“Hidden Agenda” of 1080 Poisoners Needs Scrutiny

A Fiordland 1080 aerial 1080 poisoning by TBfree NZ needs close scrutiny as to its purpose and justification says the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust.
The aerial poison drop is being carried out by TBfreeNZ, an arm of OSPRI formerly the Animal Health Board, who aim to eradicate bovine TB and blame possums for the transmitting the disease.
However, informed sources say monitoring of possums in the Hope River catchment of the proposed poison drop area, showed virtually no possums in the area. But recent reports indicated the drop would still proceed despite the absence of possums.
“Indeed further information is that even monitor researchers were puzzled as to the justification and reason for the drop, especially since TBfreeNZ ’s claim that possums spread bovine TB is simply a pretence,” he said.
Word also was that the Department of Conservation in the light of almost zero numbers of possums, considered cancelling the poisoning but then relented
saying even though there were no possums there, it was too late to stop the drop. Laurie Collins described DoC’s attitude as “weak and pathetic”.
The OSPRI fact sheet issued before the drop said the poison was for possums and rats.
“Since there’s no possums now it is only for rats,” said Laurie Colins.” But the poison drop is being done by OSPRI who are concerned only with bovine Tb. Questions about this ridiculous spending of taxpayer and farmers’ money need to be answered. Are OSPRI now pretending rats transmit bovine Tb? Why are OSPRI dropping 1080 in an area that has no farms ? Shouldn't farmers be asking hard questions ?”
Laurie Collins said a frequently asked question was about the purpose of 1080 drops when pre-poison monitoring showed low or zero numbers.
“Besides OSPRI and DoC know from questions in Parliament in 2016 by NZ First MP Richard Prosser to the then Minister of Agriculture that extensive autopsies of 9800 possums showed nil TB. Possums are not the imagined Tb spreaders which gives no reason for OSPRI’s existence.”
Laurie Collins said other sources indicated that the Department of Conservation’s hidden agenda was to eliminate deer on public lands.
“If so then it’s simply a crazed ideological obsession which has no conservation reason as deer were browsers of vegetation just as the now extinct moa had been for million of years,” he said. “Understandably SHOT is very concerned about wild deer being poisoned and suffering over a slow 48 hour agony to death, not to mention lack of reason and shocking waste of protein. But we’re equally concerned at the ecosystem damage to other creatures from vital insects and invertebrates to birds.”
Laurie Collins said both the Ministers of Conservation and Environment needed to ask hard questions since millions of dollars of public money were involved.

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