fudged the truth about our society and actions we have taken on numerous occassions to coverup the truth, lying is one of our national traits, we are great at lying & smiling while we’re doing it! – remember all of our All Blacks & rep players who lied for decades about receiving payments for playing rugby here & overseas (‘shamateurism), have a look at some of the TV interviews of our most revered & ‘upstanding’ citizens! & you can still read about a 100yr old lie, perpetuated adnauseum, that we have the ‘best race relations in the world’ and then you see the horrific stats for Maori incarceration rates, life expectancy & educational attainment and rightly exclaim ‘oh my God!’ So our environmental lies are par for the NZ cultural course and as a nation we seem proud of them. Our classic environmental lies are 1) that we are ‘clean & green’ – an horrific lie which covers up the absolute degradation and poisoning of our environment by dairy farming & forestry 2) That the widespread use of aerial 1080 is good for our forests – there are so many Govt sponsored & bought scientists, publishing false & misleading reports, that science itself is getting a bad name. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the hard work & sacrifice to those who refuse to be sucked in my our national obsession to lie about 1080 use. Those bearers of 1080 truth are ostracised and ridiculed for their stand by other New Zealanders, even though most people know they are right! which is also par for our cultural course. Commonsense along tells you that dumping millions of kgs of 1080 poisons cyclically on our lands for decade after facade must damage our forest ecosystems and could very well affect our forests in ways be simply can’t comprehend. Until the truth about 1080 evil becomes official, there is no justification for its use – what a price our forests, plants, birds, animals, fish & insects and our health as a nation must endure until then.

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    1. Kia ora Vic. Well summarized. Couldn’t agree more about the lying nation. (Have you seen my other site, earthsbloodstains.wordpress.com … basically about our historic lies & yes the era of ‘we had the best race relations etc’. Sadly the bulk of the populace have fallen for it which makes for a lot of misunderstanding. I wasn’t aware of the ABs being paid historically. Thanks for that insight. Presumably it wasn’t the obscene amounts they’re now paid?

      Thanks for commenting Vic. May I publish/post your comment?

      Like

  9. Pingback: A further 1080 update on International Legal Strategist Miriam Clements’ case against the NZ Govt’s application of chemical weapons grade poisons to our bush and water system | Rangitikei Enviromental Health Watch
  10. Pingback: Two scientists who reviewed more than 100 of DoC’s scientific papers say: “There’s no credible scientific evidence showing any species of native bird benefits from 1080 drops” | Mastery of Life

    1. Thank you for posting this. The anti 1080 movement is gaining momentum as NZers wake up to what is really happening. A hikoi/march is approaching Parliament (due 8 sept) to make the government aware that this poisoning is against the wishes of thousands.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Unfortunately the photo used for this article looks photoshopped. Note the bait is very clear and focused while the head and beak of the bird are blurry. I think we all need to be vigilant in this regard or risk our credibility.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. This photograph is Clyde Graf’s & is definitely not PSed. He never photoshops his photos or films. Since you’ve raised it I will be commenting in the article shortly on this. Yes we do need to be vigilant.

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  13. Pingback: A Book to trust #17 Biblical archaeology vs Historical science or study #2 Relevance of Biblical record – Unmasking anti Jehovah sites and people

  14. I am new to this site, and find it refreshing, that finally discussion based on credible information, regarding 1080, can be held without all the emotional that normally accompanies it. Credible science becomes hidden by emotions and tends to work against us. Well done, I will definitely be following this group.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Peter & welcome. Look forward to hearing from you. I refuse to provide a platform for pro-poisoners … I think that helps. Well not those who are simply out to troll & cause havoc.

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