Thread: Tell 'em they're dreaming . . . Govt announces new policy, predator free by 2050

Originally Posted by TimF

You are talking abotu Calici virus - which was illegally imported to Nz rom Oz (SA) in some rabbit carcass It did not mutate. It was released no Sth Wandong Island and it seems fliles carried it over to the coast and into SA proper while testing was being done on how effective it was on rabbits. THe whole idea was that if it were shown safe it was going to be brewed up on large scale and spread all over at once.

The Calicivirus was imported as a live virus from Spain where it has been for generations as a rabbit virus. Possibly it could be rejigged genetically** to make it more virulent. Well it's in Nz, it make have kicked off a few rabbits in the SI, but it's not the cure all (zero rabbits and hares ) that Australians hoped for.

** GMO stuff (eg Canola) is allowed with restrictions in some Oz states. It's forbidden in Nz but I think that applies more to plants and edible animals. You'd likely never get much funding for GM work in any case in a Nz university lab.

Pre Calici i was rabbit monitoring for Land Care Research, part of the work involved taking out the rabbits predators, trapping & shooting all manner of wildlife, this created a boom in the rabbit population, (Quail population increased significantly) needless to say farmers weren’t thrilled with the research work. Soon after Calici Virus was released, that’s when the questions started…what did I know about the release of Calici, too much of a coincidence!

I find it bloody amusing they are talking predator free- I was with DOC and Forets service for 35 years doing animal control including some very big possum jobs - we never ever used the word eradicate it was always maintained control - yup they are dreaming - just Te Urewera alone at 500,000 acres no control - add to that Waioeka and Whirinaki to the North and south of there another 250,000 acres of bush no control Taranaki Public Conservation Estate without any control 100,000 acres the list goes on - DREAMING