Annual Report on the Aerial Use of 1080

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For the year ended 31 December 201 3

Annual Report on the Aerial Use of 1080

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Cover photo: Rats feeding on eggs in a song thrush nest, Horowhenua, New Zealand. Kindly provided by Nga Manu Images.

On page 13 of this document we reported that of more than 530 water samples analysed for 1080, from both drinking water catchments and other water bodies, only 10 were above the method detection limit, and none of the samples came from drinking water catchments. This statement was incorrect and not consistent with previous years’ Annual Reports. 1080 was detected in two samples from drinking water catchments, but levels were well below the tolerable exposure limit (TEL). We amended this document on 7 December 2015 with the correct information.

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1080 is used to control animal pests including possums, rabbits, stoats and rats. It’s used for both conservation purposes and to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB).

1080 is one of the most closely-monitored hazardous substances in New Zealand. In 2007, 1080 was reassessed and controls on its aerial use were tightened. This is the seventh annual report and the sixth to include data from aerial operations since the reassessment. The report provides the number of operations for the 2013 calendar year, the amount of land covered, any incidents that occurred during operations and research about 1080.

Last year we published a five year review on the aerial use of 1080. The review analysed data from aerial 1080 drops from the previous five years and showed that there have been significant improvements in the use of aerial 1080.

The review concluded that the tighter management regime is working and there is no indication that a further reassessment of 1080 is required.

The main findings of this seventh annual report are again consistent with previous years showing that the regime is working as intended and the benefits of using 1080 are being seen while the risks are minimised.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) received 57 reports of aerial 1080 operations in 2013, covering 448,210 hectares. This equates to more aerial 1080 operations than the previous year and the operations covered a larger area. The difference in total area covered and numbers of operations is likely to be due to the cycle of pest control operations.

Of the 57 operations in 2013, there were eight breaches of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) legislation controls, which occurred during seven operations. The number of breaches is up from five reported in 2012, but is still below the 11 reported in 2011. The number of public incidents decreased from four to two and the number of dog deaths reduced from six to two.

There were seven other incidents not related to breaches of HSNO controls, including two cases of stock deaths likely to be from 1080.

The majority of incidents continue to be reported by operators and funding agencies rather than by members of the public or other agencies.

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Introduction

The reassessment of 1080 for use in pest control was completed by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) New Zealand in August 2007. The Authority concluded that the benefits of using 1080 outweighed the adverse effects and decided to allow the continued use of 1080 with additional controls.

In reaching its decision, the Authority recognised the importance of engagement through better communication and consultation with the public, local communities, Māori and special interest groups. The Authority’s decision outlined a management regime for 1080 operations, which included the requirement for operators to provide reports on all aerial 1080 operations. A report would then be issued annually on the outcome of those operations.

This is the seventh annual report since the release of the reassessment decision. It provides information on:

›› aerial 1080 operations that were carried out in the 2013 calendar year

›› research that was carried out up until July 2014.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment concluded in her 2011¹ report and her 2013²update report that 1080 is the best form of pest control currently available to help protect native flora and fauna.

Last year the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) completed a five-year review on the aerial use of 1080.

Analysis of data from 2007 to 2012 has shown that the tighter regime is being followed and there has been a significant improvement in the use of aerial 1080.

Operators show a willingness to continually improve and learn from past mistakes and communications about 1080 operations have improved substantially.

Incidents and complaints have decreased and water quality remains unaffected. The five year review concluded that the tighter management regime for aerial 1080 operations is working and no further reassessment of 1080 is required at this time.

Sectors that use aerial application of 1080 for pest control

Control of animal pests including possums, wallabies, rabbits, rats and stoats is carried out using both ground control and aerial application of poisons.

Ground control may include methods such as trapping, shooting or placement of various toxins in bait stations. The toxins, or vertebrate toxic agents, may include 1080.

Aerial application uses aircraft to distribute baits and is considered by users to be a key advantage where pest control is undertaken on rugged or remote land.

Different users carry out pest control operations using aerially applied 1080 for different reasons. The organisations that aerially apply 1080 are:

›› TBfree New Zealand

›› the Department of Conservation

›› regional councils

›› other land managers.

TBfree New Zealand

TBfree New Zealand is responsible for managing and implementing the National Pest Management Strategy for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB Strategy) in New Zealand, under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

1 Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, June 2011; Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests.

2 Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, June 2013; Update report on the original investigation, Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests.

