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1080 Poison

aus Bait in stream - Copy.jpg

Pure Compound 1080 poison (Sodium Fluoroacetate) is classified by the  World Health Organisation as "Ia" - their highest rating for toxicity. 1080 poison bait is aerially spread across forests and waterways in all aerial 1080 poisoning operations*

* See Toxin Flight Charts for details.

1080 poison bait is used to kill deer,  and pigs, possums, and rats. But many species of endemic birds are also poisoned. For toxicity, information see the Warning Labels.

The Department of Conservation has committed to spreading 800,000 hectares (1.9 million acres) of New Zealand's forests and waterways with 1,600,000* kilograms of deadly compound 1080 pesticide concealed in cereal food, in 2017  - enough poison to kill over 50 million people. The Department has been aerially spreading 1080 poison for many years, but has decided to increase its use - it claims it is spreading the poison to save New Zealand's endangered bird species. TBFree, OSPRI, and regional councils undertake additional aerial poisoning operations.  *(2kg bait/Hectare)

  

Page 4 of the Government-owned poison factory's warning label (below) states that just 30 grams of bait may kill a person. New Zealand is spreading enough 1080 poison (including other Govt agencies) across its forests and waterways to kill over 66 million people, every year (1 million hectares/2kg bait/Ha).

Department of Conservation
The Manufacturer of 1080 poison is Tull Chemicals, based in Alabama USA. Here are some photos of the Tull plant.

The Washington Post published a news story about the manufacture and world consumption of 1080 poison. Manufacturer, Charles Wigley states that the USA uses "less than 4 tablespoons" per year and most of the remaining 5 tons of pure 1080 poison goes to New Zealand - enough poison to kill over 20 million people. The population of New Zealand is 4.8 million.

Toxicologist Professor Ian Shaw explains the toxicity of 1080 poison.

Propaganda is often used by the poisoning agencies, their apologists and supporters to justify and endorse the use of 1080 poison. Some of the propaganda is targeted at children. In this video clip, children are encouraged to dress up dead possums - the best-dressed wins! In this news story raised by Lynley Tullock, baby possums are drowned by school children  - children are taught possums are evil, and cause terrible destruction to forests. There is no credible evidence for this claim. To the contrary, research shows possums can be of benefit to "ecological processes".

The cartoon below has been used in a 2011 English Level Two examination for school students. The cartoon is reportedly produced by Forest & Bird - a "non-profit" organisation which claims to assist with wildlife preservation, and which supports the aerial distribution of 1080 poison bait across New Zealand's forests and waterways. One of the numerous misleading statements in this cartoon is "GPS allows the bait to be spread very accurately so as to avoid streams." This statement is not only misleading, but it is also untrue. Official Toxin Flight Charts show exactly where 1080 poison bait is spread. In almost all aerial poisoning operations the baits are spread across most, if not all streams at the same rate as the land areas around them. "GPS" technology ensures the baits are dropped directly into waterways, not avoided.

Another statement is that deer, sheep, pigs and cattle are bigger and therefore less susceptible to the poison - this is another misleading statement. Two standard-sized 12-gram baits will kill an average-sized deer. 166 x 12-gram baits are spread across every hectare of land and water in a typical aerial operation (2kg bait/ha), with some operations now doubling that amount. To learn more about 1080 poison use in New Zealand and its impact on native bird species, view this international award-winning documentary.

Deer and other animals mentioned in the cartoon can find and eat dozens of baits before they feel the effects of the poison - making their carcasses massive poisonous baits for many months as they slowly decompose. The 100's of 1000's of poisoned possums and rats also become large poisonous baits as they decompose. Propaganda like this is regularly used by the poisoning agencies and their apologists, and this cartoon is a good example. 

The document below points out - fluoroacetate and fluorocitrate (when metabolised) are very toxic and persistent in the carcasses of poisoned animals - "unlike most other organic poisons". This is why all poisoned animal carcasses should be collected and properly destroyed as is instructed in the poison warning labels. Unfortunately, in New Zealand, 100's of 1000's of carcasses are left in the environment to decompose where they fall.

In 2014 the New Zealand Government declared a 1080 poison threat had been made against infant formula. In the BBC report, the NZ Govt is quoted saying that 1080 poison is safe for aerial distribution. and Prime Minister John Key stated that the threat was "a form of eco-terrorism - without a doubt". It eventuated that the 1080 poison threat was carried out by a poison-industry person, and not a campaigner opposed to the indiscriminate aerial spreading of 1080 poison across NZ forests and waterways.

 

As a result of Prime Minister John Key's eco-terrorism declaration, any person known to have objected to the use of 1080 poison in public (any informed person would), to have protested against its use or to have spoken out in media, was targeted by police as a possible suspect. Fingerprints and DNA were required to be given for suspects to be "eliminated" from the investigation. The New Zealand Government appeared to use the infant formula threat to intimidate, and to suppress public opposition to its poisoning operations.

It should be noted - the New Zealand Government may have a conflict of interest with regard to setting policy on aerial poisoning operations. It owns Orillion the poison company - formally known as Animal Control Products (changed in 2016) - and is responsible for, and advocates for spreading 1080 poison across New Zealand's forests and waterways.

Click the tab below to watch the international award-winning documentary Poisoning Paradise, which explains 1080 poison use in New Zealand and answers important questions.

Scientists, doctors, teachers, farmers, community groups and individuals give their testimonies, interwoven with footage from poison drop zones around New Zealand. Click here to help out

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