Thread: SPCA call out 1080 for what it is - good on you !!

The only way 1080 will ever work is blanketing the entire country(which we can't) every year and that still won't kill all pests. Trapping(including self resetting) is a good option.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/...ection-project

One day in the future we'll look back at the 1080 use and think 'what the hell were we doing?'

Originally Posted by Maca49

Suppose it was pretty tough and lonely on the deer cullers in the 50s and 60s, no computers, phones, home comforts, they just got on and did it, even write books about it, they’re weren’t dumb buggers. No GPS, just maps and an old 303 with open sights, many times alone for months in the snow, fly camping. The worlds gone soft, we can’t do that again a million times better with all the mod cons we have today? Stop the excuses? Just Do It!

I agree mate. I think it's underappreciated how much skill experience and tenacity being a successful hunter or trapper requires.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/10...as-1080-stance

Conveniently Kea and Rock Wren were not mentioned at all in that clip, as always promote your successes whether they are yours or not and deny any existence of your failings thats the motto of any taxpayer fed company.

The solution to the complete eradication of possums, ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats and mice is easy to conceive. We simply need to find a species specific chemical compound that either neuters or spays or some how permanently prevents reproduction and then apply it widely across the country to each of the species. Once done it will result in there being no more animals of those species after the expiry of the lifetime of the youngest of them at the time of the application.

There you go fellas, it was easy to theorise the solution. Now all we need to do is find a bunch of clever scientists to identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it and then spread it it over every crack, crevice, rock and tree in the country. The bunny lovers and tree huggers will even be disarmed as each animal only will die naturally at the end of its life.

The down side (there is always a downside) is that while we wait out the time to research and identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it, spread it widely, and let the target species live to the end of their days, they (the target species) will continue doing what they do so we will need to continue to run a parallel program to protect the native species in the meantime. Oh and the other downside is the megagazzillion dollar budget that this would require.

Someone should pick this idea up and run with it. Rushy is prepared to gift the intellectual property he has vested in conceiving this ultimate solution (hasn’t someone else used that terminology) to the people of New Zealand for a small royalty of ten New Zealand cents per target species animal.

Originally Posted by Rushy

The solution to the complete eradication of possums, ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats and mice is easy to conceive. We simply need to find a species specific chemical compound that either neuters or spays or some how permanently prevents reproduction and then apply it widely across the country to each of the species. Once done it will result in there being no more animals of those species after the expiry of the lifetime of the youngest of them at the time of the application.

There you go fellas, it was easy to theorise the solution. Now all we need to do is find a bunch of clever scientists to identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it and then spread it it over every crack, crevice, rock and tree in the country. The bunny lovers and tree huggers will even be disarmed as each animal only will die naturally at the end of its life.

The down side (there is always a downside) is that while we wait out the time to research and identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it, spread it widely, and let the target species live to the end of their days, they (the target species) will continue doing what they do so we will need to continue to run a parallel program to protect the native species in the meantime. Oh and the other downside is the megagazzillion dollar budget that this would require.

Someone should pick this idea up and run with it. Rushy is prepared to gift the intellectual property he has vested in conceiving this ultimate solution (hasn’t someone else used that terminology) to the people of New Zealand for a small royalty of ten New Zealand cents per target species animal.

Sounds like a nice idea, but your final solution to the problem is flawed! (well probably) What happens when ten years down the track the new breed of cancer is discovered from all the chemicals? Im a fan of putting a decent bounty on the heads etc.
we could use a couple key Nazis to help devise an eradication programme. Finally something they would be appreciated for!

Originally Posted by 40mm

Sounds like a nice idea, but your final solution to the problem is flawed!

Drat it. I was already planning on receiving the royalties. Probably should tear up my resignation letter then.

Originally Posted by Rushy

The solution to the complete eradication of possums, ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats and mice is easy to conceive. We simply need to find a species specific chemical compound that either neuters or spays or some how permanently prevents reproduction and then apply it widely across the country to each of the species. Once done it will result in there being no more animals of those species after the expiry of the lifetime of the youngest of them at the time of the application.

There you go fellas, it was easy to theorise the solution. Now all we need to do is find a bunch of clever scientists to identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it and then spread it it over every crack, crevice, rock and tree in the country. The bunny lovers and tree huggers will even be disarmed as each animal only will die naturally at the end of its life.

The down side (there is always a downside) is that while we wait out the time to research and identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it, spread it widely, and let the target species live to the end of their days, they (the target species) will continue doing what they do so we will need to continue to run a parallel program to protect the native species in the meantime. Oh and the other downside is the megagazzillion dollar budget that this would require.

Someone should pick this idea up and run with it. Rushy is prepared to gift the intellectual property he has vested in conceiving this ultimate solution (hasn’t someone else used that terminology) to the people of New Zealand for a small royalty of ten New Zealand cents per target species animal.

Your better on Waikato, when are you back to normal and off holiday?

Originally Posted by Maca49

Your better on Waikato, when are you back to normal and off holiday?

I am suffering from the exposure to the South Island. Someone should confiscate their land and annex it to the North Island as they have far too much of it.