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The TB strategy was approved by the Government in 1998, was amended in 2004 and again in 2011. The plan provides for measures to control TB in cattle and deer herds, and works in two ways:

›› disease control – aiming to control and contain the spread of the disease within cattle and deer herds

›› vector control – aiming to control and contain the wild animal species (in most cases possums) responsible for spreading the disease to cattle and deer.

TBfree New Zealand uses a combination of ground control methods and aerially-applied 1080 in their strategy for containing and controlling possums.

In 2013 TBfree New Zealand treated approximately 298,397 hectares using aerial application of 1080.

The Department of Conservation

New Zealand has many unique species of plants and animals because they evolved without the presence of mammalian species. Introduced species such as possums, rats, stoats and ferrets pose not only a serious threat to the survival of New Zealand’s native species but also threaten to destroy entire ecosystems through predation, browsing and competition.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages approximately 8.75 million hectares of conservation land. It uses a combination of ground control methods and aerial application of 1080 to:

›› improve the health of ecosystems by reducing the impact of browsing, competition and predation by possums, rats and other introduced pests

›› protect threatened species from predators through direct control and secondary poisoning³

›› control rabbits.

DOC’s total area under sustained management is about 1.8 million hectares⁴. In 2013, approximately 126,287 hectares were treated by DOC using aerial application of 1080 – around 10,000 hectares less than in 2012.

Regional councils

Under the Resource Management Act 1991, regional councils are responsible for maintaining indigenous biological diversity in their regions. They are also required to manage pests under the Biosecurity Act 1993. The councils achieve these responsibilities through:

›› local regulation (for example regional pest management plans)

›› incentive and education schemes

›› direct (regional council managed) control.

Where regional councils directly control animal pests they use a combination of ground control methods and aerial application of 1080. This control reduces the impact of browsing, competition and predation by possums, and protects threatened species from other pests.

In 2013, regional councils reported aerially applying 1080 to approximately 16,109 hectares.

Other land managers

Farmers and land managers (such as Land Information New Zealand) use a combination of aerial application of 1080 and other rabbit control methods like shooting and using ground-laid poisons to reduce the environmental effects of rabbits. These pest control methods are used to meet the requirements of regional pest management plans or for pest control on individual farms to protect crops.

3 Scavenging pests such as rats and mice are controlled using secondary poisoning.

4 Not including the Chatham Islands and sub-Antarctic islands.

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In some areas, referred to as rabbit-prone land, the rabbit population is not curbed by natural mechanisms and numbers can increase quickly. Such an increase in numbers can cause environmental effects such as:

›› a reduction in the diversity of plant species

›› an increased risk of erosion

›› a reduction in soil quality

›› adverse effects on indigenous and other fauna when predators of rabbits (such as cats and mustelids) target alternative prey⁵.

Large areas of the South Island are at risk from rabbits. Approximately 380,000 hectares are considered extremely rabbit-prone, and about 630,000 hectares are considered highly rabbit-prone.

Most of these areas are in Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough⁶. In 2013, 1080 was aerially-applied for rabbit control over approximately 7,417 hectares. This is a decrease of over 4500 hectares in the area 1080 was aerially applied to in 2012.

Land managers, such as foresters, also use a combination of ground control methods and aerial application of 1080 to reduce the impact of browsing by possums in indigenous or production forests.

5 See www.ecan.govt.nz/advice/your-land/plant-animal-pests/managing-animal-pests/pages/rabbits.aspx

6 Lough, RS 2009. The Current State of Rabbit Management in New Zealand, MAF Biosecurity Contract Report, Wellington.

Application information

The pest management cycle for an area under sustained management spans several years. Every year parts of the area will be controlled by different methods at different times. This means that some parts of an area under sustained management will be treated by aerial application on a five to seven year cycle, while other areas may only ever be covered by ground control methods.

Table 1 shows treatment areas for different land managers from 2008-2013. It shows that the area of land treated by aerial application of 1080 has been reasonably consistent since 2008 when monitoring began.

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TABLE 1: Aerial 1080 treatment area (000 ha)

TBFREE NZ DOC REGIONAL COUNCILS

OTHER LAND MANAGERS TOTAL AREA RABBIT POSSUM

2008 Aerial treatment area (1080) 425 107 5 14 13 564

2009 Aerial treatment area (1080) 314 167 17 17 - 515

2010 Aerial treatment area (1080) 254 171 5 9 - 439

2011 Aerial treatment area (1080) 344⁷ 127 5 10 5 491

2012 Aerial treatment area (1080) 279⁸ 136 5⁹ 12 - 432

2013 Aerial treatment area (1080) 298 126 16 7 448

A dash (-) signifies that no operations were reported.

Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand hectares.

