Our ref:
19-E-0123
File ref:
DOC-5737142
29 March 2019
Claire Ogilwy
[FYI request #9657 email]
Dear Ms Ogilwy
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation, dated 24 February 2019
made under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Your questions and our responses are set out in turn below:
Question 1
“Can you please provide all internal and external correspondence relating to the
Whio poisoned as part of the Battle for our Birds 1080 operation Mt Egmont
2016.”
The work required to provide you with the correspondence you seek would involve a
considerable effort to compile. The department is likely to hold thousands of emails
about whio and the Battle for our Birds 1080 operation Mt Egmont 2016, and it would
take much time and resource (i.e. impair efficient administration) to supply these. As
such, I have provided you with a summary in accordance with s.16(1)(e) and 16(2)(a) of
the Act. This summary is included below.
Whio eating cereal pellets containing 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate)
During routine whio population monitoring within Egmont National Park, whio were
found to be eating cereal pellets containing 1080. On 7 December 2016 a Department of
Conservation ranger monitoring whio on the Ngatoro stream noticed an irregularly
coloured (green) duck faeces. The colour of the faeces was a sign that a duck may have
eaten green cereal pellets containing 1080. A sample of the duck faeces was collected for
testing at Landcare Research
Manaaki Whenua Toxicology Laboratory. Researchers at
the laboratory found that the sample contained 1.51 parts per million of fluoroacetate.
This was the first time traces of the 1080 toxin had been found in whio faeces following
an operation that used 1080.
Additional testing of whio faeces samples for the presence of 1080
Following further monitoring, an additional eleven faeces samples showing similar
colorations found within the Maketawa, Little Maketawa, Ngatoro and Waiwhakaiho
river catchments were also sent to the laboratory for testing. Of these samples, two
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Kirikiriroa / Hamilton Office
Private Bag 3072, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
www.doc.govt.nz
contained traces of fluoroacetate, one with 0.98 and the other with 0.06 parts per million
of fluoroacetate respectively. Nine of the samples showed no sign of fluoroacetate (less
than the method detection limit which is 0.001µg/g or 1 part per billion with an
uncertainty of 95% c.i.).
Impacts on whio that have eaten 1080 The likely lethal dose for a whio is not known but it is thought that ducks are less
susceptible to 1080 poisoning than the mammals targeted during Battle for our Birds
operations. In this instance, laboratory results show that whio had eaten cereal pellets
containing traces of 1080 but there were no recorded whio fatalities. Currently, the most
recent annual monitoring shows that we have the highest ever recorded pair numbers (39
confirmed whio pairs on the eight monitored rivers within the park).
Why whio have been eating cereal pellets containing 1080 The reason for whio eating cereal pellets containing 1080 is not known. However, we
believe that there would likely have been numerous contributing factors that would have
led some whio to eat cereal pellets containing 1080. We believe that the weather could
have affected the availability of whio’s natural food sources which could have led to some
whio adopting a more varied diet. Many of the captive-reared whio that have been
introduced to the park had been fed on pellets (similar to chicken feed) before being
released. Multiple pre-feeds (the application of cereal pellets containing no 1080) could
have familiarized some whio to this alternative food source.
Effects on future operations that use 1080 as a pest control method
We accept there is some potential risk to a part of the whio population within the park
but we consider that this potential risk is out-weighed by the need to protect native
wildlife and forests from introduced pests. We use 1080 in our work as it is the safest and
most effective tool we currently have for large scale pest control. We also have over 2000
A24 self-resetting traps and over 1500 DOC 200 traps that complement the use of 1080
in order to control introduced pests within the park. 1080 is far less toxic to birds than
mammals but a number of our native birds are susceptible. To gain a better
understanding on the potential impacts of 1080, whio will be monitored closely during
future operations within the park.
Question 2
“Sample records 20554 from Ngatoro Stream, 20598 and 20599 from Maketawa
Stream tested positive for 1080 residues as per DoC’s Vertebrate Pesticide Residue
Database.”
Records for these samples from Landcare Research
Manaaki Whenua Toxicology
Laboratory have been released (Item 1). This laboratory has accreditation from both
International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) and the New Zealand Food Safety
Authority (NZFSA) laboratory approval scheme (LAS).
