“Aerial application of 1080 poison is banned in the U.S. due to the extreme hazard to human health and to the environment.”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
From safe.org.nz
“There’s controversy In Paradise. New Zealand is proud of its clean, green and pure image. However the use of 1080 poisoning as the main weapon in the war against animals regarded as ‘pests’ is controversial.
A cruel and indiscriminate poison, 1080 is used to kill unwanted animals which include possums, feral cats, rabbits, rats and stoats. Its use in New Zealand has been a contentious issue since it was first employed as a pesticide in 1954. Research has shown that the use of this poison is extremely cruel, and dangerous to non-target animals.”
Find out more about the extensive use of 1080 in New Zealand, including:
For over 15 years the New Zealand Government has been systematically dropping massive amounts of food, laced with a cruel and universally toxic poison into its forest ecosystems. Enough poison every year to kill the entire population of NZ four times over. No other country is doing, or ever has done, anything remotely similar on such a scale.
This weekend peaceful protesters NZ wide took to the streets to let the Government know they are not impressed with this slathering of our paradise with toxic poison. They want it to STOP.
Note: If you have any instances of 1080 poisoning of livestock or of being required to cover up details, contact me at the contact page and I will direct you to a person who is considering taking legal action. Or simply go to 1080 Eyewitness on FB for the post. You would need to join.
[These images are from the FB page 1080 Eyewitness. If your photo is on here & you do not want it to be please contact me & I will take it down.]
Today NZ wide Kiwis who are concerned about this toxic poisoning of our once clean green paradise, are protesting (peacefully) to draw attention to this vital issue! See the fresh water crays pulling those pellets away to eat? They are now inedible but who would know? Educate yourself on 1080 it is not what we are led to believe. EnvirowatchRangitikei
On the 22nd of August, 2014, 32,000 kilos of 1080 poison bait was cast across Mt Pirongia, near Hamilton. It was enough poison to kill 240,000 people, almost twice the population of Hamilton…
A previous 2007 drop across the mountain was “hailed a success” by Waikato Regional Council, despite farmers raising concern about contamination, including to drinking water.
The New Zealand manufacturer’s (owned by NZ Govt) 1080 poison label includes the following warnings –
“Ecotoxic”,
“Toxic to terrestrial vertebrates.”
“Take measures to reduce of non-target animals being exposed to the toxin either through eating the baits or by scavenging the carcasses of poisoned animals.”
“Harmful to aquatic organisms.”
“Take all practicable steps to manage any harmful effects of a spillage including preventing baits from accidentally entering streams or waterways.”
“This product is toxic to wildlife. Birds and mammals feeding on carcasses of contaminated animals may be fatally poisoned.”
“Where practicable, the exposed bodies of all poisoned animals should be collected and destroyed by complete burning or deep burial in a landfill approved for hazardous substances. Dehydrated carcasses may remain dangerous to dogs or cats for an indefinite period. A single mouse poisoned by 1080 may contain enough poison to kill an adult dog.”
“Take measures to minimise the chance of baits accidentally entering any body of water.”
And … “Apply the product only as specified by label directions.” …
Flight charts released by the Department of Conservation reveal that 1080 poison was dropped directly into most streams and catchments, including to eight of the nine known water abstraction points. Poisoned carcasses have been left to rot in the streams, and animal welfare concerns have been raised. The Department of Conservation Mt Pirongia aerial drop, breached or ignored all of these warnings …
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Follow our blog or like our FB page to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
This story is from 2006, a shocking story in more ways than one. Shocking and sad for the family of this young woman, Whitney Robie, who was only 23. She had been hiking in the South Island, felt unwell, and after retiring to bed, died in her sleep of a sudden cardiac arrest it was later ascertained. Now they are left with few answers and no real closure regarding the why of her death. The Doctor she saw that day was concerned she had possibly been exposed to 1080 on her hike. Read on.
She had come here to our ‘clean green’ paradise to live. Sadly she died here.
(NZ is not clean and green people, it is severely polluted and toxic now … and worse, our authorities lie about that).
Sudden accidental deaths (SADs) do happen however this story has some anomalies which could have but have not been solved due to a medical blunder. It is thanks to a GP who followed up on Whitney & questioned friends at the hostel where she was staying, that we have a little more of this story than we would otherwise have known.
Losing a heart for one thing is a shocker in itself. In a random and ordinary course of events such a mistake is feasible. But with a sudden unexplained death of a very healthy, active young woman … how could this possibly happen? When the clues to her death clearly lay within an analysis of her heart’s condition, how could they simply LOSE her heart? Well lose it they did. Or so they say.
The official story about this loss can be found at the following link:
A journalist who has been following this story for some time and says it has been shared more than 150 times now, has re posted it on Facebook with the attendant detail from when it first became news…here is the train of events as described by her (edited for brevity & omission of personal detail):
“Regarding Whitney Robie, she went hiking on her own in a 1080’d area (I believe it was gel/jelly) and felt unwell that evening, said so, went to bed and had a cardiac arrest in the night. She was 23. From the USA, her obituary described how she was full of life, fit, loved the outdoors and had moved to NZ for an adventure. She had no previous history of heart problems.
The Doctor concerned said he had gone to the hostel and spoken to the other guests straight after she died. Later when he heard her death had been recorded as a heart attack, he advised and pressed the authorities to run tests relating to possible 1080 exposure. He was told however that the matter was now ‘officially closed’.
Her heart was sent for post mortem and was lost by the govt laboratory. This Dunedin GP was so concerned that he made a submission to ERMA in 2007 that included this account.