7 Includes combined TBfree New Zealand and DOC operation of 31,500 ha.

8 Includes combined TBfree New Zealand and regional council operation of 27,084 ha.

9 Includes combined Council lead and DOC co-funded operation of 2428 ha.

TBfree New Zealand conducts aerial 1080 operations over a considerably larger total area and aerially- applies more 1080 than any other user. Each year, TBfree New Zealand treats more than half the land treated with aerially applied 1080.

While TBfree New Zealand is the largest user of 1080, the amount of land aerial 1080 has been applied to over the last five years represents only three percent of TBfree New Zealand’s total pest control area, which is approximately 10 million hectares. This is because a significant proportion of TBfree New Zealand’s pest control area includes farmland, with aerial 1080 being used mostly on the remote fringe areas.

By comparison, a significant proportion of DOC pest control occurs in more difficult forested terrain.

However, as with TBfree New Zealand aerial 1080 is used on only a small proportion of the land managed by DOC. Eight percent of the 1.8 million hectares managed by DOC has been treated with aerial 1080 in the last five years.

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Aerial pest control operations

Operational managers are required to submit information after an aerial 1080 operation, including:

›› who undertook the operation and why

›› information about the 1080 formulations used and application rates

›› the location and size of the operation

›› monitoring information, including:

›› water monitoring, if it was carried out in conjunction with the operation and ›› species monitoring, if it was carried out in

conjunction with the operation

›› an assessment of the outcomes of the operation

›› an overview of the communication activities (consultation and notification) and the outcomes of that communication

›› an overview of any incidents and complaints related to the operation, and the actions that resulted from those incidents and complaints

›› a map of the operational area.

Individual post-operational reports are available on our website: www.epa.govt.nz.

Post-operational reports

Operation management

The EPA received reports for 57 aerial 1080 operations in the 2013 calendar year, covering approximately 448,000 hectares. The majority of this area was treated by TBfree New Zealand (66 percent) and the Department of Conservation (28 percent). The remaining area was treated for rabbit, possum and wallaby control by regional councils and other land managers.

Of the reported operations:

›› 26 were funded by TBfree New Zealand

›› one was a joint operation by TBfree New Zealand and DOC

›› 12 were funded by DOC

›› two were funded by a regional council

›› 16 were funded by other land managers for rabbit control.

There were nine more aerial 1080 operations in 2013 than in 2012 and these covered a larger treatment area of 448,210 hectares (431,983 hectares were treated with aerially applied 1080 in 2012). TBfree New Zealand’s aerial 1080 operation numbers increased while DOC’s remained the same¹⁰. Both organisations reported a higher percentage of their total treatment areas having been controlled using aerial application of 1080. This difference is more likely to indicate where each organisation is in their treatment cycle, rather than an increase in the use of aerial 1080.

10 The number of operations include a joint TBfree New Zealand and DOC operation.

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Formulations of 1080 and application rates All of the aerial operations to control possums, rodents, or both, used 1080-laced cereal baits with a concentration of 1.5 grams of 1080 per kilogram of bait. Deer repellent-coated cereal baits were used in 15 of the 41 possum, and possum and rodent control operations. Carrot baits were not used on any possum control aerial operation in 2013.

All but one of the rabbit control operations reported using carrot baits laced with 1080 at the rate of 0.2 grams per kilogram of bait. The different concentration rates of 1080 used for rabbit and possum baits are due to the differences in susceptibility to the toxin between species.

Bait application rates for possum and rodent control operations varied between 0.5 and two kilograms of bait per hectare, with rates for rabbit control varying between five¹¹ and 35 kilograms of bait per hectare. The difference in application rates reflects the differences in pest numbers and feeding patterns between target species.

Despite the differences in toxic concentrations and application rates, the average application rate of 1080 was similar to previous years for both rabbit and possum control operations. The average application rate was approximately 2.8 grams of 1080 per hectare for possum control and 4.6 grams per hectare for rabbits. Both application rates are below the maximum allowable rate of 30 grams of 1080 per hectare.

Location of operations

The number of aerial 1080 operations in each region, and the sectors using 1080, varies depending on the purpose of the operation, topography and land cover.

The regions with the largest number of aerial 1080 operations were Otago with 16, Waikato with 10 operations and West Coast with nine. However, the reasons for the operations differ and so the areas treated also differ. The Waikato is highly pastoral with most operations being for TB control. The West Coast has 37 percent coverage of indigenous forest, and aerial application of 1080 for possum control is considered a key tool in possum and rodent control programmes. In Otago, most of the aerial 1080 operations are carried out for rabbit control.

