I can't believe that shit,why are they doing this? so cruel and heartless. why not birth control instead?

86% wow.

Good stuff, Dallas (the article, not the 1080). Always a good read.

I'm not a hunter, but a hiker who has also seen first hand what this foul poison does. Contrary to DOC assurances it is dropped in waterways and it is dropped on tracks. Creeks contain the bodies of pigs, deer, sheep and fish that have died following 1080 drops in my area. Add to these the numerous birds and invertebrates that also died and entered the food chain and you've got an extremely far from green clean NZ. There are more and more areas of NZ that are becoming 'No Go' areas for months on end and I also wonder what the long term effect of sub lethal doses entering the food chain is. (for animals and humans)
You can certainly not drink from water sources in these areas without apprehension - even months after a drop. Besides possible residual contamination, the low temperatures of creeks and the cover of bush canopy ensure that many pellets visibly survive long after DOC assurances that they would have 'broken down'.
Agendas, dollars and the backing of those who sit at desks and never see what is actually happening is allowing this insane practice to continue.
I fear that the only way these idiots will be stopped is when it is too late and the rest of the world who imports our foodstuffs and visits our 'green' shores suddenly realise what we are doing to our land and creatures and decides this is not a safe place to deal with.

Don't bother sending an email to John Key. He doesn't even know what 1080 is and your emails will be forwarded on to the Minister of Conservation who will get his boy racers in the sky to drop another few buckets full of 1080 poison all over clean,green NZ.
The Minister of Conservation is from Scotland.
He doesn't mind 1080 being aerial dropped from the top of NZ to the bottom of the South,yet it is banned in his home country.
Funny that.

Don't believe everything you see Dallas. There's a reason that 'documentary' (or home-made DVD) will never be shown on television - it's unbalanced, inaccurate, and was funded by the deerstalkers association, who have a vested interest. They want to reserve the right to blow deer away...

Interestingly, the Graf Bros have won an award for their DVD... probably not one they were angling for though.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/skeptics-slam-scare-stories-endangering-environment/5/25105

Until we can find something else to nail the pests that are making our wildlife extinct all over the country, then we must continue the battle. will your grandchildren thank you when their are no more kiwi?

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/skeptics-slam-scare-stories-endangering-environment/5/25105

Dallas, I would like to thank you for questioning the current pratcie of ecocide in New Zealand.

This was a letter I sent to the Waiheke News paper, last week, which I believe they printed. It is pertanent in this forum....

I could go on for hours refuting the claims made by DoC, F&B, and other bureaucratical gangs, who push poor quality science, and hypothetical evidence, to support their continued aerial 1080 assaults across New Zealand.

However, I wish to point out, that I believe many DoC staff are unaware of just how bad the "science", and evidence, used to support these devastating poison operations, is.
While conducting our film screenings around the country, we are encountering more and more DoC staff, that are in support of seeing the end to aerial poison operations in New Zealand - however, they are not permitted to speak out - as is also the case with possum hunting contractors, who are also required to sign "do not speak negatively about 1080", confidentiality agreements.

It is quite clear - the scientific studies used to support aerial 1080 operations, are of low quality.

Let's just look at one study mentioned recently. The Koura study.
There are claims made by DoC that 1080 does not kill Koura, based on the evidence in this study.
How do they come to this conclusion?
This study does not prove that Koura are not killed by 1080 poison!
What the study shows is, that the researchers killed all the Koura, within 8 days of them ingesting the poison. They found that Koura readily eat 1080 pellets. There was no evidence that 1080 was reducing in their bodies, and no evidence that 1080 does not kill Koura. The researchers killed each Koura, to test it, before the cold water invertebrates could die from the poison, and they tested them once - therefore, no sign of reduction.
(Invertebrates take longer to die from poisoning - Weta, for example, take up to 14 days.)