It was his opinion that the most probable cause of her death was 1080 poisoning, and that many others in NZ over the years have also died from it but that their deaths are either mistakenly or deliberately misdiagnosed.”
A letter to the editor in 2006 commenting on the actions of the Doctor involved gives further information about the unexplained early deaths of people working with 1080. Read the pdf here:cancer-deaths-from-1080
Here are some points to consider about this story:
The 1080 Reassessment Application document for ERMA Oct 2006. Section 3.3 Hazard Classifications. Sub section 4.8.2 [has the] ‘Heart’ as a target organ.
4.8.2. Heart as a target organ That single or repeated sublethal exposures to fluoroacetate can have toxic effects on the heart has been recognised for some time (e.g. Steyn 1934; Quin and Clark 1947; Hicks 1952). In general, the action of fluoroacetate on the heart is to decrease the metabolic energy available in heart muscle, which affects the conduction system controlling the rate and strength of heart beats (e.g. Chenoweth and Gilman 1947) (found on page 11 of the pdf)
St Johns put out their Sudden Cardiac Arrest Annual Report in June and it shows the figures for rural as opposed to urban. The rates are far far higher in rural areas.
Rural New Zealanders had more than double the incidence of cardiac arrest than those in urban centres – approximately 160 versus 78 (per 100,000 person-years).
1080 is effective as a poison regardless of the mode of entry. It can be absorbed by the intact skin, but not readily, however it is easily absorbed through cuts, abrasions, and is rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and through the lungs. One teaspoon of 1080 is enough to kill 30-100 adults weighing around 150 pounds. The potential for misuse is great
How toxic is 1080? Toxicologist explains – Professor Ian Shaw explores why and how 1080 is so toxic and asks what is the risk of a child dying from contaminated formula.
The main point is that although these deaths may or may not be attributed to 1080, more importantly, if nobody looks and checks then we are left with this element of doubt. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Plausible deniability is not good enough. There are questions that are not being answered or even addressed.It recently came to light from an Official Information request that DOC had lost 89 Kiwi, and yet they had not tested one of them for 1080. Doing so is not rocket science.
A blogger, NZRose commented here recently: My partner and I spoke to the poison people late last year. They are contracted to lay everything from cyanide to feratox to take care of the ‘pests’ on behalf of the NZ Government. I will never forget them laughing as they said that the 1080 had been doubled more than a year prior to our conversation. When we asked why they said “to Kill the deer, and the activists aren’t even aware yet”. We responded with “Well now they are”. These people were too stupid to realise they were talking to the wrong people. (See the whole comment here)
Proceed with Caution
And in the meantime, this is all evidence enough for us to be extremely wary of exposing ourselves in any way to 1080. It is clearly a lethal product and by all reports right now, is being spread around quite indiscriminately. Finding it on walking tracks, in streams and on public seating and anywhere near where humans are likely to be, is simply not good enough. Families with young children walk these tracks. If you intend hiking in our bush, please avail yourself of data about when 1080 was last spread in the area where you intend walking. You can obtain this from DOC. We recently heard of two women who were surprised during a picnic by a 1080 drop who continue to experience illness, they believe, because of that unintended exposure. Clearly they were not aware of any intentions by DOC to be dropping 1080 where they picnicked that day.
About 1080: 1080 is an alias for Monofluoroacetate, a chemical. Monofluoroacetate was originally developed and marketed as an insecticide. It functions primarily by interfering with the citrate step in the Krebs cycle [5]. The Krebs cycle is the major and an essential mechanism by which all air breathing creatures utilize food to produce energy. It is therefore universally toxic to all animals, essentially every living thing except plants and some micro-organisms. The degree of toxicity of 1080 is extreme, but varies somewhat among species. It is categorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 1A, their highest rating, “extremely toxic” [1,2]. * The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies 1080 as ‘Extremely Hazardous’, most countries ban it outright. NZ uses 85% of the world’s supply … perhaps the world hasn’t figured out what a wonderful thing it really is. (References 1-5 are at the source) *Dr Q Whiting-OKeefe (BA Chemistry, Math), MD, FACMI
What I deduct from all of this is that until the NZ government desists from using it, we the public must be very vigilant in protecting ourselves. That to my mind includes warning others, particularly tourists who are sold our country on the basis of being ‘clean and green’. The corporations (and our government is one) have a priority (a legal mandate) of profits over people, so they are not going to put your safety first. We believe it is far safer to err on the side of caution when there are any suspected or known risks.
Educate yourself on 1080 … find links at our 1080 page to the many resources available. Search for further articles exposing the risks of 1080 by searching ‘categories’ at the left of any page.
Note: for some reason, the Facebook sharing button is not working … in the meantime, to share please use the url.
Please take extreme care….. EnvirowatchRangitikei
Whitney Robie
NZ Herald Article
Family face long wait over backpacker’s lost heart
The family of an American backpacker whose heart went missing after she died suddenly in Queenstown last month face a long wait.
The Auckland District Health Board is investigating the disappearance of 23-year-old Whitney Robie’s heart from LabPlus, the hospital’s pathology laboratory.
Miss Robie collapsed while watching TV at Deco Backpackers in Queenstown on May 15 and died shortly afterwards despite efforts to revive her.
Invercargill pathologist Dr Ahmed Shogun could not determine her cause of death. Queenstown coroner Alan Macalister and police requested a further investigation and her heart was couriered to LabPlus for tests.