11 Using cereal baits.

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Size of operations

The total land area of 1080 aerial application in 2013 was 448,210 hectares. The average size of aerial application was 7,863 hectares, with the largest application covering just over 42,000 hectares and the smallest 60 hectares. This is comparable to the size of operations in previous years. The size of the operation can depend on its purpose and location. DOC and TBfree New Zealand mostly carry out aerial 1080 operations to control possums and other predators over larger tracts of land.

Figure 1: Total area of aerial 1080 applications in each region (hectares)

West Coast Wellington Waikato Tasman Taranaki Manawatu/WhanganuiMarlborough Hawkes Bay Canterbury

Otago

Southland Bay of Plenty

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000

Bigger operations can increase the time it takes pest numbers to rebuild since fewer pests migrate into the heart of the treated areas. The average size of aerial 1080 application was 10,523 hectares for DOC and 11,051 hectares for TBfree New Zealand.

By comparison, the average size of aerial 1080 rabbit control operations undertaken by other land managers was 463 hectares.

Figure 1 shows the area of aerial application by region for all users. The largest area of application was in the West Coast followed by Waikato. While Otago has a larger number of operations than West Coast or Waikato the total area covered is much smaller. This is due to the majority of operations being for rabbit control operations which are smaller in size. These results are consistent with data presented in previous years.

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Communication

Good communication can reduce public concern and result in fewer incidents. The EPA expects operators to both consult and notify with

neighbours, affected groups and communities to an extent appropriate for each operation.

Consultation with Māori groups

Māori groups should be engaged as early as possible when an aerial 1080 operation is to be carried out on public land that may affect Māori cultural and natural resources.

Māori stakeholders were consulted in 97.5 percent (39 out of 40) of the aerial operations that took place on public land in 2013. This is a similar rate of Māori consultation as seen in 2012 with 35 out of 36 operations on public land undertaking consultation. Changes to operational plans as a result of consultation with Māori were not specifically identified in any 2013 operational reports.

Consultation with hunting groups

Hunting groups are generally engaged when an aerial 1080 operation is to be carried out on public land if hunting could be affected. Early engagement with these groups is especially important in recreational hunting areas,¹² and where commercial harvesting of animals for meat is prevalent. Hunting groups were consulted in 63 percent (25 out of 40) of the operations that took place on public land in 2013. This is a decrease compared to the rate reported in 2012 with 26 out of 36 operations reporting consultation with hunting groups.

Changes to operations as a result of consultation Changes to operations as a result of consultation are considered an indicator of whether the consultation was effective. Nineteen of the post-operational reports for 2013 identified one or more changes to the operational plan as a result of consultation. The changes to operational plans are summarised below:

›› seventeen operations reported boundary changes

›› one operation made changes following concerns expressed by local land owners. This resulted in the operational plan excluding an area of kea habitat

›› six operations changed the timing of the application to allow others to manage stock rotation

›› eleven operations changed from aerial to ground application of 1080 for parts of the operation

›› two operations added deer repellent

›› one operation trialled a bird repellant.

Communications Guideline for Aerial 1080 Operations

Operators must consult prior to applying for permission to use 1080 and provide evidence of consultation in their application. Prior to granting permission for an aerial 1080 operation, Public Health Units (PHU) assess consultation against the Communications Guideline for Aerial 1080 Operations¹³. The Ministry of Health (MoH) reports the results of these assessments to the EPA.

The Ministry reported that 71 applications for aerial 1080 operations were assessed against the guideline in 2013. Sixty-six of the applications met

12 The eight recreational hunting areas are North Pureora Conservation Park, Kaimanawa, Kaweka, Haurangi, Lake Sumner, Mt. Oxford and Mt. Thomas, Greenstone/Caples beside Lake Wakatipu, and Blue Mountains.

13 This report is available on the EPA website: www.epa.govt.nz.

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the requirements of the guideline but five required more consultation to meet the standard set out in the communications guideline before a permission was issued. No permissions were declined.

Weather and other site specific conditions mean that not all of the 68 applications for 1080 operations assessed by the MoH resulted in completed operations.

Monitoring

Water monitoring

If an aerial 1080 operation is within the catchment of a drinking water supply, the local PHU may require water monitoring before water intakes are reconnected. This is done to ensure that drinking water does not contain 1080 residues that breach the tolerable exposure limit (3.5 micrograms of 1080 per litre of water). The tolerable exposure limit is set at a level that protects human health.

Water monitoring may also be required in other water catchments as part of environmental monitoring for resource consents or for research purposes. It may also be used to provide evidence where PHUs are investigating concerns about alleged water contamination.

