Fiona M. F. McQueen Our minds possess by nature an insatiable desire to know the truth. Cicero How can you reveal the truth if those to whom you are speaking do not want to hear? David Walsh, Author. Seven Deadly Sins. My pursuit of Lance Armstrong I This book is sold subject to the condition that it will not, by way of trade or otherwise, be re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. No part of this book may be reproduced by any process, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the prior permission of the author. Copyright 2017. Fiona McQueen ISBN: 9781872970 55 9 Published by Tross Publishing, P.O. Box 22 143, Khandallah, Wellington 6441, New Zealand. Printed by Your Books, 18 Cashew Street, Grenada North, Wellington, New Zealand Cover Design, layout and production: Clark Design [email protected] II ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fiona McQueen (MBChB, MD, FRACP) was born in Dunedin in 1958 and graduated from the University of Otago in Medicine in 1980. She has worked as a consultant rheumatologist within the New Zealand public health system for the last 26 years, mostly in the Auckland region, but more recently in Southland. She completed an MD in Immunology (University of Auckland) in 1996 and was made Professor of Rheumatology in 2009. She has had a distinguished international academic career and has been active in research and teaching. She has had a life-long passion for tramping and experiencing the New Zealand bush, especially the alpine regions of the South Island. This has led to a deep interest in conservation, shared by her two daughters who are also enthusiastic trampers. She and her husband now live in Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to many people who have assisted me with writing this book. In particular I would like to thank those who consented to be interviewed, including Caro Rennebeck, Dan Lane, Kaylyn McBrearty, James Veint, Dick Deaker, Jim Doherty, Mary Molloy and Pamela Adams. I am also most grateful to Jo Pollard for her assistance with editing as well as Justine Phillips and Alison Widnyana for good ideas and general encouragement. Lorraine Nielson provided invaluable assistance with referencing and Diane Stephenson helped immensely with graphics. Jo Boyd did a great job with cover photography. Clyde Graf and Bill Wallace have provided images and information as have many others belonging to the anti-1080 “network” including Carol Sawyer, Lew and Karen Hore and Bill Benfield. Thanks also to Bill Hodge for his good advice. LastIy, I must thank my husband Craig for his never-failing support and encouragement. III GLOSSARY Animal Control Products ACP was established as a registered company in 1991, becoming a Crown-Owned Company initially and subsequently a State-Owned Enterprise. Its purpose was to manage the importation and storage of toxins required to manufacture bait products for pest control. Brodifacoum An anticoagulant poison (second generation) Compound 1080 Sodium monofluoroacetate Density The density of bait sowing is now 2 - 5 kg/ha Department of Conservation The public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historical heritage Dose (bait) A single 1080 bait (Wanganui No. 7, mean weight = 6.4 g) contains 0.15% 1080 (i.e., 9.6 mg of 1080) Dose (lethal) The estimated minimum lethal dose (MLD) in humans is 0.7 mg/kg of body weight Dose (lethal child) A 14 kg child would need to consume 9.8 mg of 1080 (one bait) to reach the minimum lethal dose ERMA review (2007) The Environment Risk Management Authority was tasked with reassessing the use of 1080 for pest control in New Zealand. More than 1400 submissions were lodged. The 2007 decision was to approve the continued use of 1080 applying “more stringent controls” IV Exposure (daily) Acceptable daily exposure (ADE) for substances containing 1080 is 0.02 μg/kg of body weight/day. Exposure (index) Biologic exposure index (BEI) = 15 ppb – as tested in the urine of exposed workers. Landcare Research The research company set up and administered by the Department of Conservation. This organisation administers the New Zealand vertebrate pest research journal, Kararehe Kino. LD50 This is the dose of 1080 that will cause 50% of animals or insects that ingest it to die. This differs for different species. The dog has a very low LD50 at 0.06 mg/kg and is particularly susceptible to the poison. The LD50 for humans is 2 - 2.5 mg/kg. Ministry of Primary Industries The New Zealand government ministry that oversees pest control and food safety Orillion Orillion became the new trading name of Animal Control Products Limited in 2016. OSPRI Formed in 2013 after the Animal Health Board (AHB) and National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) merged. OSPRI