But Miss Robie’s heart was lost and had been missing since, despite a “thorough and repeated search” for it.
“I can confirm … [it] has not been located,” said the health board’s external communications manager Fleur King.
She said the normal procedure was for the board to conduct its investigation before presenting its findings to relatives.
The process could take several months, she said.
“The family will be presented with the document. It is up to them if they want to present it to the public.”
Ms King would not say if anyone or any organisation would be punished over the matter but said “additional measures” had been introduced to ensure it did not happen again.
In a statement issued to the media, the board and LabPlus expressed deep regret at what had happened and said the organisation had been in contact with Miss Robie’s family.
However, Miss Robie’s mother, Alison, told the Herald on Sunday she and her husband Chuck were angry at the lack of information and contact from both LabPlus and the health board.
“Auckland Hospital has never called us. The lab has never called us. The only communication from anyone over there, other than the police and the original doctor who was with Whitney after the incident, has been through a funeral director here,” said Mrs Robie.
The couple want to know what caused their daughter’s death and what went wrong at LabPlus.
“I’m kind of speechless to be honest with you over the whole thing,” said Mr Robie. “It’s a personal matter when we start talking about something of our daughter’s.
“We have struggled with that whole issue. We’re really at a loss at this point in time, without any information on what we should do,” he said.
Miss Robie was buried in her New Hampshire home town on May 23.
This site aims to educate the public by providing independently researched evidence and by exposing untruths. Corporations are not inclined to tell you the full facts because they have a priority of profits over people.
We do not in any way encourage or condone violence in raising these issues. It is our ultimate wish that the government/corporation desist from unleashing toxic poisons into our once clean and green environment, but until they do we simply wish to warn people to protect themselves from possible harm.
As the article from 2009 points out, the claim by DOC has been that nobody has died from 1080 poison. As at 1966 this wasn’t acknowledged in fact the authories plead ignorance. I can still find no further reference to this death or acknowledgement from DOC as to how he died. EnvirowatchRangitikei
The family of a Mataura possum hunter who died from 1080 poisoning 43 years ago want his death publicly acknowledged by the Department of Conservation and Animal Health Board.
Both agencies say no-one has died of accidental 1080 poisoning in New Zealand.
But Ian Buchanan’s widow, 69-year-old Elva Wicks, of Invercargill, said that was not true.
Wicks was 25 years old and the mother of three young children when her first husband, Ian Buchanan, died a “ghastly death” in Dunedin Hospital in 1966.
Coroner J Murray found Buchanan died from “central nervous system depression accompanied by respiratory and cardiac failure due to 1080 poisoning”.
The poison was found by investigators in a tin of jam kept in a back porch cupboard, but it was never discovered how the poison came to be in the jam, or how Buchanan consumed the 1080.
Further evidence from the Graf Boys’ channel from 2012. Educate yourself. Watch their Poisoning Paradise doco. Share their videos and let the world know how cruelly these animals die and how clean and green we aren’t.
Taihape sheep farmer – Allan Westerman – was looking for lost sheep after an aerial 1080 poison drop on the back of his property. What he found is disturbing. This is the same issue the SPCA spoke out against last week. A total of 10 poisoned deer were found, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Every New Zealander should see how the Department of Conservation treat our wild animals. Please spread this info far and wide.
If you are new to NZ’s 1080 poisoning program here is a good article to start with …
A must watch also is Poisoning Paradise, the doco made by the GrafBoys (banned from screening on NZ TV, yet a 4x international award winner). Their website is tv-wild.com. Their doco is a very comprehensive overview with the independent science to illustrate the question marks that remain over the use of this poison.
My as Alice said it gets curiouser and curiouser. Be sure to read the related article from the Whale Oil blog. Some interesting info there on the TB stats. EnvirowatchRangitikei
MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand First – Press Release/Statement
Headline: Bovine TB Deliberately Spread By Government
New Zealand First says it is incomprehensible that Government agencies are using taxpayers money, and farmers’ Animal Health Levies, to introduce bovine tuberculosis (BTB) into an area previously determined to be free of the disease.
TB Free NZ is funding a Landcare research project close to Wellington where possums are deliberately inoculated with TB and then released to spread the disease in the wild, in what is described as a “transmission trial.”
TB Free now plans to “cull” the affected animals by way of an otherwise completely unnecessary 1080 poison drop over a huge region of the Rimutaka Forest Park that borders farmland and includes waterways, hiking tracks, and hunting areas.
“They know the 1080 won’t get all the possums, but 1080 will kill a lot of native birds as well as deer, and the artificially infected surviving possums will probably infect livestock with TB as a result,” says Primary Industries and Outdoor Recreation Spokesperson Richard Prosser.
Historical evidence of the destruction that 1080 wreaks. Time for this poison to be shelved.
Last month (article dated 2011 note) 7 out of the nine tagged Kea monitored by radio tagging during the recent North Okarito aerial 1080 drop were found dead.
DoC assured the public that 1080 bait types had been modified so Kea would not be affected. In fact, we think all they did was to reduce the wax content of the manufactured pellets in the assumption that they would be hard enough to deter the birds from eating them.
The iconic parrots, Kea and Kaka have very powerful beaks they use to tear apart tree limbs to access food. GO FIGURE~!
