MAF's aerial child abuse must stop

With blanket aerial spraying of west Auckland about to resume for the Painted Apple moth even though no moths have been found for six months, it is appalling that MAF are now considering aerial spraying of large parts of east Auckland and Mt Wellington for the Fall Webworm moth, Helen Wiseman-Dare of West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying said today.

It is clear that MAF will not rest until they have blanketed vast tracts of New Zealand with Foray 48B, she said. Their total disregard for people's health is deeply concerning. Unicef figures show that New Zealand has the third-worst level of child abuse in the developed world. Our government's dismal record is being compounded by MAF's continuation of this aerial child abuse. Doctors in the spray zone have reported a 50% increase in child asthma cases alone, particularly in very young children. It is well known that children are most at risk from exposure to the spray due to their undeveloped immune systems.

New Zealand has some of the world's highest cancer and asthma rates and reports of these from the spray zone, amongst other adverse health effects, have reached alarming proportions.

The amount of spraying carried out in west Auckland is unprecedented anywhere in the world. Overseas, spraying is carried out three times at most, per season.

MAF's fixation on eradication of unwanted organisms at any cost, is totally unacceptable. The protection of private forestry should be paid for by the forestry industry, not by our children. This government-sanctioned aerial child abuse must stop.

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