Special report
Invariably interference by Man into natural ecosystems is disastrous says the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust.
Trust spokesman Laurie Collins of the West Coast was commenting on a current controversy over wild cats.
“Recent statements displaying a hatred of cats are wide the mark ecologically, whether the felines are domestic or wild. Cats are killers as any predator is. But they kill only for their needs, i.e. food. It’s no different to any predator – Man included. They kill,” he said.
Laurie Collins has had a wide experience in pest work. Initially as a young forestry trainee about 1958, when he worked on the first trials of 1080 poison in the Caples valley at Lake Wakatipu and then subsequent “pest” work with the Forest Service and regional councils. In addition he has had a life-long love of the wilderness recreationally.
“Removing a predator from a food chain invariably has adverse effects. A classic case was Macquarie Island, south of Tasmania. a rainy, windswept place teeming with wildlife. But things changed due to Man’s interference,” he explained.
The changes began with the extermination of the feral cats between 1985 and 2000 in an attempt to restore the island and its bird population to its pristine state. Once cats were eliminated, there followed an explosion in the rabbit population. The feline predators had been removed from the food chain. Primarily the cats were keeping the rabbits in check.
Explosion
The explosion of rabbits devastated the island as copious tussock grasses which consolidated the steep slopes were almost entirely denuded. This result was a loss of habitat for nesting birds and an increased number of landslides.
“You’d think people might learn from past mistakes because way back in 1867 the New Zealand weka was introduced as a source of food,” said Laurie Collins. Then weka put pressure on native Macquarie Island parakeet and rail, and the two species became extinct on the island. With less food weka numbers then declined plus killing of them towards the 1980s and the last weka was killed in 1988.
Feral cats had been recorded on the island way back in 1820. Everything was in equilibrium ecologically.
Same with 1080
Laurie Collins said 1080 poison in New Zealand used extensively by the Department of Conservation was a similar example of ill-advised interference.
“It’s the same with 1080 poison in New Zealand. 1080 aerially spread for rats, knocks them back, to a low percentage with 10-15% off the rodents surviving. But rats are superbly prolific breeders.
Eighteen months after 1080, the rats have bred back to pre-poison levels.
Three years after poison the rat numbers are three to four times original numbers – a super plague of rats. Then the main predator of rats, stoats with abundant food, spiral upwards in a big population increase”.
He said the rat explosions following 1080 aerial drops was in a Landcare Research study 2007.
The adverse effects of 1080 did not end there, as with greatly increased rat numbers, stoats whose main prey is rats and with more food, soared in numbers too.
“All DoC and Ospri have achieved is population explosions of rats then stoats,” he said. “That’s why every four years or thereabouts, another poison drop has to be made. You’d think DoC would know better since it’s documented in Landcare Research work.”
Careless, thoughtless interference into Nature’s food chain equilibrium is invariably counter-productive and disastrous said Laurie Collins who added “Caution and thought are needed.”
Laurie Collins – DOC should know better
Predators play an important role in the ecosystem. They act as conduits for energy transfer to higher trophic levels. They keep the prey population under control which otherwise may reach very high population density. If suddenly (e.g. by 1080 poison) you remove the majority of predators, the disruption sets in as shown by the sudden removal of rats by mass poisoning from the air. Mr Collins has admirably demonstrated the ecological mayhem that results.
Before the tsunami effect on abrupt removal of a predator from the food chain, think of the creatures directly killed. There is considerable evidence in research that DoC’s aerial 1080 operations are doing serious harm, since 1080 is toxic to all animals, killing large numbers of native species of birds, invertebrates and bats. Some scientists point to chronic and sublethal effects to vertebrate endocrine and reproductive systems, possibly humans.
The World Health Organisation classifies 1080 as “1A extremely hazardous”.
Not surprisingly no other country in the world is doing what DOC does – mass poisoning of an ecosystem on the scale that the department does.
Read the articles, in my opinion seems pretty accurate. Just hope the people its aimed at might one day listen. Obviously Mr. Collins has done his ground work, and I sincerely hope that he and others keep this type of information coming. well done.
Unfortunately the biggest user’s of 1080 poison, DoC, believe their own bull shite.
There’s a long history of ecosystem/food chain interference. Even with sea fisheries, the ministry’s over fishing of snapper allowed its prey paddle-crabs to increase and they in greater numbers preyed on toheroa, thereby decimating the shellfish.
Why cannot government (departments) learn from past mistakes?
Laurie Collins is logical and reasoned in his argument.
I think it is fair to say that conservation in New Zealand would be best served by disbanding the Department of Conservation and starting over again.
It is a shame that our very unique Kea are not prolific breeders and bounce back after 1080 is used to kill them and all animals around them as well
Human interference is evident everywhere and it is always a disaster. I live in the Marlborough sounds and after mass ecosystem upheaval allowing a mass pollution of green shell mussel farming plus poor practice and forestry silt run off, the Keneperu sound has been dead for near 40 years. Slowly nature is returning and the sound is finding a healthier balance. I hope nature strikes back by ridding us of the blight in green shells.
Politicians are blinded by industry promising the earth in jobs and growth followed by the green vote. As long as the DOC propaganda and lies surrounding the possum are still out in public domain the crazy Karens of this world will keep screaming for the predator free 2050 BS to continue. ( an impossible task and a complete waste of money)
Humanity is inescapably the greatest threat to our planet, its environment, and its ecosystems.
The slate cannot simply be wiped clean of the mistakes of the past.
If we do not learn from history .. then we are bound to repeat it.
Modern New Zealand has been around for the thicker end of 200 years.
It’s about time we accepted it for what it is.
Mass ecosystem interference is simply repeating the mistakes of the past.
The onslaught of Aerial 1080 .. indiscriminately spreading thousands of tonnes per annum .. across millions of hectares of pristine bush and backcountry .. is undoubtedly creating more problems than it is solving.
It is nothing short of ecocide .. on a massive scale.
Sadly, the forest hides the truth.
And the public are treated like mushrooms (kept in the dark, fed on BS).
Predator Free 2050 is no better.
In fact, it is already clear, it is set to be an expensive failure.
A senior Landcare Research Team Leader estimated the cost to be at least 1.6 trillion to eradicate the trio of so-called predator species (the inclusion of Possums in which is nothing short of a hoax) .. and that was on public land (the so-called DOC Estate) alone.
That’s only one-third of NZ’s geographical land area .. the easy but.
Eradication on the remaining two-thirds is an utter, absolute, total, impossibility.
New Zealand simply cannot afford PF2050 .. and this sort of nonsense is only contributing to our cost-of-living crisis (soaking up taxpayer funds far better spent on what-should-be higher priorities).
Here in NZ, we should stop trying to play God with our ecosystems .. we’re dismally bad at it .. and actually, we have much bigger fish to fry!!!
Sorry, should have read “.. the easy bit …”