ERMA clears 1080, controls tightened 

The controversial poison commonly used to get rid of possums is here to stay, at least for now.

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has been reviewing the use of 1080 which is considered by pest management groups such as DOC to be the best way to control vermin and possums in remote areas.

ERMA chairman Neil Walter says the decision follows a full-scale reassessment of the poison and all substances it contains.

The reassessment took over six months and involved public submissions as well as two weeks of public hearings.

The decision will be a disappointment for anti-1080 campaigners who say there are other ways of getting rid of possums. However, ERMA has imposed a new management regime on the poison, and from the start of next year all aerial operations using 1080 will be actively monitored by ERMA.

The authority is also urging that further research be undertaken into alternative methods of possum control and into some of the effects of the pesticide.

In the meantime, Walter says a 1080 ban would result in catastrophic consequences for both the economy and our native flora and fauna.

For more information on ERMA's decision click HERE .

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