There's more than one way to kill a moth

Green MP Ian Ewen-Street is calling on MAF to learn from its Auckland mistakes and abandon plans for an aerial spraying campaign over Hamilton.

"The asian gypsy moth does indeed pose a threat to our forests," said Mr Ewen-Street, the Green Biosecurity and Agriculture spokesperson. "But only one male moth has been found and there are a number of alternative strategies that should be tried before dousing the people of Hamilton in a chemical cocktail.

"A powerful artificial pheromone exists which would be effective at trapping and eliminating small numbers of moths.

"Why not use it first to determine the extent of the infestation and then consider more drastic options if the trapping regime shows the moth is more widely established?

"Drenching a city the size of Hamilton with the sort of chemical mix needed to be effective against the moth is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

"Given its mishandling of the painted apple moth campaign in Auckland, MAF has a vested interest in playing-down the health effects of aerial spray but the facts speak for themselves.

"Thousands of Aucklanders caught in the spray zone have reported ill-effects, with children, the elderly and people with asthma being particularly vulnerable.

"It is irresponsible to inflict this misery on the people of Hamilton when all possible alternatives have not been exhausted," said Mr Ewen-Street.

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