US bill to ban 1080 expected to pass - report

The main group behind a proposed United States Congress bill banning the use and export of 1080 poison believes the legislation will go through, reported Radio New Zealand today.

The station reported New Zealand is the largest user of the poison in the world, taking 90 per cent of the production from the only US factory licensed to make it - Tull Chemicals of Alabama.

Two previous bills banning the use, production and export of 1080 from the US failed to get enough support in Washington in 2005 and 2007, reported Radio New Zealand.

The station quoted Brooks Fahy, executive director of the conservation group Predator Defense, as saying 1080 is too dangerous to be used anywhere in the world.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DoC) told Radio New Zealand it didn't expect the bill to pass.

- NZ Herald staff