A new employment opportunity could be created for councellors and facillitators to run workshops where pests and native species are encouraged to live in perfect harmony like the black and white keys on a piano and anyone who eats another attendee will be told off in a non confrontational manner.

Originally Posted by Rushy

The solution to the complete eradication of possums, ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats and mice is easy to conceive. We simply need to find a species specific chemical compound that either neuters or spays or some how permanently prevents reproduction and then apply it widely across the country to each of the species. Once done it will result in there being no more animals of those species after the expiry of the lifetime of the youngest of them at the time of the application.

There you go fellas, it was easy to theorise the solution. Now all we need to do is find a bunch of clever scientists to identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it and then spread it it over every crack, crevice, rock and tree in the country. The bunny lovers and tree huggers will even be disarmed as each animal only will die naturally at the end of its life.

The down side (there is always a downside) is that while we wait out the time to research and identify the species specific chemical compound, mass produce it, spread it widely, and let the target species live to the end of their days, they (the target species) will continue doing what they do so we will need to continue to run a parallel program to protect the native species in the meantime. Oh and the other downside is the megagazzillion dollar budget that this would require.

Someone should pick this idea up and run with it. Rushy is prepared to gift the intellectual property he has vested in conceiving this ultimate solution (hasn’t someone else used that terminology) to the people of New Zealand for a small royalty of ten New Zealand cents per target species animal.

There is currently research on something similar.
The idea is to insert a gene that causes infertility into a virus that is naturally occurring in the target animal. As the genetically engineered virus spreads through the population more and more of them will become infertile. The problem with this though is the potential for the virus to spread to other countries where the pest animal are native. The Brits or Aussies might not take too kindly to their possums or stoats being wiped out by a genetically engine virus.
In the long run though I think the solution will lie in some form of biological control.

Saving natives birds by nuking everything with green rain is a flawed strategy, like predator free by 2050. Total idealistic delusional BS, as well as been cruel, inhuman and indiscriminant.
They’d be much better off taking the $30M per year and creating more fenced off “islands” like Maungatautatari, which can be maintained predator free and act as a breeding reservoir for native populations

Possums and stoats require a generous and sustained application of capitalism. Rewarding hunting/trapping eradication efforts.

I propose a controlled experiment - first wave Stewart Island, originally known as NZs South Island. Only ONE measure of success allowed: a growing native bird population. If after 10 years it is successful, move on up to the main island, NZ Middle Island, with a more expensive, larger scheme and lessons learnt.

How would such a scheme look like? What sort of reward per rat, possum or rabbit would make it worthwhile? What do farmers currently pay pest controllers per rabbit?

It all comes down to dollars. From memory it cost 11 million just to build the fence. That's before any pest work was done. The eradication job used brodificoum which is far more detrimental to the environment than 1080 due to it's bioaccumulation. I shudder to think how much we spread up there when I was there.
On top of that you need to employ staff to maintain the fence, respond to incursions (trees fall over smash the fence, pests get in.) And you need staff to look after the re reintroductions.
Your 30 million will get you 2 Maungatautaris if you are lucky.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Possums and stoats require a generous and sustained application of capitalism. Rewarding hunting/trapping eradication efforts.

I a controlled experiment - first wave Stewart Island, originally known as NZs South Island. Only ONE measure of success allowed: a growing native bird population. If after 10 years it is successful, move on up to the main island, NZ Middle Island, with a more expensive, larger scheme and lessons learnt.

How would such a scheme look?

You can't eradicate with trapping unfortunately. You might get 90 percent but the last 10 percent will take a huge proportion of your resources.
Trapping can be ineffective too. In Okarito back in the early 2000s i trapped stoats. It was a mast year an we caught hundreds of stoats. All the monitored kiwi chicks got eaten bar one. It survived because it was relocated to a pest free island.
1080 is also only suited for control. The reason for this is trap and bait shyness. 1080 is an acute toxin so if an animal recieves a sub lethal dose it will associate the bait it ate with what made it sick.
Brodificoum is used because it is a chronic toxin. It takes days to work and so when the animal gets sick it doesn't associate the bait with what made it ill.
Eradication jobs on offshore islands all use brodificoum.
Doc don't use it on the mainland though (Mainland islands being an exception) because it's such bad shit.
It ain't simple despite what some will have you believe.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Possums and stoats require a generous and sustained application of capitalism. Rewarding hunting/trapping eradication efforts.

I propose a controlled experiment - first wave Stewart Island, originally known as NZs South Island. Only ONE measure of success allowed: a growing native bird population. If after 10 years it is successful, move on up to the main island, NZ Middle Island, with a more expensive, larger scheme and lessons learnt.

How would such a scheme look like? What sort of reward per rat, possum or rabbit would make it worthwhile? What do farmers currently pay pest controllers per rabbit?

The Islands bird life is prolific at the moment along with rats and pussy cats.
Back five decades ago the bird life was prolific along with rats and pussy cats. Nothing at all has changed over that time except the idiots that are trying to control nature have become out of control.
Nah mate any new idea should start up North where most of these extremists live,,you could start by knocking their numbers down.
Back to the SPCA ??