Myxomatosis

Press, 14 March 1987, Page 20

Myxomatosis

Sir,—lf the Agricultural Pests Destruction Council has a compelling economic case supporting the proposal to introduce two pests, myxomatosis and a flea, let us have this instead of Mr Ged Foley’s anecdotes (March 7). More than “one farmer having to reduce stock numbers as a result of the rabbit problem” is needed to balance the high national economic and social costs that this diabolical proposal will incur. This shameful plan should never have been hatched and the Government does us an injustice by taking it seriously. Public money should not be used to promote germ warfare on rabbits, via the A.P.D.C. and the Ministry of Agriculture. In any case, events have overtaken the usefulness of the A.P.D.C. and its public funding should be immediately withdrawn. Rabbits are an important resource and it is absurd to risk this with an outdated and barbarous solution.—Yours, etc., PETER S. GRANT. Nelson, March 7, 1987.

Sir,—A call for the use of myxomatosis to “put rabbits more in harmony with the environment” (Mr G. Foley, chairman of the Agricultural Pests Destruction Council, March 7) must be one of the most incongruous uses of the word harmony. It seems ironical that the front page of the same issue widely publicises the Roper Commission’s concern on violence in New Zealand society. While not denying that a rabbit problem does exist in some areas, this call for a violent and cruel solution does little for the status of our society. Other solutions may cost money also but, in return, would create employment rather than fostering redundancies. With an abundance of labour available in New Zealand, conventional methods of control have never been so readily available nor so socially and economically viable. — Yours, etc., C. PATTERSON. March 10, 1987.