Post-operational water monitoring was carried out for 17 of the aerial 1080 operations in 2013, with over 70 individual tests reported. The tests can detect down to 0.1 micrograms of 1080 per litre of water.

No samples contained concentrations of 1080 above the method detection limit. Since 2008 there have been more than 530 water samples analysed for 1080, from both drinking water catchments and other water bodies.

Out of these samples only 10 of these were above the method detection limit, two were from drinking water

catchments, and all were below the human health tolerable exposure limit. Operators and regulatory bodies are likely to continue to test water to verify that specific operations pose no risk to water supplies.

Species monitoring

Plant and animal species are monitored to determine the need for pest control operations and their success.

Species monitoring is not a mandatory requirement for 1080 operations, but where monitoring is carried out, operators must report the results to the EPA.

Pre-operational monitoring of pest species was carried out in 51 (89 percent) of the aerial 1080 operations undertaken in 2013. All rabbit control operations were monitored prior to aerial operations while 10 DOC and 23 TBfree New Zealand operations had pre-operational monitoring of pest species.

Post-operational monitoring of pest species was carried out on 31 (54 percent) of the aerial 1080 operations in 2013. For all but three of the monitored operations, the operators reported meeting their stated target for pest control¹⁴. Two operations had yet to complete monitoring.

Monitoring of species which benefit from 1080 operations was carried out on 18 operations to determine the effects of 1080 on them. Species monitored included kea, kaka, tomtits, native trees and native snails. This type of research is generally carried out over several years in order to identify trends in populations of native species following pest control operations. Monitoring of nesting success of rifleman, show that rifleman have dramatically higher nesting success immediately after aerial 1080 operations, with the effect lasting for at least a year.

14 Target results vary based on methods of monitoring and are included in the post-operation reports available on the EPA’s website: www.epa.govt.nz.

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Robin nesting success also dramatically increases following an aerial 1080 operation. However, it has not yet been determined how long this effect lasts. DOC has yet to analyse nesting success of other species such as weka, kaka and morepork after aerial 1080 operations as these species require larger samples before conclusions can be made about the effect of aerial 1080 on their nesting success. Details on this and other monitoring can be found on the Department of Conservation, TBfree New Zealand and Landcare Research websites.

Incidents and public concerns

The EPA is advised of complaints, incidents and activities associated with 1080 use in three ways:

›› the public registering their concerns – a member of the public contacts us to express concerns about a particular 1080 operation or related practice

›› incident reporting – an operator or agency contacts us to express concerns about a particular 1080 operation or related practices

›› media monitoring – we learn through our media monitoring service of incidents or concerns reported in the news.

Incidents related to specific operations are reported in post-operational reports. The reports for the 2013 operations are available on our website: www.epa.govt.nz.

Since 2008 industry and enforcement practices have improved and operators now have greater accountability when conducting aerial 1080

operations. For example, the way in which permissions are granted has been improved. This includes clearer conditions on permissions and better mapping of boundaries and exclusion zones. Industry has also developed standard operating procedures, which give clearer direction to operators about compliance requirements.

Enforcement and funding agencies have increased their resources for responding to public concerns, auditing against controls, permission conditions and standard operating procedures. This has led to improved responses to complaints and incidents, as well as improved detection of breaches.

There has been a significant change in the way that the EPA is advised of incidents and complaints. In 2008 and 2009, the majority of incidents were reported by the public, enforcement agencies and media. Since then the majority of complaints and incidents have been self-reported by operators.

Overview of incidents and public concerns There were 26 incidents, objections or concerns reported to the EPA in 2013 (Figure 2). Most of the reported incidents and concerns were reported by operators and funding agencies rather than members of the public. The total number of reported incidents includes several that are not related to the hazardous substances legislation.

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Figure 2: Incidents and public concerns reported to the EPA¹⁵

The number of breaches¹⁶ by operators continues to remain low. Eleven breaches were reported in 2008, three in 2009, six in 2010, 12 in 2011, five in 2012.

All reported incidents in 2013 were investigated:

›› two breaches were caused by interference or trespass by the public, down from four in 2011

›› three public objections to 1080 operations and one protest

›› three general complaints

›› three threats were made to operations or operation staff

›› three other incidents not relating to breaches of controls

›› two dog deaths due to members of the public entering 1080 drop zones

›› one incident was unsubstantiated.

15 The total number of reported incidents and public concerns is more than the combined breaches shown. Not all investigations revealed breaches.

