5 Jul 2010

Backers confident US bill outlawing 1080 will pass

6:26 pm on 5 July 2010

The main group behind a proposed United States Congress bill banning the use and export of 1080 poison says it believes the legislation will go through.

New Zealand, the largest user of the poison in the world, takes 90% percent of the production from the only US factory licensed to make it - Tull Chemicals of Alabama.

Two previous bills banning the use, production and export of 1080 from the US failed to get enough support in Washington in 2005 and 2007.

The executive director of the conservation group Predator Defense, Brooks Fahy, says that this time the legislation has a chance of succeeding, because it's being co-sponsored by representatives of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Mr Fahy says 1080 is too dangerous to be used anywhere in the world.

NZ authorities don't see it happening

New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DoC) says it doesn't expect the bill to pass; nor does the Animal Health Board, which says US authorities are well aware of New Zealand's needs because DoC and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry made submissions two years ago.

Concerned about the poison's effect on native coyotes, Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio (Democrat) has reintroduced the bill with the support of 11 other representatives.