Farmers talk of their losses in this clip from the Graf Boys’ ‘Poisoning Paradise’ doco. Deaths described by those interviews include 6 cows, 13 deer, 250 sheep, 160 sheep, cattle and more. When farmers are compensated for their losses they’re declared as, in one case, ‘track maintenance’ and another, ‘stock food’. Included for one farmer was the requirement to sign a confidentiality clause. Complete dishonesty & whitewash by our authorities. Those mandated with ensuring your safety. Still trust them? The clip goes on to discuss the risks of the poison entering our food chain … very real risks if you listen to the eye witness evidence. Possum exports rejected by Japan because they’d seen documentary evidence on 1080 poison drops amongst our animals. A must watch. Please share. Show it to the nay sayers. EnvirowatchRangitikei
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Like our FB page &/or follow our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
“A year after 1080 poison rained from the sky as Reefton sisters were enjoying a picnic near Kokiri, both are still experiencing ill health and have lodged a claim with ACC.” NZ Herald
NOTE: Liver, throat & thyroid problems, weight loss, a thinner optical nerve and ongoing nausea are just some of the health effects these women are experiencing.
Still the authorities minimize the risks with this poison. Some NZ Midwives back in 2008 were warning women to leave town prior to a 1080 drop saying, “Nobody can guarantee this substance does not cross the placental barrier.” It is known from research that 1080 has caused deformities in animal fetuses. Not something any mother would want to risk surely, and yet we are seldom told these things. Instead we are told there is no proven link between 1080 and the said health problems. We have the same scenario with glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide ingredient that independent research indicates it is carcinogenic. As a consequence, instead of erring on the side of caution the powers that be insist it is all good. Carry on as usual. The way of corporations…EWR
Following 1080 drops people have observed pellets on public walkways and seating
A year after 1080 poison rained from the sky as Reefton sisters were enjoying a picnic near Kokiri, both are still experiencing ill health and have lodged a claim with ACC.
The official public health report into the incident has still not been released.
Gwen Gardner and her sister Kathleen Bartlett were picnicking on Maori Gully Rd in June 2014 while checking out a property for sale, when a helicopter overhead opened a monsoon bucket and dropped poison pellets, some of which fell around their vehicle. The women were close by at the time.
They remained in the area for several hours as they did not think it could have been 1080, partly because they say a sign was outdated.
The sisters say they felt ill within 40 minutes of the aerial drop, but did not immediately associate it with 1080 poisoning. Medical tests undertaken afterwards by the locum Reefton GP showed Mrs Bartlett’s liver was not functioning as it should.
After a year, they are still experiencing ongoing health problems and have ACC assessing a claim from them – the first relating to 1080 in a decade.
They are still being monitored by the Reefton doctor.
Mrs Bartlett was recently referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist. She says he told her that her tongue was still swollen and her nose irritated, and she had “definitely been exposed to something”.
Blood tests on their livers and thyroids show they are still well outside the normal range. An optician has told Mrs Bartlett that her optical nerve is thinner.
Mrs Bartlett has gone from 73kg to 57kg, partly because of ongoing nausea and digestive problems.
As part of their ACC claim, the women had to undergo a lengthy assessment, carried out by an occupational therapist. Questions included their marital status, how many children they had, and their qualifications. Their application is still before ACC.
They are also asking why the Community and Public Health report has still not been released after so long.
Medical officer of health Cheryl Brunton said nobody was happy to see the report drag on, but it had to be done properly.
Most of it was completed, but a matter raised by the women themselves, not directly connected with Dr Brunton’s investigation, had “complicated” things.
Dr Brunton said she would be able to give Mrs Gardner and Mrs Bartlett an update shortly.
ACC cannot release private information, but said in these types of claims an occupational physician would undertake a comprehensive assessment of the client’s current medical conditions.
“From there it would likely proceed to an external toxicology panel to issue an opinion.”
Educate yourself on 1080 poisoning. See also http://1080science.co.nz/ and our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Hear the proof for yourself what has happened with the ongoing poisoning of our forests. They are supposed to be protecting our bird life are they not? Perhaps our esteemed experts have created a new breed of bird that doesn’t sing? … check out our page called ‘NZ’s Silent Forests – Where have the birds gone? EnvirowatchRangitikei
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Like our FB page &/or follow our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
NZ on its own uses 80%+ of the world’s supply of 1080
A note from admin about commenting
This site/blog is a truth site. Our purpose is to dig below the surface stories and where present, to expose lies and corruption. We do this also by citing independent research from professional people. This is what mainstream media should be doing however media is also corporately controlled now and as we know corporations are for profits not people or environments. For that reason I reserve this venue for commenting that seeks truth also. If you are strongly pro poison, chemicals, damage to environment, damage to health etc etc your views would be best stated in mainstream media where the status quo is already firmly entrenched. Some of the people of the latter persuasion are in fact paid trolls; so desperate are the powers that be to maintain their control of opinion, they pay people to debunk truth.
So, that established, please feel free to comment without advocating any kind of violence or hatred. We are for truth and peace here.
This drop of 1080 occurred late in 2015. As those in the video illustrate, they were not warned to cease drawing drinking water from the streams. In addition young kids interviewed saw baits on seats, public walkways and in the water. None of this was cleaned up afterwards by DOC. Locals also cited the known death historically of 8 local dogs. Concerned people who inquired of DOC were told they have nothing to worry about and yet, the poison manufacturer’s warning advises against baits entering any body of water. It is ‘harmful to aquatic organisms’. ‘Department of Conservation’ is really a bit of a misnomer I would say… EnvirowatchRangitikei
On the 13th and 14th of September, 2015, the Department of Conservation aerially spread 1080 poison across 23,500 hectares of the Coromandel Peninsula. Enough poison was distributed to kill over 340,000 people.
