Dickie – “In the meantime, the 1080 bait is proven useless.”

January 2008

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has completed a review of the chemical sodium fluoroacetate, commonly known as 1080.
The chemical is used for controlling feral animals. Its use for animal control was first pioneered in Australia as a rabbit poison in the early 1950s. It is now used to control wild dogs, feral pigs, foxes and rabbits, cats, dingoes.

The APVMA reviewed the use of 1080 because of concerns over poisoning of non-target animals. The review was started in July 2002.

The review found that although poisoning of non-target animals occurs, it is limited to individual animals and does not adversely affect overall populations of the non-target animals. The review also determined that the 1080 container labels do not have adequate instructions on them for the safe use of 1080.
The key outcomes of the review are (i) amendments to the labels and (ii) imposition of new conditions of registration.
The labels now contain adequate instructions for the chemical to be used safely with respect to the environment. As per the label instructions, it is mandatory for the users of 1080 to notify their neighbours of imminent baiting and to observe certain minimum distances from roads, dwellings and water sources while placing baits.
With these changes, the APVMA is satisfied that the continued use of products containing 1080 is unlikely to cause significant harm to non-target animals or to the environment.

1080 is approved for the control of vermin, wild dogs, feral pigs, foxes and rabbits.

Nicky “That is not to suggest that I support the obvious enjoyment people such as myopinion have for shooting harmless and defenceless animals for fun, however.”

There is enough scientific evidence that foxes ARE NOT harmless and defenceless animals which you and your kind seem to completely ignore. I make no excuses for shooting or baiting foxes and in my opinion the only good fox is a dead one! I wish sometimes I wasn’t such a good shot and didn’t hit them in the head every time.

Continued……….

Dickie – “In the meantime, the 1080 bait is proven useless.”

Effectiveness of 1080 in biodiversity conservation

Rabbits, feral pigs, foxes and wild dogs in Australia cause losses to agricultural production and cause environmental damage by removing native vegetation or preying on native animals.
Increases in native plant growth and return of associated bird life has been reported following rabbit baiting. In WA, the Western Shield fox-baiting program has allowed the recovery of various species including quolls, wallabies, bettongs, possums and numbats. Phascogales6 in WA appear to be unharmed by fox baiting. In western NSW, populations of rock wallabies and mallee fowl are increasing following successful fox control, while fox control in coastal regions has contributed to high fledging success in threatened shorebirds. Victorian baiting programs have noted positive effects on populations of bush-stone curlews, possums, dunnarts, phascogales, potoroos and bandicoots.

Alternatives to 1080

Several other vertebrate pest control techniques such as fencing, shooting and trapping, tree guards in plantations, repellents, are available as non-chemical alternatives to 1080.

Humaneness

In the interest of animal welfare, research has been conducted into the use of analgesics and sedatives in 1080 baits. The study report commented that if such methods were to be used more widely, further research would be needed to ensure that the additives have no detrimental effect on non-target animals.

The supply and use of 1080 is regulated by a combination of Commonwealth and State legislation. The APVMA regulates 1080 up to and at the point of retail sale. Once sold or supplied to the end-user, it comes under the regulation of individual State legislation.

It is difficult to understand why the advantages of broad scale baiting would be questioned.

The success of large-scale programs such as Western Shield provides strong evidence for the advantages of treating large areas. Experts in wildlife management were unanimous in their support for the benefits of 1080 for biodiversity. For example, the Australian Mammal Society emphasized the critical importance of broad scale 1080 baiting programs to the conservation of Australia’s mammalian fauna.

Obviously dickie knows more about the 1080 baiting programs than anyone.

I've just thought of a great idea that will please all the treehuggers & fairyland people.

We get all the feral animals together and as them to not be so cruel to the domestic animals. We explain to them the anguish they are causing the domestic animals and that if we really try, we can all get along & live in peace & harmony. Awwwwwww.....

Alternatives, Dickie. Alternatives.

I see plenty of insults and so forth, but little by way of alternatives.

For the umpteenth time, do you have any suggestions that will not result in an explosion of wild dog numbers and the accompanying destruction of native wildlife?

Speak of the alleged nastiness of 1080 all you want, but please try to acknowledge this crucial part of the debate. Acknowledge that halting 1080 use would either require an alternative method of control or massive increases in the wild dog population.

I'm willing to acknowledge 1080 has its problems. But as I've mentioned many times, it's a necessary evil in lieu of an alternative, which frankly, you remain unable to put forward.

So the logical conclusion is that you are indeed willing to countenance massive destruction of native wildlife provided wild dogs aren't hurt.

"For the umpteenth time, do you have any suggestions that will not result in an explosion of wild dog numbers and the accompanying destruction of native wildlife?"

For the umpteenth time, TRTL, you are truly unbelievable. You are so full of yourself, you didn't even read my post or do you also have a problem with comprehension?

"The use of analgesic, sedative or anxiety reducing agents combined with 1080 was proposed as a means to limit any potential suffering that may be associated with 1080 poisoning. This approach was suggested in recognition of the difficulties involved in assessing pain or distress states in foxes poisoned with 1080.

"The response of a range of animal welfare organisations to this work has been extremely positive. Both animal welfare stakeholders and farmers have indicated that incorporation of analgesic agents into 1080 predator baits is a positive and forward step that improves this practice." (Submission to Parliament June 2005 - House of Reps Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)

Now go away, please.

Dickie, given that you've stated: "in the meantime, 1080 bait is proven useless" I can only assume that you're not really in favour of using a 'useless' control mechanism.

Given your hostility to this, I had also concluded that you do not really support the use of analgesics in conjunction with 1080 as a control method.

Is this really your proposal? If you really are in favour of using 1080 and painkillers? Your rhetoric sounds far from supportive. If this is the course of action you recommend, why do you say 1080 is proven useless?

In fact, the only clear position you appear to be taking is that you're against cruelty to animals. Fair enough.

But you're not the only one. Believe it or not, the people you're attacking aren't in favour of cruelty to animals either. They just understand the damage wild dogs wreak upon the environment and are willing to take action.

Your rhetoric however, attacks those who support the use of 1080 at all.