Press release. 2/3/2020
NZ Outdoors Party.
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.
“The Department of Conservation is systematically killing the few
remaining Kea in New Zealand, while begging Parliament for more funds to
finish the job off.” said Alan Simmons co-leader of the NZ Outdoors
party. “Last year they killed 2 out of 15 monitored kea in a single
poison operation in the Perth Valley on the West Coast. Despite
complaints from concerned conservationists around the country on the
rapidly vanishing Kea, the Department of Conservation continues
undeterred with the industrial scale helicopter spreading of poison over
our beautiful mountains, forests and river. “
The latest operation in the Matukituki Valley has killed 6 out of 12
monitored kea, so it would be safe to assume they have exterminated 50%
of all the kea in that area.
This is consistent with other poison ecocide of our native kea when they killed 20% of the monitored kea in the
Whataroa valley (https://outdoorsparty.co.nz/1279-2/), 50% of
monitored kea (including one of their most highly prolific breeders) in
Nelson Lakes, decimating the kea at Arthur’s Pass years and in Okarito.
Alan said “Forget climate change, habitat destruction, and allegations of predators such as possums eating eggs, the Department of Conservation itself is driving one of the world’s most iconic birds to extinction. “
The NZ Outdoors Party has made a formal complaint and Official Information Request to DOC seeking an immediate moratorium on the use of 1080 poison and an explanation of apparent breaches of the Wildlife Act by the Department of Conservation and others involved in the poisoning in what its Kea Code of Practice identifies as a high risk “scrounge influenced” area. “The Department of Conservation’s many excuses and its on-going poisoning of our wildlife must stop now” says high profile environmental lawyer and NZ Outdoors Party co-leader Sue Grey. “Killing even a single native bird is a serious criminal offence. This wholesale and reckless slaughter and disregard for our laws by our public servants and elected representatives is unacceptable and sends completely the wrong message to New Zealanders who are concerned about violence and animal cruelty.”
The NZ Outdoors Party is committed to holding the government to account on its use of poison. Our government must respect the law and be accountable to New Zealand voters.
Ends
Further Information.
Alan Simmons Co-leader 0274 980 304
Sue Grey. Co-Leader m022 691 0586