Dairy farmer Bevin Fox tells how he was provided no alternative water supply while his cows drank water sourced from within the drop zone.
Coromandel locals tell how they were drawing water without being notified 1080 poison had been dropped a few hundred metres upstream …
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Consider liking our FB page &/or following our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
From a DOC drop of 1080 over 134,000 acres, a group walked two of those acres over one hour to view the results. The forest floor was littered with dead contorted deer – and they found only one possum and her joey, and one rat. This video is from CGNZ (Clean, Green NZ) a voluntary group who were accompanied the day of filming by the Graf Brothers.
On the 13th July 2016, together with a few friends, we went to the site of a 50,000 hectare 1080 poison drop in Central North Island, NZ. This is our story. Everything you see is exactly how it was.
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Like our FB page &/or follow our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons! Write to your government as the video suggests. Support the Graf Brothers in their fight against 1080 poisoning.
This site/blog is a truth site. Our purpose is to dig below the surface stories and where present, to expose lies and corruption. We do this also by citing independent research from professional people. This is what mainstream media should be doing however media is also corporately controlled now and as we know corporations are for profits not people or environments. For that reason I reserve this venue for commenting that seeks truth also. If you are strongly pro poison, chemicals, damage to environment, damage to health etc etc your views would be best stated in mainstream media where the status quo is already firmly entrenched. Some of the people of the latter persuasion are in fact paid trolls; so desperate are the powers that be to maintain their control of opinion, they pay people to debunk truth.
So, that established, please feel free to comment without advocating any kind of violence or hatred. We are for truth and peace here.
Over 80 million dollars, including farmers and taxpayers hard earned cash, is spent eradicating a disease, that by World standards, has already been beat …
… and our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search ‘categories’ drop down box for further related articles (at left of any page).
Please like our FB page &/or follow our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
The recent post about 89 dead Kiwis that DOC didn’t bother to test for 1080 poisoning relates to this report of birds that actually were tested. Thanks to the person with a conscience who let the public know what is going on!
In 2008 an employee of the Department of Conservation leaked an internal report to The Dominion Post. This internal report acknowledged the death of the Kea Parrot due to aerial dropped 1080 poison.
The NZ Government is about to poison the Kea Parrot again with massive aerial drops of 1080 poison.
A small reality check here: our waters in NZ are no longer pristine … in fact only 40% of them are safe enough to swim in. Our PTB have settled for ‘Ok to wade in’. This warning by DOC was later retracted (see end of article) however in my opinion, from reading the info, the evidence for its safety doesn’t stack up. Do research it for yourself…. EnvirowatchRangitikei
New Zealand has some of the best trout fishing in the world!
Every year, thousands of international visitors wade pristine rivers in search of the freshwater game fish.
Large brown trout abound some back-country streams, and feisty rainbows reach weights of double figures in many regions. But there’s a problem facing New Zealand fishing, and it’s toxic, very toxic.
The Department of Conservation is using helicopters to aerially spread the deadly pesticide 1080 poison across New Zealand’s forests and streams. The poison is targeted at introduced possums and bush rats, but many other animals, birds and insects are killed, including deer.
The poison contaminates the food chain, and in a rare admission, the Department of Conservation is warning fishermen to avoid eating their catch, despite paying for the privilege …
This video clip shows that the poisoning of New Zealand’s trout goes much further than a few pesky mice…
Here is a media alert at the time from stuff.co.nz:
“Anglers are being warned to avoid eating fish caught in back country waters as they could be tainted by 1080 poison.
The Department of Conservation plans to aerially drop 1080 poison across 700,000 hectares of conservation land, mostly in the South Island, to reduce rodent numbers.
Fishing groups expressed concerns that mice – which were often eaten by trout – could carry sub-lethal amounts of 1080, posing a food safety risk for humans.
DOC commissioned independent research into the risk, finding 1080 levels in trout flesh were significantly higher than recognised food safety guidelines…..
DOC predictably scaled back their warning further down the track, however NZ Fish & Game advised erring on the side of caution … “Fish & Game advises that if you have concerns, you should not to eat trout flesh from trout caught in 1080-poisoned catchments, until advised otherwise.” The following video by the Graf Boys takes a closer look at the research cited which ‘officially’ deems the risk from 1080 to aquatic life ‘low’. There are holes in it.
I personally consider it essential for you to research 1080 for yourself. There is much spin about many products from corporations whose bottom line is profit. You need to keep an open mind and read the independent research as well. Long gone is the day we can simply trust what a corporation says. Their legal obligation is to their shareholders, not you. Don’t believe me? Watch The Corporation documentary. And eat any wildlife from poisoned areas at your own risk.
Published on Jan 3, 2015
In a letter to the CE of Waikato Regional Council, the CE of the Environmental Protection Authority suggests that 1080 poison does not harm aquatic life, and breaks down into harmless bi-products in water.
However, some of the research referenced – Niwa freshwater ecologist Dr Alistair Suren’s work – highlights a common trend in the poison industry, with regard to the misrepresentation of 1080-poison science by New Zealand authorities, and those that use the poison …
See also our 1080 pagesfor info & links, &/or search categories for further related articles (at left of any page).
Consider liking our FB page &/or following our blog (right of any page) to help spread the word on all the untruths we have been told – we are about exposing corruption and lies! Use the share buttons!
