Monday 20 July, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Farmers And Forest & Bird Unite to Explain 1080 Facts

The Pest Control Education Trust, a joint Federated Farmers and Forest & Bird initiative, today released ‘1080: The Facts’, a resource created to increase public understanding of 1080 and how it is used.

The fact sheet is an illustrated, easy-to-read rundown on which predators are targeted by 1080 and the native species that benefit from its use, and how using 1080 prevents the spread of bovine tuberculosis. It also outlines the precautions taken to ensure 1080 operations are safe.

Federated Farmers National Board Member and a Trustee of the Pest Control Education Trust (PCET) Chris Allen says the fact sheet has been produced in response to strong public demand for accessible, factual, summary information about 1080 and its use.

“The Trust receives a lot of requests from people – especially students and schools – looking for the facts about 1080 use and its impacts. This will help meet this need and enable those interested to link through to the detailed science behind the facts.”

Some points and case studies highlighted in the fact sheet are that:
• New Zealand has 2,700 species at risk of extinction1
• 9 out of 10 kiwi born in the wild die from predation before reaching maturity2
• Without predator control most female kokako are killed while sitting on their nests. But following four 1080 drops in the Mangatutu Ecological Area since 1989, 50 percent of kokako nests have been able to produce young and the kokako population has grown by 700 percent3
• Without predator control 60% of kea nests are attacked by predators4. But following a 1080 drop in Okarito in 20115 the kea nesting success rate increased from 51 percent to 100 percent
• The number of herds infected with TB has been reduced from 1,700 in 19946down to 80 herds infected in 20147, by controlling the possum population with aerial 1080.
PCET Trustee and Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell said controlling introduced animal pests in New Zealand involves some tough choices.

“The reality is that we’re dealing with a major, human-induced threat to our biodiversity and our economy. We have to choose either to allow introduced predators to kill our native species or to kill those introduced predators so that our native species can survive,” said Mr Hackwell.

The Pest Control Education Trust is a registered charity established in 2010 to foster public understanding of 1080 and its use to protect our biodiversity and our agriculture industry.

The fact sheet is available online at www.1080facts.co.nz . For hard copies, please contactinfo@1080facts.co.nz

ENDS

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