1080

1080 Poison

HSI has launched a campaign to challenge Australia's over-reliance on 1080 poison as a means of controlling 'pest' animals.

1080 (sodium monofluoro-acetate) is a 'super' toxic poison. One teaspoon is sufficient to kill between 30 and 100 men each weighing 150 pounds. There is no known antidote. It is odourless, tasteless and soluble in water and has been evaluated for use for use in chemical warfare.

Recognising its dangers, 1080 was banned in the United States back in 1972. The ban was lifted in 1982, but its use today is very strictly controlled and only by licensed and trained personnel. NGOs in the US are chasing an outright ban. By contrast, the use of 1080 in Australia is widespread and poorly controlled. Incredibly, it can still be aerially dropped.

HSI's concern over the use of 1080 in Australia is twofold. We are concerned for the impacts on non-target native animals, particularly carnivorous marsupials. In captivity, tiger and eastern quolls are capable of detecting, digging up and consuming fox baits that have been buried at depths greater than those recommended by State agencies. The risks are higher again, when 1080 is aerial dropped as still occurs in many parts of Australia. In Tasmania it is actually native animals that are targeted, where baited carrots intended to kill possums and wallabies, considered pests by farmers and forestry operators, are readily available for other marsupials, including the threatened Tiger Quoll.

Our other concerns relate to animal welfare and are a question of ethics. Death by 1080 poison is one of the most cruel and inhumane ways in which an animal can die. Consumption through ingestion results in a painfully slow death over several hours from convulsions, cardiac arrest, failure of the central nervous system and respiratory arrest.

To address the conservation concerns we are campaigning to have 1080 poison listed as a Key Threatening Process on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which we hope will lead to a national Threat Abatement Plan.

A Threat Abatement Plan could review the way in which 1080 is administered in each state and territory, recommending tighter controls and stronger safeguards. It could recommend regulations for:

on ground assessments of the need for the poison,
bans on its use in the habitats of threatened species at risk,
bans on aerial dropping,
poisoning only to be carried out by licensed and trained officials,
the recovery of baits and poisoned carcasses to avoid secondary poisoning,
follow up assessments of the poisons effectiveness, and
assessments of the impacts on non target wildlife.

A TAP could also call for greater investment in the development of humane alternatives for controlling feral animals, for example sterilisation and contraception programs. It could also promote existing non-lethal alternatives, such as predator proof fencing and sound deterrents. As a long-term objective, a TAP could recommend a phase out of 1080 and the substitution of more selective and humane measures.

The current reliance on 1080 results in a failure to investigate and develop new options. This means that control programs are trapped in a pattern of repeating past methods and expecting improved results. This will not happen, 1080 is not a lasting solution. Resources need to be allocated to look at alternatives that could better meet animal welfare concerns and be more efficient, effective and better targeted in controlling feral animals.

While HSI is one of Australia's leading conservation organisations campaigning for stronger biodiversity protection, we also promote the humane treatment of all animals. There does not need to be a conflict between the two objectives. Where feral animals are a confirmed problem for wildlife or commercial interests, we must strive for humane solutions. HSI hopes our campaign for tighter control of 1080, will spur on the development and adoption of solutions that are humane and safer for native wildlife, and that in the end will be more lasting and effective in controlling feral animals.