Following the recent shocking news about 1080 drops into the streams that flow into Lake Taupo, this info from an OIA request is very interesting. Now would you not, with that many precious and rare native birds, be testing as to HOW they died? You surely would not just presume, pests? And would you not actually TEST for poison, any poison?
Not long ago we posted an article on DOC’s failure to show one endangered species in recovery, in spite of $3.5 BILLION being spent! That’s a large sum of money to just shrug your shoulders at. There needs to be some accountability. People are asking questions and rightly so.
These Kiwis were only the tagged ones too, so the numbers may well be just the tip of the iceberg!
An important note to the few who think this article is emotive and inflammatory … PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT THE LINK PROVIDED at the end. There are further details about the OIA request, analyses of the results and responses by DOC.
Clearly folk have not read it in its entirety. And the point of my introductory remarks is that the dead birds were not tested by DOC for cause of death. Surely a logical thing to do, not just expect the public to assume/believe it wasn’t 1080?
EWR
“Surprisingly, given so much poison has been dropped across the forest, not a single kiwi from the 89 deaths has been tested for 1080 poison residues.”
This is an offical press release from the Graf Bothers
“It has been revealed through an OIA request that tagged kiwi have been dying in large numbers in one of our most heavily 1080 treated forests.
Aerial 1080 drops first began in the Tongariro Forest in 1976 and have been followed with subsequent drops in parts of the forest in 1988, 1989, 1991, and over much of the forest in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006. Another drop was carried out last week covering around 15,000 hectares.
It would be reasonable to assume, after so much 1080 poison has been spread across the forest, there could be no sign of a ferret or stoat for miles – surely?
Not so. In the last 5 years, revealed through the DoC OIA request, 89 tagged kiwi, of all ages, have died in the Tongariro forest. Keeping in mind that the tagged kiwi only represent a fraction of the wild population, the actual numbers, from a population perspective, may be enormous.
More concerning is what’s killing the birds. The assumed cause of death, in most cases … is predation by ferret. We are told by DoC kiwi can defend themselves from mustelid attacks, once they reach 1.5kg in weight. Yet, many of these birds are adults.
When discussing the use of 1080, the DoC use sentences like “overwhelmingly successful”, “very effective”, “rapid knockdown” to justify their poisoning campaigns.
“It’s the best tool we have for managing pests, and keeping predators at bay.” At least that’s what we’re lead to believe by The Department of Conservation, the PCE, and Forest and Bird.
But what’s really killing the birds? Surely not predators, going by what we’re told about the effectiveness of 1080 at eliminating them. If it is predators, it would also be reasonable to say that the use of 1080 poison clearly isn’t working. Surprisingly, given so much poison has been dropped across the forest, not a single kiwi from the 89 deaths has been tested for 1080 poison residues.
DoC say that the time-frames for the poison drops don’t line up with the likelihood that 1080 could be a cause of death. Given the amount of poison dropped in the forest over the last 35 years, all endemic species found dead within the poisoned boundaries should be tested for poison residues, simply to eliminate toxins as a cause of death. Surely?
More concerning is the fact that in the last 15 years, with tens of millions of hectares of habitat being poisoned, only 5 kiwi across all of New Zealand have been tested for 1080 poison residues. It should be noted that kiwi are known to eat 1080 cereal bait, and 1080 residues have been detected in kiwi droppings.
On top of the 7 poisoned kea three weeks ago, the 3 poisoned kaka earlier in the year, the loss of 11 kiwi at Mt Bruce, 21 ruru in the Waitutu, the poisoned fernbirds, robins, tomtits and others, it is becoming more clear that the experiments with 1080 poison across our forests, aren’t working.
After 35 years of poisoning campaigns, and desperately trying, there still isn’t a single, credible scientific research paper that demonstrates a net population benefit to any native species through the use of aerially applied 1080 poison. Not one! And yet the drops continue.
Responsible, ground control methods do work. 50,000 hectares of the northern Te Urewera National Park is managed by DoC, trappers and volunteers. No aerial 1080 poison is used. We need to encourage, and replicate these methods, and eliminate the future use of aerially applied poisons.
The Election is less than two months away. If you’d like to see an end to 1080 poison, and more responsible, sensible methods of pest control implemented, please consider giving your party vote to UnitedFuture – the only party in government to make the banning of 1080, policy.
on the 5th October DoC replied with a rebuttal to the claims of clyde graf
1080 kiwi claims extremely misleading
Wednesday, 5 October 2011, 12:46 pm
Press Release: Department of Conservation
1080 kiwi claims extremely misleading
The Department of Conservation is concerned factual information about kiwi deaths in the Tongariro Forest has been inaccurately portrayed by anti-1080 campaigners.
A media statement released yesterday by anti-1080 campaigner Clyde Graf linked biodegradable 1080 with the death of 89 kiwi in the Tongariro Forest Kiwi Sanctuary over the past five years.
The release, titled “89 Dead Kiwi – 1080 clearly not working” selectively quoted information provided by DOC and claimed that 1080 drops in the forest had failed to protect kiwi.
It also suggested the biodegradable toxin itself could be responsible for the kiwi deaths.
However DOC says the release fails to point out that 1080 – which breaks down naturally in soil within weeks – was last used in the forest sanctuary almost four months before the first recorded kiwi death.
“We know that kiwi are at very low risk from 1080. DOC has monitored more than 280 kiwi both through and after aerial 1080 operations – some for well over a year – and we have never lost a single bird to 1080.” said Dr. Avi Holzapfel, DOC’s Kiwi Recovery Group leader.
