Community response to 1080 baiting on South Arm peninsula
Despite the strong opposition from the South Arm community to the laying of 1080 fox baits, DPIPWE’s Invasive Species Branch – aka Fox Eradication Program – disregarded them and went ahead with the bait lay.
According to the Program Manager after [i]‘over ten years devoted to the eradication effort we hope that we are below that 10% level.’[/i]
Mr Elliott’s reply is based on no hard science; it is illogical to ‘hope’ that you are below an imaginary 10% level without any data on the abundance of foxes in Tasmania or the impact of 1080 baiting. 10% of 100% of what?
What can’t be measured cannot be managed.
This statement from Mr Elliott is unsupportable, irrational and misleading.
In terms of ‘reported sightings’ the Manager of the Program told South Arm residents, [i]‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to offer anything that will convince you and we don’t rely on those reports as absolute proof’ … ‘I honestly don’t expect to change your mind…’ [/i]
This Program has been in operation for over 10 years and has consistently failed to detect any live foxes in Tasmania nor has the Program demonstrated any evidence of foxes breeding in Tasmania. It’s not surprising therefore that the Program Manager cannot offer anything tangible to offer to convince the residents of South Arm why buried 1080 baiting is justified on their small peninsula.
If Mr Elliott was able to convince the communities where DPIPWE wanted to bury 1080 baits by valid proof of live foxes, followed up by valid proof of bait effectiveness, it would be a different matter.
But since 1080 was first used in Tasmania, no poisoned foxes have ever been recovered.
In 2003 a Western Australian fox scientist, Dr Jack Kinnear, was asked to make recommendations on Tasmania’s fox program based on the presumption that multiple foxes had been released in several locations. He recommended that the presence of live foxes at those alleged release locations had to be tested and proven and whatever method to kill them was applied, those foxes needed to be recovered.
Dr Kinnear concluded that this process was imperative … imperative to demonstrate to the community that a concern over fox presence was proven and the method of control was effective.
Dr Kinnear’s wise advice in 2003 has remained unfulfilled over 9 years. Despite this Mr Elliott told South Arm residents: [i]‘We are aiming to destroy foxes’ … and, Mr Elliott goes on to state … ‘We don’t realistically expect to find poisoned foxes.’[/i]
So what is this baiting program based on? A fear that foxes might be here … or … a conviction based of credible evidence that foxes [b]are[/b] here?
As Manager of an expensive publicly-funded baiting program Mr Elliott must ask himself two questions: [1] Is this program fully supported? and [2] Is it effective?
If he cannot satisfy himself in the affirmative to both these questions, then the Program has no justification.
• Earlier on Tasmanian Times: Fox expert Dr Clive Marks: A Problem of Cunning Tasmanian Foxes or Much Less Cunning Innovation?
