Non-toxic bait forerunner to 1080 drop

Six helicopters spread 23 tonnes of non-toxic cereal bait on the mountains and valleys around Makarora yesterday.

The ''pre-feed'' is designed to prepare rodents and possums for bait laced with 1080 poison, which will be dropped sometime next week or the week after, depending on the weather.

The poisoning programme is being carried out by the Department of Conservation as part of its ''battle for our birds'' campaign.

Information on Doc's website since late last year has described the Makarora ''treatment area'' as 33,016ha.

However, Doc Wanaka spokeswoman Annette Grieve told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the area covered by the aerial drop was 23,000ha.

The difference was due to a ''re-mapping'' exercise that also delayed a previous attempt to carry out the Makarora part of the programme.

Ms Grieve said Doc had consulted the Ministry of Health, and the reasons for the difference in the size of the area treated included the need to leave safety ''buffers'' along rivers and tracks and difficulties getting helicopters into some places.

And, while Makarora was not badly affected by snow this week, the snow-covered mountain tops will also not be poisoned.

Ms Grieve said the operation went smoothly, despite some early fog. There was no sign of protesters, although there was one new anti-1080 sign on the road between Makarora and Lake Hawea.

The Makarora 1080 drop will be the first to test the resolve of the anonymous person who threatened to contaminate infant formula with the poison.

In November, a letter to Fonterra and Federated Farmers gave a deadline of the end of March for the country to cease using the poison.

The letter also contained packages of milk powder contaminated with traces of 1080.

Police yesterday declined to answer ODT questions about the Makarora programme and the threat.

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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