Pro 1080 Line Flawed

"The support for 1080 by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is flawed", says Larry Baldock, Leader of the Kiwi Party. Mr Baldock said the government funded science for 1080 was not credible as government owned the 1080 factory and government funded agencies spread the poison.

"It is hardly consistent with our 100% pure clean green image that we are dropping one of the world's deadliest poisons all over our native bush. Added to that is the fact that 1080 kills everything in the cruellest manner and you wonder how any bird loving, animal welfare activist could support its use", continued Baldock.

"Shonky science about 1080 is shown by the gross over-estimate of 70 million possums government peddled for decades to justify poison campaigns. That figure had been revised to about 40 million but experienced outdoorsmen reckon that the figure might be below 10 million.

"Observation and science show 1080 has plummeted bird numbers. In addition long term effects are aggravating this as 1080 in sub-lethal doses impairs male fertility thus disrupting breeding. Either way, by direct deaths or disrupted breeding, native birds are suffering.

"The only commonsense conclusion is support for trapping possums, rats, stoats and weasels and utilising the possum resource in terms of fur. In addition there could be the potential of multi-million dollar possum meat exports for human consumption to Asia as well as pet food manufacture. However the use of 1080 prevents exports as most countries abhor and ban this deadly poison.

"This flawed conclusion by the Parliamentary Commissioner is most unfortunate and undermines the credibility of the office", concluded Baldock.

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