16 A breach is a non-compliance with HSNO controls or other legal requirements.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0 10 20 30 40 50

Total Operator breach Public breach

Operator breaches

In 2013 there were eight breaches of HSNO controls by operators.

›› One of the operator breaches related to an incident where a malfunction in the spreader bucket caused a bait to be thrown near to a hut.

›› One of the operator breaches related to an incident where bait was flicked from the bucket during loading and landed outside the operational area.

›› Three breaches occurred from aircraft applying or spilling baits outside the area allowed by the permission conditions.

›› Two breaches were due to a failure to submit a post-operation report within the six-month deadline.

›› The remaining breach related to non-compliant signage placement for the operation.

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Incident summaries

This section contains information on the aerial 1080 incidents, objections and compliance issues reported to the EPA in 2013 (by region – north to south).

WAIKATO

There was one complaint and one public protest.

Operation: Hatepe Type: Complaint

Date occurred: February 2013

The Forest Manager had previously been notified of the planned operation. However, he failed to inform his logging crew who later complained when they found baits on the site.

Operation: Te Mauri o Moehau Type: Protest

Date occurred: June 2013

Seven protesters from the Coromandel Peninsula turned up to protest. There was no disruption to the operation.

TARANAKI

There was one operator breach of HSNO controls.

Operation: Whitecliffs

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: May 2013

The operator failed to submit a post-operation report to the EPA within the six-month deadline.

HAWKE’S BAY

There was one HSNO incident, one operator breach of HSNO controls, and one dog death.

Operation: Ngaruroro Tutaekuri Type: Public interference Date occurred: June 2013

Harvesting crew working in a commercial forest complained to the Forest Manager that they found 1080 baits on their machinery. At the time of baiting the pilot kept his distance from all three sites, as shown on his track log. The operator suspects that someone placed the bait on the machinery. It is not known who may have done this or why.

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: June 2013

Permission had been granted by the District Health Board for both aerial and ground control within the project area. However, two areas did not comply with the signage and communication conditions required by the permissions document. These non-compliances were identified by a Health Protection Officer who audited the project.

Three signs were not in place at locations determined by the permissions document. This was rectified by the operator once notified. Additionally, the Health Protection Officer who audited the operation believed the operator had not sufficiently communicated the scope of the operation. While warning signs were in the required locations along the Napier – Taihape Road, they were for the ground control methodology that had been implemented on adjacent land.

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Operation: Te Awahohonu Type: Dog death Date occurred: July 2013

A pet dog died of poisoning in Te Haroto which is close to the operation area. The dog was not tied up despite the owner receiving poison warning notification and advice from TBfree about the risks that 1080 can pose to dogs. Because the dog was not tied up it is likely it wandered into the operational area and ate the bait.

MANAWATU/WANGANUI

There were two non-HSNO incidents - one resulting in stock death and one operator breach of HSNO controls.

Operation: Orautoha

Type: Stock death incident non-HSNO Date occurred: June 2013

A 1080 operation area thought to have been fenced was not fenced and stock entered the area. DOC liaised with the landowner as the fence was their responsibility. DOC directed their staff to the location and stock identified within the operational block were destroyed.

Operation: Western Tararua Type: Incident

Date occurred: October 2013

A tramper emerged from the forestry block under pre-feed. An authorised staff member approached the tramper and escorted them from the loading site.

There was no 1080 bait being used at the time and warning signs were in place.

Operation: Waitaanga

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: April 2013

The operator failed to submit a post-operation report to the EPA within the six-month deadline.

WELLINGTON

There were three public objections, one complaint, one operator breach of HSNO controls and one public interference.

Operation: Akatarawa Type: Public objection Date occurred: April 2013

In an attempt to stop a 1080 operation a landowner next to the operation area said his water supply came from the operation area. However, it was found that he was actually on town water supply.

The landowner objected to the use of 1080 because he thinks it kills birds.

Type: Public objection

Date occurred: April/May 2013

A member of the public made two separate objections about the use of 1080 because they are a fur/skin hunter and thinks it kills everything.

Type: Public complaint Date occurred: April 2013

A landowner complained when a 1080 warning sign was discovered on their boundary fence. Although the 1080 operation area was some distance from their property and was separated by an untreated property, they did not expect to see a sign and took offence at it being placed on their side of the boundary. Once the reasoning for the sign was explained the landowner did not make further objections.

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Operation: Project Kaka

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: December 2013

The hose of a helicopter bucket malfunctioned, causing seven 1080 pellets to land within 50 m of Aokaparangi hut.

Type: Public interference Date occurred: December 2013

One 1080 bait was found within 50 m of Jumbo hut.

