1080 drop not on Doc schedule

Chris Sydney.
Chris Sydney.
Department of Conservation plans for an aerial drop of 1080 poison on 23,000ha of land around Makarora do not feature in its programme before winter.

Doc's pesticide summary from March 1 to June 30 makes no mention of the Makarora operation, which covers the Cameron, Young, Blue, Makarora, Siberia and Wilkin Valleys.

The operation, targeting rodents and possums, was part of Doc's "battle for our birds'' programme, a nationwide response to an expected explosion of rodent numbers following a beech tree seeding event.

It was originally scheduled for late 2014 but was postponed until early last year.

In February last year, a fleet of helicopters and 40 Doc staff were in Makarora ready to start work, but the operation was postponed again because of problems with the GPS plotting of flight paths.

In May, a pre-feed of non-toxic bait was carried out but a follow-up with toxic bait was thwarted by snow.

Wanaka conservation services manager Chris Sydney said at that time the operation would be rescheduled for spring or early summer this year, with the exact date to be confirmed near the time.

Mr Sydney said the pre-feed would not have to be repeated because its effects "will last sufficiently until spring''.

The cost to that point was $182,795.

The ODT was unable to obtain comment from Doc yesterday about why the Makarora operation was not included in the pesticide summary.

Figures provided by Doc show widely fluctuating numbers of mice and rats in the Makarora area but a general increase in mice detected.

Anti-1080 campaigner Carol Sawyer was pleased the operation did not appear to be going ahead, but was concerned about what might have happened to the 66 tonnes of poisoned bait ordered for the operation.

Ms Sawyer said bait had a limited shelf life and she had been told unused bait was buried at a sites in either Southland or Canterbury.

"I would really like to know where it has gone.''

Ms Sawyer said the cereal bait contained sugar, cinnamon, green dye and 0.15% 1080.

She noted plans for a 1080 poisoning programme targeting possums on 5500ha of public land at Mt Roy, near Wanaka, was also not mentioned in Doc's pesticide summary.

An aerial drop of 1080 cereal pellets by TBfree New Zealand on 1606ha at Mt Gold, targeting possums, is scheduled between May 1 and September 30.

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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