Myxomatosis

Press, 18 March 1987, Page 20

Myxomatosis

Sir,—l have read many letters to "The Press” opposing myxomatosis. They invariably display a monumental disregard for what New Zealanders call their “heritage.” Alien noxious animals must be strictly controlled for obvious reasons. Hares destroy most young vegetation from sea level to high altitude. Opossums destroy our forests and are excellent spreaders of tuberculosis. Rabbits destroy our environment and its capacity to retain water. Myxomatosis is an essential, and available, weapon in the war to preserve that environment for future generations. Its introduction to New Zealand will reduce rabbit populations to negligible levels, with enormous gains to conservation, at little cost to the community; reduce the use of poisons, allowing native wildlife to recover in the now depleted lands; enable available resources to be concentrated on opossum eradication. We have two choices; a deteriorating environment using more and more poison, or a healthy and productive land where native fauna and flora can again flourish. — Yours, etc., ALLAN INNES. March 15, 1987.