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News
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QLD Urges Care For Birds |
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With the onset of the annual breeding season for birds, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has urged Central Queensland residents to be careful when using mouse and rat poisons, however the Queensland Government continues its aerial dispersal of 1080 baits through more than 15 million hectares of native forests and national parks, incorporating World Heritage areas. 1080 was banned in the United States in 1972, but 10 years later President Reagan allowed the poison’s severely restricted use to licensed parties who receive specialist training. Currently in the US the bait must not be used in the range of threatened species and all carcasses must be recovered and incinerated. This is in stark contrast with its use current use throughout a massive region of Queensland. Clear evidence is available that threatened species resident in Queensland, such as the Spotted-tail Quoll are susceptible to 1080 poisoning, and no allowance has been made for those rare Queensland populations of native dingos which scientists and conservation agencies are increasingly trying to conserve. “This ongoing action has the potential to devastate native Spotted Quoll and Dingo populations," said Nicola Beynon, Humane Society International’s Wildlife and Habitat’s Program Manager. "We consider cautioning residents to apply poisons with care during bird breeding season a little odd considering the wide-ranging implications of the current 1080 baiting campaign.” HSI receives regular reports of domestic dogs accidentally picking up baits and ingesting this highly lethal poison. The Queensland Government and QPWS have no carcass retrieval plan to follow up the widespread baiting campaign, so secondary poisoning from carcasses spread throughout a huge area of the state should remain of concern to residents and pet owners for at least the next twelve months. HSI plans to submit a nomination to have 1080 poisoning listed as a Key Threatening Process to threatened species on the Federal EPBC Act. |
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For further information please contact enquiry@hsi.org.au PO Box 439 Avalon NSW 2107 Australia Tel: +61 (02) 9973 1728 Fax: +61 (02) 9973 1729 |