1080 Annual Report Released

1080 Annual Report Released

The fifth annual report on the aerial use of 1080, released by the Environmental Protection Authority today, shows that over the last five years progress has been made in the safe management of 1080, through research, development of industry standards and better communication.

The findings of the report, which covers aerial use for the 2011 calendar year, also show that the regime is generally working as intended, says Andrea Eng, the EPA’s General Manager, Compliance.

“The rules for aerial operations are largely being followed, with most aerial operations taking place without incident,” Ms Eng says. “If there are incidents, operators and their funding agencies are now reporting these themselves, demonstrating a willingness by operators to continually improve practices through better self-reporting and enforcement agencies carrying out improved auditing.”

There were 49 aerial operations in 2011, covering approximately 492,000 hectares. Eleven breaches of controls from operator oversights or accidents were recorded, an increase of six from 2010. These were primarily due to baits being applied or spilled outside the area allowed by permission conditions. A further 11 breaches were caused by vandalism and interference by the public, down from 18 in 2010.

In its 2007 reassessment of 1080, the EPA stressed the importance of more research into alternative methods of pest control. This latest annual report includes information about 42 research projects, five of which are new projects looking at alternatives and improvements in the way 1080 is applied. A further two new projects are researching how to maintain low pest densities and evaluating how humane pest control tools are.

The report is available on the EPA’s website at http://authoring.epa.govt.nz/about-us/monitoring/1080/Pages/1080%20annual%20reports%20and%20other%20documents.aspx.

Notes to Editors

Control of animal pests including possums, wallabies, rabbits, rats and stoats is carried out using both ground control and aerial application.

Aerial application is the use of aircraft to distribute baits and is considered by users to be a key advantage where pest control is undertaken on rugged or remote land.

ENDS

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