“Claiming that the data shows that 1080 does not control predators is equally misleading. Only about half the deaths could be linked to predation, and the majority of these were chicks killed by stoats in years when 1080 was not used”
“Mr Graf fails to point out that chick survival in this forest more than doubled in each of the two years after the last 1080 operation in 2006 when stoat numbers were very low, compared to years without 1080.”
“Rather than claiming that ongoing predation shows that our pest control is not working, Mr Graf should have put more focus on the fact that predator control at Tongariro has resulted in many more kiwi surviving than would have otherwise. Claiming that 1080 has failed because some kiwi are still being killed by predators is like saying that an emergency department in a hospital is failing because it can not save everyone.
Dr. Holzapfel acknowledges the impact ferrets have on adult birds, with more than 10 adult kiwi having been killed by these predators. “We are learning that ferrets in particular are a significant threat to adult kiwi, and we are adjusting our management to protect birds against this emerging threat. It demonstrates the many pressures kiwi are facing in the wild. But it is extremely misleading to suggest 1080 has somehow played a role in these deaths, ”
Mr Holzapfel said full details of all the information provided to Mr Graf on deaths in the kiwi sanctuary is available on DOC’s website: http://www.doc.govt.nz/1080kiwi
Further information about biodegradable 1080 and its use can also be found on DOC’s website or by visiting www.1080thefacts.co.nz
followed by more facts ……that show DoC really dont know and are misleading the public by continuing the she’ll be right approach
DoC 1080 Kiwi Analysis Misleading
Thursday, 6 October 2011, 2:01 pm
Press Release: The Graf Boys
Clyde Graf – The Graf Boys
Candidate for Coromandel – for UnitedFuture
DoC 1080 Kiwi Analysis Misleading
RE – In response to DoC’s “1080 kiwi claims extremely misleading”.
Firstly, I’d like to thank The Department of Conservation for the opportunity to raise further issues relating to the poor life expectancy for kiwi in the heavily 1080 poisoned Tongariro Forest.
DoC claim in their response…”we have never lost a single bird (kiwi) to 1080″. That’s an astounding statement! If DoC had have tested every kiwi that died within the poisoned area, they could make that claim. The fact is, from the information supplied, they haven’t tested a single bird for 1080 poison residues from within the Tongariro Forest. Therefore, the claim is redundant.
Given the absence of randomisation, replication, and controls in much of DoC research, it is difficult to come to any sound conclusion when referring to what the likely outcome would be if 1080 were not used. But taking into account the persistence of the department in defending it’s use of 1080, the data would likely be biased – hence the need for blinding.
In their response, DoC also claim … “Mr Graf fails to point out that chick survival in this forest more than doubled in each of the two years after the last 1080 operation in 2006 when stoat numbers were very low, compared with years without 1080”.
Once again, an astounding statement. Chick survival in the Tongariro Forest doesn’t look good, going by the information supplied by the DoC.
The following Information is contained in the DoC OIA …
Between September 2007 and March 2011 (about 4.5 years) 88 kiwi chicks were fitted with radio transmitters. Of these, only 5 are known to be alive – and of these, 3 were tagged within the last year.
So, only 2 kiwi chicks, from 85 (88, less the 3 fitted in the last 11 months) fitted with radio tags for a period of between 1 year and 4.5 years, are known to be still alive. That’s just over 2%.
If the 3 chicks that have been fitted in the last year are included, the percentage of known survivors from the original 88 is just over 5%. But this doesn’t mean these 5 birds are going to make it to adulthood. Chances are, they won’t.
Many birds are killed in the sub-adult age group. Of the 38 birds tagged between April 2006 and May 2010, 8 are known to be alive.
From July 2010, to July 2011, 25 sub-adult birds have been tagged. There has been a 1080 free period in the forest, since 2006 (up until a couple of weeks ago). Of these more recent 25 tagged birds, 22 were still alive as of the 31st of July 2011.
Of the 67 adult birds radio tagged, 24 are stated as being alive, as of July 2011.
19 are assumed to have been predated on, and 7 classed as “unknown” and “misadventure”. (Why were these birds not tested, to eliminate poison as a cause of death?). The remainder dropped their tracking equipment.
Kiwi can live for over 60 years. If so few kiwi chicks make it to adulthood in the Tongariro, and the tiny percentage that do are likely to be predated on, kiwi look like being extinct in the Tongariro forest within a generation.
It would seem the data is being selectively analysed by the DoC, and the public are being mis-informed. DoC are focusing on claiming they get a certain percentage of fledgling survival from many species of native birds, including kiwi. Fledgling success has nothing to do with population success. What good is it if a chick lives for a few months and dies, or is killed before reproducing?
If the data was analysed correctly, and looked at life-span, and not “fledgling success”, it would be determined that the use of 1080 for pest control, isn’t working. Not only is 1080 poisoning the entire ecosystem, it’s endangering the welfare of our native wildlife.
The information being fed to the public is that 1080 is helping kiwi survive, when in fact, there’s absolutely no evidence of that. New methodology is needed urgently – not more poison.
Conversely, we are informed that 5% of kiwi in untreated areas make it to adulthood. With targeted pest control, using trapping and non-persistent poisons, (not 1080) that figure could be raised substantially – if the use of 1080 was abandoned. Victor McClean, a kiwi recovery contractor on the Coromandel Peninsula, claims to get over 50% chick survival – without 1080 poison.
As a representative for UnitedFuture, I can say that I will be working hard to ensure that the UnitedFuture policy of banning 1080, is realised – and more responsible, sustainable pest control methods are employed.