However, the helicopter did not fly in that area during the operation. Operator staff believe that a member of the public shifted the bait.

MARLBOROUGH

There was one incident and one operator breach of HSNO controls.

Operation: Tennyson Inlet Type: Non-HSNO incident Date occurred: November 2013

There was an uncommanded release of a helicopter bucket that was performing ‘trickle’ feeding of bait around sensitive areas of the treatment area boundary.

The incident happened a short time into the pilot’s proposed flight plan and resulted in the bucket being damaged to such an extent that it could not be used. It had close to 200 kg of toxic bait in it prior to separation and some of this spilt around the bucket impact site. All bait as far as practical was retrieved and disposed of.

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: November 2013

Walkers on the Nydia Track reported that a helicopter laying baits had flown over them and toxic pellets fell close to them leaving an awful taste in their mouth from the dust which fell around them. There were also reports of baits being encountered on the Nydia Track by other members of the public. A 20 m exclusion zone either side of the track had been imposed by MoH.

The allegations made by the walkers were taken seriously and a full investigation was implemented by MoH and DOC. The reports by DOC and MoH concluded that a sequential combination of the loss of a spreader bucket, injury to the senior pilot, disruption to the flying schedule, and worsening wind conditions, led to bait accidentally falling in the exclusion zone.

No baits were found in, or near water, and there is no evidence that public health was in any way impacted by the breach.

TASMAN

There were two threats made to operations, one dog death and one alleged stock death from 1080.

Operation: Barron Mt Campbell Graham North Type: Objection/threat

Date occurred: November 2013

A member of the public tried to disrupt the pre-feed operation by threatening to call the police, advertise on Facebook and threatened to buy a bulldozer and block a public road. The pre-feed application was not disrupted. The loading site was relocated for the 1080 application and the operation was undertaken without incident.

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Type: Objection/threat

Date occurred: November 2013

A landowner threatened to burn down a neighbour’s property and send packets of 1080 to their children because they had consented to allowing their property to be treated with 1080. Because of the threats, the consenting landowner withdrew consent to 1080 being applied on their property. No further action was taken.

Type: Dog death, public entering 1080 areas Date occurred: November 2013

A hunter took his dog into a 1080 treatment area after 1080 was laid. The hunter claims there were no warning signs in place but when he returned the following day there were signs. GPS sign placement details were provided by the contractor which confirmed signs were in place during the time the hunter entered the treatment area. The hunter had driven directly past a very large and very clear sign and failed to read it.

Type: Incident, alleged stock death Date occurred: November 2013

Stock from adjoining landowner strayed into a 1080 treatment area and were found dead. Although the carcasses were too decayed for testing it was assumed they died from 1080 poisoning. All appropriate consultation/notification processes were followed by the contractor.

WEST COAST

There was one complaint, one threat made against the operation and operator breach of HSNO controls.

Operation: McVicars Type: Complaint Date Occurred: July 2013

Members of the public contacted the Health Protection Unit and Regional Council to complain that aerial 1080 baiting was occurring in foggy conditions and without any warning signs being in place. However, no 1080 drop occurred at the time as this was the commencement of pre-feeding, which uses non-toxic baits. Additionally, the non-toxic baits were being applied within the operational area behind Reefton where fog levels where not an issue for visibility.

Type: Threat

Date occurred: July 2013

A contractor was putting up warning signs in the Big River hut to Soldiers Road area and was approached by a member of the public. They spoke pleasantly but not about the operation. Following this conversation the person left. When the contractor was travelling out of the area, they came across a threatening spray painted message on a tree. Further along the track a rope in a hangman noose spray painted the same colour was hanging from the tree.

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Operation: Otira

Type: Operator breach of HSNO controls Date occurred: August 2013

Several baits were discovered outside the operational area. However, no evidence from the flight lines mapping the operation showed any overfly of the permitted boundary. It is uncertain how the baits came to be outside the operational area. However, it may be a combination of the very steep landscape in the gorge with baits falling onto rocks and bouncing downhill and that GPS is not 100% accurate in such steep terrain. It’s also possible that wind was generated by the gorge terrain. The Public Health Unit was notified of the matter.

SOUTHLAND

There was one operator breach of HSNO controls and one incident.

Operation: Catlins

DOC provided a track log to the principal contractor during the consent process, which was not an accurate reflection of the true route of the track. This resulted in the flight lines of the operation being over areas that should have been excluded and bait subsequently fell on the Catlins River Track. The track was not walked prior to operations to confirm if the map provided by DOC was correct. Poor communication and planning, (pre, during & post operations) between the principal contractor and the sub-contractor responsible for walking and clearing tracks, meant that there was no knowledge of the incident occurring until MoH queried the sub-contractor directly during a desk based audit.

