Cleared land claim

Press, 27 July 1976, Page 1

Cleared land claim

The Ashburton farmer who lost a large number of sheep, apparently from 1080 poison laid to kill opossums, says that he was given a clearance by the Ashburton Pest Destruction Board to put his sheep back on the land on which the poison had been laid. Mr D. Harcourt said that poison-impregnated carrots had been laid over about 1500 acres of his farm on June 25 to eradicate opossums which had bovine TB. All of his stock was removed from the land. On July 15 tlje Pest Destruction Board took some of the carrots to find out if they were still toxic and on July 18 he was given a clearance by the board

to let his sheep back on to the land, he said. It was not until four days later — last Thursday — that he put any sheep on to the land and on Friday he noticed some of them were ill. Subsequently about 200 of them had died, he said. He said it was fairly clear that the 1080 poison had killed the sheep, although there was a possibility the deaths could have resulted from disease. The Ashburton Veterin ary Club had taken the

stomachs of two sheep to discover if 1080 poison had caused the deaths but the results were not yet known, he said. The board's chairman (Mr J. R. Bruce), said that he was awaiting a report from the toxicologist who tested the treated carrots. “T cannot say anything until I have his results.” he said. He added, however, that he thought July 18 was the clearance date given, although he could not be sure without consulting his field officers