19 Oct 2010

Poison-free pest-control package

8:19 am on 19 October 2010

The Green Party and the Government have announced a pilot pest-control package they hope will reduce reliance on poisons and save money.

The project is part of the memorandum of understanding signed by the National and Green parties last year.

With $4 million of new money allocated to the pilot, 10,000 new traps will be bought and tested in two sites.

The self-resetting traps can kill up to 12 pests without any poison being required.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says she holds high hopes for the trial. Green co-leader Russel Norman says the project could bring significant economic and environmental benefits.

Animal Health Board research co-ordinator Penny Fairbrother

doubts the use of the trap will reduce the need to drop poison, in particular in large areas with high possum numbers which have to be quickly reduced.

The board is responsible for the national pest strategy on bovine tuberculosis.