Moving on to more important issues - Did, at the conclusion of the Koura study, the authors recommend investigating the long term side effects, and long term breeding capabilities of sub-lethally poisoned Koura? No, of course not! That would imply that the researchers actually cared about how 1080 was affecting our fresh water invertebrates.

Did they recommend long term studies to investigate the effects on the native predators (including human) that feed on poisoned Koura? Of course not! That would surely mean an instant end to aerial poison operations - at least in a sensible world.
But these are surely the sane, caring New Zealander's expectations - not that of a bureaucracy dead set on using toxins and contaminates to realise their narrow minded, dictatorial agenda.

We constantly hear the pushers of 1080 claim that ERMA said this, ERMA said that...It is clearly pointed out in the documentary Poisoning Paradise, that the ERMA reassessment on 1080 was incestuous, and is nothing more than a political lapdog, and a "do as you're told" automated rubber stamp machine, that appears to have nothing to do with the welfare of our environment, wildlife, or people.

Good science depends on careful study design, and integrity - I asked scientists that appear on the Poisoning Paradise documentary, what makes a good scientific study - their reply.....The standard criteria for methodological quality = randomised controls, adequate replication, randomisation of plots, blinding of assessors, and correct statistical analysis…these are a few fundamental requisites of a quality scientific research study - of which, many we don't see in studies used to support aerial 1080 in New Zealand.

But I think the most disturbing part of this is how DoC, who have now watched the documentary Poisoning Paradise, are not deeply ashamed of their actions, in regard to aerial poison operations.....and how they continue to condone the practise of contaminating water ways - of Inflicting wicked cruelty upon 10's of thousands of animals every year - of Leaving poisonous carcasses in the forests and water ways, for other animals, birds, fish and insects to be lethally, and sub-lethally poisoned by - for mis-leading the people of New Zealand, and the world, in relation to our clean green image - for putting our export markets at risk - for their blatant breach of civil rights - for their double standards by continuing to allow members of the public to be prosecuted for killing native species, and for dirtying waterways (with cow crap, not deadly poison), but avoiding prosecution themselves.

I urge people not to just take our word for it - or the claims of DoC and others, that 56% of this, 34% of that, 95% of those... etc, etc, etc...but to open their eyes, and their minds, and investigate, and question the design and integrity of the studies and the evidence, and not to just rely on officials in uniforms, and departments with "creative names", to trumpet their "science", to support this ecocide - I beg people to watch Poisoning Paradise and see for yourself, if aerial poison operations are true to New Zealand's culture and image. It's that simple.

After all, it was stated by a great man..."Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth".
Albert Einstein.

So what's the solution....

I am personally for ground control, and believe it can be achieved, with a well orchestrated, national management plan that starts by targeting key areas of importance - bird sanctuary's etc - TB management etc - and then extend to other areas, in order of importance. There is scientific evidence to suggest that rugged terrain doesn't even need to be done - targeting the more manageable country is enough. The Animal Health Board have also proved that ground control is successful in managing TB.

The problem we currently have to deal with is the people in positions of influence, and power, trumpeting that ground control isn't an option. This is non-sense. They are defeating the true, clean, NZ method of control before it is given a chance to work. We need to re-educate these people, or have them replaced with people that encourage......"we must stop poisoning this country, and use man on the ground, with non-secondary, humane poisons, good trapping techniques, and encourage industry" type talk - and that it must be done!

At the moment, the authorities like to believe that if ground operators are making money from the possum, that they should not receive payment for doing the work. They are happy to spend over 100 million dollars contaminating this country, for no return, but not willing to cough up to support the man trying to make a living from it.
This is also non-sense.
We need to spend 200 million dollars, per year, on encouraging, supporting and developing sound ground control methods - we need to pay to get this country back to a clean nation. We must pay our workers well, encourage them, increase the number of warm huts in the back country, increase the track networks, and build the New Zealand bushman into an icon - a brave, tough, mountain man - woman, that lots of young people, and people with interests in the outdoors, will want to emulate.
We seriously consider using a bounty system, in some form, simply to keep track on possum numbers and encourage interest in the community.
To simply spout that "bounty doesn't work", is a classic case of how the current mind set of authority is to stem any viable solution, before it gets traction.

