Zealandia, 1080 and our forests

This year, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, released her report on the state of our indigenous forests. Let me quote

"It is seldom that I come to such a strong conclusion at the end of an investigation. But the possums, rats and stoats that have invaded our country will not leave of their own accord. Much of our identity as New Zealanders, along with the clean green brand with which we market our country to the world, is based on the ecosystems these pests are bent on destroying.

We cannot allow our forests to die."

The critical point at issue is the declining use of 1080 poison to remove possums, mustelids and rats. The map shows the vanishingly small part (dark green) of our conservation estate (light green) which is subject to pest eradication.

Jan Wright again:

"It is my view based on careful analysis of the evidence that not only should the use of 1080 continue (including in aerial operations) to protect our forests, but that we should use more of it."

The scientific evidence strongly supports the use and safety of 1080, as explained in the report, and in some simple FAQs on the Forest and Bird Society website
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/files/file/1080_FAQ_july2007.pdf

Yet in doing a deal with an MP outspoken in his antagonism to the use of 1080, our Prime Minister has just made this enemy of our forests and native wildlife Associate Minister for Conservation. By this action, John Key has made clear his indifference to the disaster facing our native fauna.

Tonight I spoke to a donors meeting at Zealandia (the Karori wildlife Sanctuary) about the Sanctuary Vision and its importance for New Zealand. The extraordinary discovery that we have made with Zealandia is that a halo of birds has been generated in its wider vicinity, because of the 1080 killing of predators in the surrounding forest carried out by the regional council. The lesson is not lost on Jim Lynch, the visionary who founded the sanctuary concept. Why not repeat such experience in our conservation estate, perhaps 12 100,000 ha 1080-controlled outer zones, with a 1,000 ha fenced predator free core in which native birds can flourish and spread to the outer zone? We could cover 15% of our conservation estate in this way, at a cost of no more than 20% of the current biodiversity budget of the Department of Conservation.

I will work with Jim to promote these "Lynch-Zealandia" zones. Our "Associate Minister for Possums and Weasels" might be surprised to discover that we New Zealanders care about our unique heritage. The Kiwi, the Takahe, the Kokako, the Tuatara, these are our Stonehenge, our Lascaux cave paintings, our Great Wall.

If you haven't been to Zealandia lately, go there. It's wonderful. And on a gentler note, here are John Lekner and Mary Redmayne standing outside the boundary fence last weekend, following a stroll with Miang and me amongst the birdsong.