administers the TBfree programme. Pindone An anticoagulant poison (second generation) Pre-feed Cereal pellets that do not contain 1080 are dropped several days before identical pellets that do contain poison. This is to encourage rats to take 1080 bait. V QuantiFERON-TB Gold A blood test that can reveal whether an animal (or human) has been exposed previously to TB Rongoa Plants used by Maori for medicinal purposes TB (free status) If the national herd bovine tuberculosis infection rate for cattle is < 0.2 %, this allows the country to have TB-free status. New Zealand has had a bovine TB infection rate of 0.04% for the last 10 years. Tbfree An arm of OSPRI dedicated to eliminating bovine TB Toxicity (end point) The toxicological end point is that level that caused no toxicity in test animals dosed with 1080 for 90 days. For rats this is set at 0.075 mg/ kg of body weight/day. Toxicity (LOEL) The lowest dose (of 1080) that does cause observable effects in experimental animals Toxicity (NOEL) The dose (of 1080) that causes no observable effects in experimental animals Water The maximum amount of 1080 residue allowed in drinking water by the Ministry of Health is 2.0 ppb VI ABBREVIATIONS 1080 Compound 1080 2,4,5T 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (a herbicide) ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation ADE Acceptable Daily Exposure ACVM Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines ACP Animal Control Products BEI Biologic Exposure Index CfCC Centre for Compassionate Conservation CORANZ Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ DDT dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (a pesticide) DOC Department of Conservation EPA Environment Protection Agency (United States) ERMA Environmental Risk Management Authority FATE Farmers Against 1080 GMO Genetically Modified Organisms Ha Hectare HSNO Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Kg Kilograms LD50. The lethal dose for 50% of animals tested (see Glossary) VII LOEL Lowest Observable Effects Level (for sub-lethal poisoning) MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries MLD Minimum Lethal Dose MPI Ministry of Primary Industries NZFSA New Zealand Food Safety Authority OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OSPRI Operational Solutions for Primary Industries P&WS Parks and Wildlife Service (Australia) PCR polymerase chain reaction ppb parts per billion PPD purified protein derivative (an extract of Mycobacterium tuberculosis) ppm parts per million RMA Resource Management Act RSPCA Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals SMFA sodium monofluouroacetate (another name for 1080) TB Tuberculosis TCA Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (also known as the Kreb’s cycle) UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization VTA Vertebrate Toxic Agents VIII CONTENTS PAGE Chapter 1. Fiordland 5 Chapter 2. History and worldwide use 9 Chapter 3. 1080 Poison – how it works 16 Chapter 4. Insects and other invertebrates 20 Chapter 5. Caro 29 Chapter 6. Of robins, tomtits and blue ducks 34 Chapter 7. Blackmail 45 Chapter 8. Water and fish 48 Chapter 9. Dan 59 Chapter 10. Kea, morepork and rock wren 67 Chapter 11. James 77 Chapter 12. Bees and bats 82 Chapter 13 Plants 87 Chapter 14 Jim 94 Chapter 15 Humans 98 Chapter 16. Mary 105 Chapter 17. Tuberculosis 111 Chapter 18. Pamela 121 Chapter 19. Animal Cruelty 127 Chapter 20. Deer, (Interviews, Kaylyn and Dick) 132 Chapter 21 Rats 139 Chapter 22 Stoats, mice and possums 146 Chapter 23. Boundaries and islands 157 Chapter 24. Psychology and Environmental Fascism 167 Chapter 25 Who benefits and who pays? 175 Chapter 26. What else can be done? 182 Chapter 27. Conclusions 193 Epilogue The Quiet Forest 203 References 207 IX PROLOGUE Malcolm arrived on Christmas Day, found on the footpath a tiny, scrawny, featherless entity with a huge appetite. A fledgling of some sort, possibly a myna. He was basically all beak (large, squawking with yellow around the edges) and, behind that, a small balding head with a few wisps of black feathery stuff sticking out the top. He did nothing for the first couple of weeks but squawk, eat and excrete. He lived in a box in the laundry. A tea towel was draped over it at night and the laundry door was firmly shut. Bumping sounds could be heard for a few minutes after lights-out but he would then quieten down until morning when he would start calling out again, needing to be fed. He was always ravenous and loved pre-soaked cat food, bits of orange and, most of all, honey water. He once tried some pale yellow honey from an orchard and savoured it like a Master Sommelier. But honey that had somehow come into contact with garlic (via a chopping board) was rejected with utter disdain.