Science Media Centre

‘Next generation’ tools for the control of pests in New Zealand were unveiled yesterday at the opening of the The Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation. The Centre was officially opened yesterday by Dr Nick Smith, Minister for the Environment, bringing together researchers from universities, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and private companie. New pest control [...]

An editorial in today’s New Zealand Herald acknowledges the shortcomings of 1080 but ultimately recognises the findings of the comprehensive 1080 report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. The report was released last week by by Dr Jan Wright, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, and supports the use of 1080 poison as pest control [...]

A comprehensive report advocating the use of 1080 poison to control pest population and protect native species is rekindling media attention on a long-standing issue. This morning, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright released a report examining the use of 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate). The report canvasses existing scientific evidence and ultimately supports the use [...]

Women face long wait for abortions New Zealand women seeking an abortion can expect to wait an average of 25 days after their first visit to a doctor before the procedure is carried out, according to research published online today in Reproductive Health, an open-access, peer-reviewed publication. The University of Auckland research team found that [...]

Researchers looking into a replacement for the poison 1080 (currently used to control the possum and other pest populations) say that while replacements are being developed, they are still up to 6 years away. A number of different pest-control products are in the pipelines, as there is increasing call for poisons that are humane and [...]

ONLINE MEDIA BRIEFING: Tues 20 July, 10 am (NZT) – Conservation efforts in New Zealand currently depend heavily on a single pesticide — sodium monofluoroacetate, or 1080. In its 2007 review of 1080 — widely-used in New Zealand to control pest animals in native ecosystems and agricultural land — ERMA (the Environmental Risk Management Authority) [...]

Shane Cowlishaw of the Southland Times writes about the reception of a proposal to drop 1080 poison bait into the Waitutu Forest. In response to the Department of Conservation’s proposal, thus far 50 submissions have opposed it, 4 have supported it, and 4 have remained neutral.  Forest and Bird Southland and the Southland Conservation Board [...]

1080 – the poison used to cull possums and other such invasive species – has been the subject of intensifying controversy, with multiple protests organised around the country against its use in aerial drops. However, Dianne Brunton of Massey University says that not using the poison could spell disaster for native species, amongst them many [...]

The pros and cons of using 1080 Sunday will see a series of rallies held nationwide to protest aerial drops of 1080 poison to control pests that prey on native birds. The debate over use of 1080 seems to have intensified, thanks in part to the debate created by a high-profile documentary on the subject [...]

Groups who want 1080 banned in New Zealand are preparing for nationwide protests this Sunday. 1080, or sodium fluoroacetate, is a pesticide used to kill pests such as possums and rats. Using 1080 to control invasive predators helps protect native bird species from extinction and reduces tuberculosis spreading across livestock. Aerial drops scatter carrot and [...]