Fish & Game plea for care with 1080

Fish & Game claims that those who gather food from waterways may be at risk of 1080 poisoning.

Fish & Game is calling on the Department of Conservation to do more to reduce the threat it claims that 1080 poses to people gathering food from waterways, saying the department's current efforts are inadequate and self-serving.

Last week, on the eve of the opening of the trout season, DOC issued a warning to anglers not to eat fish from 1080 drop areas for a week after a poisoning operation, saying while it would be rare, it was possible that eating trout that had consumed 1080 bait could present a risk.

The warning had come after Fish & Game raised "serious concerns" with both DOC and the Ministry of Primary Industries about the health threat anglers were exposing themselves to by eating trout that had consumed 1080.

Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson said while DOC's acceptance of public health responsibility over the 1080 issue was pleasing, the warning did not go far enough. He believed a withholding period of a month was warranted.

"Fish & Game has trialled how attractive 1080 baits are to trout, and unfortunately we have found they will eat them," Mr Johnson said.

"As a result, we have asked DOC not to drop 1080 into or immediately beside rivers and streams.

"The technology to do this is readily available, and is already used in aerial poisoning operations along conservation land boundaries to stop 1080 falling on to neighbouring properties.

"We thought we had reached agreement for this to happen, but DOC now appears reluctant to commit itself to this course of action, and we must now assume it has failed to instruct its helicopter operators dropping the 1080.

"We are especially concerned that DOC is conducting a major 1080 drop in trophy trout waters, such as the Kahurangi National Park, over the opening period of the trout fishing season. These rivers and streams attract local and international anglers who value them highly, yet now face a co-ordinated poisoning operation.

"I expect they will be pretty disgusted if they are showered with 1080 pellets, as has happened in previous years."

Fish & Game did not oppose efforts to save New Zealand's indigenous species, but was seriously worried by DOC's inability to organise a poison drop at a less sensitive time of year.

It was also calling for more research into how susceptible trout were to ingesting 1080, and the health threat posed to humans by eating freshwater fish exposed to 1080.

"What we need is more robust scientific research to be undertaken to establish once and for all what the risk is to humans and freshwater species like trout, and the best way to mitigate that risk," Mr Johnson said.

"That will ensure the long-term safety of all people gathering food from rivers, lakes and streams."