We can then build an industry from our wild animal management, and create a win-win situation, where we are earning export dollars, use responsible management methods, and keep our country healthy, happy and employed.

Thanks for your effort Dallas.

its unbelievable the arrogance of doc and these office wallas to try to tell us 1080 is not damageing our country they must spend thousands of dollas teaching these idiots how to lie with a straight face because they are good when the damage comes back to bite us just like 245t spray has these people should have to stand trial this stuff is killing our rivers and bush not to mention the cruelety they are infflicting on the wild life this is cruelety right at the top of the scale iv been in the mountains and bush for 45 years and these jokers havnt changed still arrogant why do our tv stations not show the graff boys video what more proof do they need john

Great to see hear that the Taupo District Council has displayed some sanity and has just abolished the aerial dropping of 1080. Hopefully others will follow suit. Nice to note that there are some 'decision makers' that don't swallow blanket assurances or take as gospel all literature put out by those with agendas.

I also am a hunter and have trapped for a living and this stuff is the most deadly killer of everything, how can people believe that a poison that was developed as an insectocide then used to kill mammals does not kill a whole eco systems is beyond reason.It has wiped out nearly every bird that lived in one of our local valleys and i would suspect that it has killed most of the insects as well, the place is silent now and will remain that way for a long time.
1080 has been detected in water according to landcare research 5% of streams and rivers had detectable levels of 1080 after one drop also no research has ever been done to see what damage sub lethal doses as low as 1ppt does to the eqautic community so thats another myth.1080 breaks down in water well 1080 placed in distilled water lasted for 10yrs with no loss of toxisity and when placed in alge laden water did not lose any of its bioside properties for a year the american EPA says 1080 is highly soluble in water and can each into ground water systems another myth. 1080 is natural found in plants not in NZ and and not the same chemistry ch2fcook=natural ch2fcoona compound 1080 manufactured and this is a stupid argument as uranium is natural as well but would you like me to drop it all over your backyard.

sooo...true

Sunday November 15th is a national day of protest against 1080.
Check out the enufisenuf website for details of whats happening in your area.We are sick of having our water catchment 'treated' with 1080.Theres plenty of trappers who could do with the work and not one carcass would end up in a water way.

The whole point of 'stop 1080' is the fact that 1080 is a cruel way to control populations of animals and that it also kills other animals in the doing! slowly and painfully! it may be a natural biodegradeable toxin but that does not mean that it makes it a good option nor a safe one and it is not unqualified pub talk! it is people who are concerned and who have seen the affects that it has, some first hand, we are a part of what makes New Zealand and are all intellegent people with qualifications and that have facts and proof of what 1080 does.

1080 is a terrible option and easy lazy way to control the population of certain animlas in New Zealand 'possums' there are alternatives to 1080!

and to you above- you clearly are not concerned about the painful slow deaths that alot of animals ijure!

how about you look at the affects and results that it has instead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCMybJoJk90

I am just one voice and there are many more to be heard!
you are entitled to your opinion but dont go on about facts when we have them right here infront of our eyes on how terrible 1080 really is!

its banned in most countries and new Zealand uses 80% of the worlds manufactured amount.

I've actually had a laugh at a lot of the comments here. Both sides are just as bad, either hiding facts, or completely over stating them.

1) 1080 basically does not break down in water, there just are not enough of the microorganisms in it to do so. It does get diluted to such an extent that it is undetectable though.

2) There are probably two poisons that are much more effective, humane, have low secondary kill rates etc. likely to be approved this year (unfortunately they are also more expensive) after a 10 year battle through stupid red tape. They both have some sort of antidote (still in development somewhat though).