Labour list MP Damien O'Connor today joined a growing chorus of high-profile people questioning the continued use of aerial 1080 poison on the West Coast.
While he did not directly criticise the poison, the former Buller dairy farmer said its continued use had lost public backing.
He called on the Animal Health Board and West Coast Regional Council to review their possum control programmes.
Mr O'Connor's comments come a day after West Coast iwi confirmed that as an "affected party" they were now refusing to sign their consent to the toxin.
"They have now received a very clear message from another stakeholder group that their use and management of 1080 on the West Coast is not widely supported," Mr O'Connor said.
Te Runanga o Makaawhio's opposition to further aerial drops was a "real blow" to the possum control programme on the West Coast and supported the growing concern throughout the region over the use of 1080, he said.
It also follows door-to-door surveys in Westland, from Kumara to Harihari, showing at least 93 percent opposition to the poison.
Mr O'Connor said he was being constantly confronted by people alarmed about proposed drops close to their towns or into their water catchment areas.
There was an urgent need for an open presentation, debate and consensus on possum control, he said.
"The importance of running a supported and effective eradication programme needs to be appreciated.
"We are reliant on both farming and tourism to drive a large part of our regional economy, and possums are harming both. If possums get out of control, those small furry Australians have the potential to destroy us."
