Tuesday, 7 June 2005

Baldock calls for 1080 poison moratorium

United Future environment spokesman Larry Baldock today called on the Government to adopt United Future's policy of a moratorium on aerial drops of 1080 poison until the full risks of the poison have been reassessed.

Tackling Conservation Minister Chris Carter in Parliament today, Mr Baldock asked why it had taken four years to date to reassess 1080 "given the environmental harm it could well be causing in the meantime?"

He also called on the Government to take up the joint United Future and Outdoor Recreation NZ call for an urgent all-stakeholder summit, involving environmental groups, the burgeoning possum recovery industry and hunters to identify the most effective way of dealing with New Zealand's pest problem.

Mr Baldock pointed out to Mr Carter that even the Conservation Department conceded that there is little benefit to show for its 1080 policy, citing a DOC discussion document that last year stated: 'The use of 1080 toxin to control possums for conservation purposes is not preventing the decline in the overall condition of our indigenous forests'.

"They're right. It isn't working, indeed its doing unnecessary damage to our outdoors and needs to be reassessed urgently," Mr Baldock said later.

ENDS

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