Some facts on 1080 poison –
1080 is not only a primary (kills victim after ingesting the bait) killer, but also causes secondary poisoning. For example, if a kea eats a poisonous bait, as was the case 3 weeks ago, it will die. If a kea, the only carrion (dead flesh) eating parrot in the world, were to eat a 1080 poisoned possum carcass, it may also die from secondary poisoning.
Poisoned carcasses can kill for months, even years after primary poisoning occurs.
1080 is persistent, especially in winter. Baits can last for months in dry and cold areas – and in regard to how 1080 breaks down in soil – research is still being undertaken.
1080 is a broad spectrum insecticide, and many of our native birds are killed by eating poisoned insects. Kiwi are omnivores – meaning they eat insects, and other types of foods. The Tongariro food supply of many native species has been repeatedly poisoned over the last 35 years. It’s hardly any wonder kiwi aren’t doing well. We could safely assume many other native species are in the same boat.
We are yet to see the full impact that the poisoning of New Zealand forests is going to have.
The Auckland Council stated in its pacifying document that it used “highly accurate GPS application technology to apply bait”.
The truth is that GPS technology was used to ensure every stream and watercourse within the drop boundaries were spread with 1080 poison.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service set conditions “to protect human health”, and also helped with the “drinking water monitoring plan”, stated Auckland Council in a project document. However, it’s sobering to note that in 2008 the Ministry of Health stated “To date there are no known epidemiological studies that have been carried out in relation to 1080 and potential adverse health effects on humans.” It’s now 2016, and still no studies on chronic impacts have been done, but the areas the poison is being dropped into our environment continues to increase ….
See the GrafBoys’ channel at Youtube & their website called tv-wild.com for further info & research.
NOTE:
A reader comments:
“It’s worth noting too that when a Forestry firm sprayed “Release” spray (to keep base of new planting seeds weed free). After a heavy rain event the spray was found to have washed into 3 of the 4 water reservoirs used for Auckland water.As a result water was stopped from being used for 4 months.Yet when 1080 was dropped over the Hunuas, water was NOT stopped!” 16 August 2018
See our 1080 pages for more info & links, &/or search categories for further related articles (at left of any page).
Please also consider liking our FB page &/or following our blog (right of any page) and do spread the word on all the untruths we have been told!
For over 15 years the New Zealand Government has been systematically dropping massive amounts of food, laced with a cruel and universally toxic poison into its forest ecosystems. Enough poison every year to kill the entire population of NZ four times over. No other country is doing, or ever has done, anything remotely similar on such a scale.
Sodium Fluoroacetate
Animals poisoned by 1080 die a long, slow and horrible death
1080 is an alias for Monofluoroacetate, a chemical. It blocks a particular step in the Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle) which is essential for the metabolism of oxygen in every cell of every animal. It kills everything that breathes air, everything from earthworms to elephants, including native birds. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies 1080 as ‘Extremely Hazardous’, most countries ban it outright. NZ uses 85% of the world’s supply … I’m not sure what that means but I guess the world hasn’t figured out what a wonderful thing it really is.
Dr Q Whiting-OKeefe (BA Chemistry, Math), MD, FACMI
Poisoning Paradise Documentary
“The following New Zealand film has won 4 international environmental awards – but here in NZ, TV channels refuse to play it. Why? Because if they did, there would be outrage and riots over New Zealand’s use of aerially applied 1080 poison. See for yourself … ” From TheGrafBoys‘ Youtube Channel
In Oct 2014 two of Auckland’s water supply lakes were closed for four months because the herbicide metsulfuron-methyl has been found in them. Soon afterwards, Auckland City Council announced that they planned to drop 1080 on the Hunua Ranges, the source of their water supply. The Greymouth Star reported on Oct 16 2014 that the West Coast Regional Council had admitted they have a $500,00 investment in a new factory that is considering themanufacture of 1080 near Christchurch. A metabolic poison, 1080 is extremely toxic to all air-breathing organisms. In most countries it is banned outright or severely restricted because of its lethality and its indiscriminate killing power. For further information on 1080 (NZ uses about 90% of the world’s production!) read here: http://ban1080.co.nz/1080-facts/
DOC has received $3.5 billion of taxpayer’s money in the past decade, and not a single endangered bird species is in recovery on mainland NZ. And they have another significant drop planned for 2016.
From Bill Wallace at stuff.co.nz
“DOC is currently preparing the New Zealand public for another massive aerial 1080 poisoning of our forests in winter 2016, supposedly in response to yet another beech mast.
Masts or good flowering years of beech trees and other native plants are normal sporadic events. Some native birds only breed in mast years, it’s the way of nature, fluctuations of populations in response to food supply and environmental conditions. The same natural fluctuations occur with introduced species.
Last year’s Battle for the Birds poisoned an area the size of Taranaki supposedly in response to a beech mast and rat plague. The beech mast was light to moderate in most areas, and rat numbers in high altitude areas were at zero at the time of the 1080 drop in many areas. 1080 is a cruel inhumane poison that effectively chemically strangles it’s victims to death over many hours for the birds or days for large mammals.”
“Aerial 1080 randomly scattered over vast areas of our bush and mountains, often in breach of DOC’s own scientist’s advice and Standards, is the “dirtiest and cruellest” pretence at Conservation amongst developed nations (personal observation).”
“A year after 1080 poison rained from the sky as Reefton sisters were enjoying a picnic near Kokiri, both are still experiencing ill health and have lodged a claim with ACC.”
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