Question 3
“Copies of DOC field notes in relation to the Whio monitoring that occurred on the
following dates: 7, 13, 16, 22 December 2016 and 5, 6, 11 January 2017.”
Field notes in relation to whio monitoring on the specified dates have been released
(Items 2-3).
Question 4
“Please confirm the laboratory that tested the samples.”
Refer to answer to question 2.
Question 5
“Were these samples frozen before testing and how long were they stored before
testing? This information is important as the ERMA 2007 review noted under-
reporting regarding freezing samples at -20c. What temperature do you freeze
samples and at whose recommendation.”
The 2007 Environmental Risk Management Authority review noted that soil samples
may need to be frozen at -20c to minimise any microbial activity likely to degrade
fluoroacetate. There was a concern about underreporting prior to 2003 when the issue
was identified. The review notes that Landcare Research
Manaaki Whenua Toxicology
Laboratory now stores samples at -80c for a maximum of 6 weeks.
The department normally follows Landcare protocols for taking, storing and sending
samples for tests. These are publicly available online.
In this case, because there is no protocol for testing faeces, advice about sending the
samples was sought from the laboratory by phone. Their instructions were to freeze the
samples and courier to the laboratory in insulated packaging with frozen cold packs. The
department stored and transported samples under these conditions for between 1 day
and 1 week. The amount of time between sample collection and testing can be calculated
from the Vertebrate Pesticide Residue Database and the laboratory reports which are all
attached.
Question 6
“Why did you not include the 1080 testing of Whio scat samples in your
Operational Report to the EPA?”
At the time of submitting the EPA Report for the 2016 operation, the significance of the
whio scat tests was still unknown. The EPA requires monitoring reports to be attached
only if they are available. Because no dead birds had been found, monitoring reports had
not been completed. Future operations will have the benefit of our current
understanding, and will be closely monitored and reported.
Question 7
“Why is your VRPD Database so different than Landcares? Why do you not fill in
the Mandatory Fields so that the public can see what the sample types relate to
rather than a reference number? Please provide an up to date version with
missing mandatory fields filled in.”
The department does not have unrestricted access to Landcare Research
Manaaki
Whenua databases. Our Vertebrate Pesticide Residue Database (VPRD) relates to the
department’s own work. Please note that the Vertebrate Pesticide Residue Database is a
living document intended for internal reference by department scientists and field staff
only. Mandatory fields are filled in when information becomes available. We note that
without the appropriate scientific knowledge and understanding, care needs to be taken
in drawing any inference or conclusion from the data as it was not intended that it be
interpreted by lay people.
An up to date version of the Vertebrate Pesticide Residue Database
has been attached to
this response (Item 4).
Question 8
“Please provide information relating to the Whio that must have been presented
dead after a 1080 drop for Landcare to be testing Muscle tissue for 1080 residues
14/11/16. Please advise if this Whio duck was frozen and how long was it stored
before testing.”
The whio in question was from the Wangapeka - Fyfe Whio Security Site
www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2019/new-breeding-programme-for-wangapeka-
whio/. It was one of 32 whio that were radio-tagged for monitoring during aerial 1080
operations in 2011, 2014 and 2016. It was the only one of these 32 birds that died.
The bird was not frozen. It was stored for four days before testing. It was found on 4
November 2016 on the banks of the Wangapeka River and was estimated to have died
approximately two days before. The carcass was kept chilled in a refrigerator overnight,
then sent in a chilly-bin to Wildbase, Massey University Institute of Veterinary, Animal
and Biomedical Sciences. Wildbase performed an autopsy and prepared the skeletal
muscle tissue sample, which was sent to Landcare Research
Manaaki Whenua
Toxicology Laboratory and tested on 8 November 2016.
The Wildbase pathology report noted that the bird was “in at least moderate body
condition.” The gastrointestinal track had been scavenged therefore stomach contents
could not be tested. The diagnosis was “Unknown cause of death. Extensive scavenging,
possibly avian”, with the comment that “There was no evidence of bruising to the head
but since most of the neck was missing, we can't completely exclude the possibility of a
mustelid (or feline) predation”.
