This week the Department of Conservation has admitted that 50% (six out of 12) monitored kea died following a 1080 poison drop in the Matukituki Valley, near Wanaka. We dont know how many unmonitored kea died but must assume 50% of those too. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/six-kea-found-dead-near-wanaka-following-1080-drop This follows a series of cases where our iconic and endangered…
Category: DoC
Posts that are about the Department of Conservation.
1080 Poison- is it “deadly” or “safe”… surely something so important shouldn’t depend on who you ask?
1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) is approved and labelled as a “deadly poison”. In 2007 its re-approval by ERMA was limited to targeting possums. Rats, mast years and mega masts were not identified as a problem until recently. ERMA approved 1080 use but only where there was social licence, after consultation with affected communities, and only in…
Stop Poisoning our Wildlife
The long awaited Shark Cage Diving decision was released by the NZ Supreme Court last week. This was great news for Bluff and it’s shark cage divers Shark Experience Ltd as they are back in business when the Great Whites arrive in December as part of their annual migration. The court clarified the meaning of…
Public health officer admits one 1080 bait is close to a fatal dose for a 3 year old child
I’ve just read an extraordinary “Health Risk Assessment” by a redacted Taranaki Public Health Officer for DoC’s aerial application of 1080 to public roads and huts on Mount Taranaki and Kaitake Range. Its extraordinary firstly because the Health Officer is brutally honest about the toxicity and uncertainties of 1080 poison, admitting: Acute toxicity– 1080 has…
Poisoned tuatara, cockroaches and what else?
The first tuatara was poisoned with brodifacoum at Natureland zoo in August 2017 around the time when the Brook community was in court trying to stop the poisoning of the Brook Sanctuary. I’ve recently obtained OIA information from DoC which shows they knew about the wide array of wildlife and insects which are susceptible to…
Another 49 dead cows ….
We are still waiting for the EPA’s “independent” inquiry into the eight cows and three stillborn calves that were poisoned with 1080 by DoC at Mapara last year. Their draft report was due a month ago but it was recently postponed indefinitely by the EPA. Meanwhile there continue to be more suspicious deaths of cows….
EPA delegating to DoC to issue HSNO Act s95A permissions to itself
From: D Parker (MIN) Sent: Tuesday, 6 August 2019 3:56 PM To: ‘Sue Grey’ Subject: RE: Letter from Minister Parker regarding your OIA request Dear Sue Grey I refer to your Official Information Act included below this email. We have transferred your request to the EPA. The information to which your request relates is believed…
Is DoC Poisoning Takahe, Takahe food and other wildlife in Kahurangi National Park?
Dear Lou and Martin I note that DoC released Takahe in Kahurangi National Park last year. https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2018/wild-takahe-return-to-kahurangi/ https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2018/kahurangi-gets-takahe-tick-with-first-eggs-found/ Please can you urgently advise what steps have been taken by or on behalf of DoC to assess the risk to Takahe of using 1080 poison baits and/or to to protect Takahe and Tahake food and habitat…
OIA To Finance Minister
Dear MinisterPlease could you provide information held by you, your advisors, and/or Treasury to show: A) what information was provided to you and/or to treasury by or on behalf of DoC in support of the allocation of extra funds this year for (i) aerially poisoning much of New Zealand and (ii) providing extra security for…