NEW RABBIT POISON

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27688, 18 June 1955, Page 6

NEW RABBIT POISON

TRIALS TO BE HELD IN WAIRARAPA STRICT SUPERVISION BY DEPARTMENT (Neto Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 17. Trials with sodium fluoracetate, commonly known as 1080. as a rabbit poison will shortly be conducted under strict departmental supervision in the Wairarapa. announced the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) today. “The remarkable success of the killer policy in rabbit pest control conducted by rabbit boards is being consolidated by careful inquirv into any new method of control,” he said. “Although boards are doing good work with arsenic, strychnine and phosphorus, the success achieved with 1080 in Tasmania, where its use as a rabbit poison was pioneered, decided the Government to send departmental officers there to investigate. They have returned with information that eriables experiments to be started in New Zealand without duplication of much of the work already done in Tasmania.'

“Precautions adopted with the handling of the poison in Tasmania, where its .supply and mixing for bait preparation are strictly controlled by Government officers, have prevented loss to humans or stock, and it is important that if 1080 is to be used in New Zealand we should have an equally fine record. “I hope that the announcement of the holding of these trials will curb any impatience there might be for general use of 1080.”