Question 9
“Are you aware of the Montana 1981 study (that wasn’t included in ERMA’s 2007
“extensive” scientific research) that shows detection levels of 1080 decrease in
correlation to freezing samples and increased storage time. 1080 within muscle
samples decreased by 79% and stomach and content by 49% over 14 days.”
As we have indicated above, the department adheres to protocols supplied by Landcare
Research
Manaaki Whenua Toxicology Laboratory (an accredited toxicology laboratory)
when collecting samples for 1080 assay.
If you are able to provide a full citation of the study you are referring to, we would be
happy to bring that to their attention.
Question 10
“Is this why in your Kiwi Best Practice you advise not to freeze samples?
www.kiwisforkiwi.org/kiwipractitioners/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kiwi-
Best-Practice-Manual.pdf.”
The advice in the Kiwi Best Practice Manual does not apply to samples taken for
toxicological analysis. It concerns dead animals to be sent for autopsy and
histopathological examination. The reason for not freezing these specimens is that
“freezing will damage cells and tissues and make the diagnosis of cause of death more
difficult”. The manual details the procedures on page 90.
Question 11
“Are you aware of the following study by Landcare published in 2000
BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES INDUCED BY SODIUM
MONOFLUOROACETATE (1080) IN MALLARD DUCKS …..When Whio ducks
have consumed 1080, this is likely to make them more prone to predation and/or
ill health. How is DOC going to manage how many poisoned insects Whio eat, or
are the Whio eating baits direct?”
Yes, the department is aware of this paper and it is referenced in our
Sodium
Fluoroacetate Pesticide Information Review Version 2018/2
Ataria JM, Wickstrom ML, Arthur D, Eason CT. 2000. Biochemical and
histopathological changes induced by sodium monofluoroacetate
(1080) in mallard ducks. Proceedings of the New Zealand Plant
Protection Conference. 53:293-298.
As recommended by this paper, the department has monitored whio for more than 25
years and has not found them to suffer long-term adverse effects from 1080 operations.
This information is publicly available on the department’s websi
te www.doc.govt.nz/our-
work/blue-duck-whio/. Department scientists are in agreement that predation is the primary cause of whio
population decline. Our monitoring shows that populations of whio without aerial 1080
suffer much higher levels of predation than treated areas. Therefore, the department does
not consider that 1080 operations make whio populations more prone to predation or ill
health. Research shows their aquatic invertebrate prey are unlikely to be contaminated by
1080. The following Journal may be of interest to you (also referenced below);
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00288330.2006.9517443.
Suren, A. and P. Lambert (2006). "Do toxic baits containing sodium
fluroacetate (1080) affect fish and invertebrate communities when
they fall into streams?"
New Zealand Journal of marine and
freshwater research 40(4): 531-546.
Attached documents The following documents fall into the scope of your request and are attached:
Item Date
Document description
Decision
1
A pdf copy of records for whio faeces
Released with name of
tests from Landcare Research
Manaaki
staff contact redacted to
Whenua Toxicology Laboratory
protect privacy of
(our ref docCM 5884449)
natural persons, s9(2)(a)
of the Act applies.
2
7/12/2016 to
A pdf document of original field notes
Released with names
11/1/2017
for Whio monitoring, 7, 13, 16, 22 Dec
redacted to protect
2016 and 5, 6, 11 Jan 2017
privacy of natural
(our ref docCM 5884454)
persons, s9(2)(a) of the
Act applies.
3.
7/12/2016 to
A pdf document of original field notes of Released with names
11/1/2017
Whio monitoring 7, 22 Dec 2016 and 5,
redacted to protect
6, 11 Jan 2017
privacy of natural
(our ref docCM 5884458)
persons, s9(2)(a) of the
Act applies.
4.
19/03/2019
A pdf document of the updated
Released with staff
Vertebrate Pesticide Residue Database
contact details redacted
showing entries for whio samples tested to protect privacy of
as part of the 2016 Battle for our Birds
natural persons, s9(2)(a)
operation within Egmont National Park of the Act applies.
(our ref docCM 5889080)
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of this decision by making a written
complaint to an Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Official Information Act.
Yours sincerely
David Speirs
Director, Operations
Hauraki Waikato Taranaki Region