Bait being loaded into a spreading bucket fell outside of the bucket. A number of pellets fell onto the spinner plate and were flicked about the loading site. Sixteen pellets were flicked about the loading site and one pellet was found on a road verge and the rest were found on the grass near a forestry block along the fence line.

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Research

In its 2007 decision on the reassessment of 1080, ERMA recommended a government supported research programme into the use of 1080 and alternative pest control methods. This section provides a summary on research related to 1080 use that took place prior to 1 July 2014.

There are three distinct areas of research:

›› alternatives to the use of 1080

›› improvements to the use of 1080

›› other research related to 1080 use

›› new research.

Many of the research projects are ongoing, as

collection of data over an extended period is necessary to draw informed conclusions. The research has been funded or carried out by DOC, TBfree NZ, Connovation Ltd, Landcare Research or MBIE and further details can be found on their websites – www.doc.govt.nz, www.tbfree.org.nz, www.connovation.co.nz, www.landcareresearch.co.nz, www.msi.govt.nz.

Alternatives to the use of 1080

Projects included field trials and laboratory trials of cholecalciferol, zinc phosphide, diphacinone, coumatetralyl, humane red blood cell toxins, new generation rodenticides, and resetting toxin delivery devices. The efficacy, impacts, risks to non-target species, environmental risks, and benefits of alternative toxins to aerial 1080 have been considered.

Improvements in the use of 1080

Research in this field has focused on reducing the costs of using 1080 by reducing bait size and rates, using aeroplanes instead of helicopters and developing GPS controlled buckets. Work has also been done to improve targeting of pests and impacts on pest populations and their recovery after 1080 drops. Research into improving the efficacy of 1080 to improve welfare impacts on pest species, better

aerial baiting systems and strategies has also been carried out. Work has also been done on assessing and reducing impacts on non-target species such as Kea and Tomtits. Research is also looking at the ecological outcomes for birds where 1080 is used. Work has also been done to reduce the cost of ground control application of 1080 and cholecalciferol.

Other 1080 research

A number of projects looked at strategic considerations of pest control in New Zealand, such as the palatability and efficacy of baits held in storage, research into small mammal control, strategic technologies for multi-species control and the effectiveness of alternative strategies to control bovine tuberculosis. Assessment of the fate of 1080 in soil and potential impacts on water quality and research into the welfare impacts of lethal control methods was also carried out. Also studied was whether low intensity intervals of aerial 1080 use can maintain low possum and rat densities.

New research

A number of new research projects began in the last year. Research into the efficacy of 1080 bait with repellent, nesting successes and population outcomes of Rock Wrens, Whio, Kea and long tailed bats began.

Additionally, research into the long term ecological impacts of predator reduction on various native birds within a beech forest also started.

Work has also been undertaken to determine if 1080 control over large areas slows re-population by predators. What effect 1080 will have on the control of stoats above the tree line and research into quantifying1080 concentrations in overland flow, soil, water, shallow groundwater and surface water has also started. Research has also started about the risk of 1080 residue in trout after consuming contaminated mice.

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New research has also been undertaken in ways to improve the use of 1080. Research in this field has focused on improving the effectiveness of 1080 baits while also reducing the impacts on non-target species such as birds and deer. Recent research has been focused on determining the optimum bait size and hardness to increase effectiveness of the bait.

Determining the optimum hardness also reduces the level of bait fragmentation that occurs throughout the process from bait manufacture through to aerial application. Reduced fragmentation decreases the impact on non-target species as there is less risk of them ingesting smaller particles of bait. As well as this, there has been further research into developing a bird repellent to ensure that populations of birds such as Kea and Tomtits are not negatively impacted by aerial application of 1080. With the increased effectiveness of 1080 bait, lower sowing rates and strategies have been adopted, which also reduces the overall cost of aerially applying bait and reduces the amount of 1080 bait on the ground.

For more information about these research projects, see:

›› TBfree New Zealand:

http://www.tbfree.org.nz/tb-research.aspx

›› Department of Conservation: www.doc.govt.nz/

publications/science-and-technical/products/

series/doc-research-and-development-series/

archive/

›› Connovation Ltd: www.connovation.co.nz/

›› Landcare Research: www.landcareresearch.co.nz/

publications/newsletters/possnews/

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Annual Report on the Aerial Use of 1080

For the year ended 31 December 201 3