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42 tons of poison to be dumped on island to eradicate rats
In a radical move to eliminate pests and save local wildlife, pristine Lord Howe Island will be blitzed from the air with poison.
Wed, Jan 13 2010 at 9:13 PM
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E-RAT-ICATION: Invasive black rats could cause the extinction of most of Lord Howe Island's native species if they are not eradicated. (Photo: Vermin Inc/Flickr)
Since being accidentally introduced in 1918, black rats have wreaked havoc on the unique wildlife of Australia's idyllic Lord Howe Island. Now in one of the most radical pest-extermination programs ever attempted, officials are calling for the native species to be rounded up while 42 tons of poison-laced bait are dropped over the island.
Although similar pest-eradication projects have occasionally been carried out on uninhabited islands before, this is the first time such a project has been contemplated in a place with a substantial human population. Lord Howe's 350 permanent residents will be given muzzles for their pets and are being told to keep an eye on their children while the bombardment occurs.
Meanwhile, entire populations of native birds will be caught and kept in cages for 100 days after the poison is dropped for their own protection, and all cows and chickens on the island will be slaughtered or shipped to the mainland beforehand.
Stephen Wills, chief executive of the Lord Howe Board, told The Independent that he supports the program. "This is one of the most beautiful places in the world, which is why it warrants such a significant and detailed program."
World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island is so isolated from Australia's mainland that many of its native species can be found nowhere else, and it is said to be washed with the cleanest ocean on the planet. Two-thirds of it is a protected reserve while its surrounding waters are a marine park.
But those protections alone have not not helped the island deal with an invasive rat population. Already blamed for the extinction of five endemic bird species, the rats now threaten 13 other native birds, two reptiles, five plants and numerous invertebrates.
The rats pose a significant danger to the pristine habitat that makes the island unique, but many of the locals have expressed concerns about the radical nature of the plan. "The poison exposes the island, its environment and the people to a great deal of danger," local Clive Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I think they will do a lot of damage and in the end, there will still be rats."
The poison is scheduled to be dropped over the island beginning in August 2012. If approved, it would involve two separate aerial bombardments two weeks apart, as well as baiting by hand. The poison is expected to become harmless after 100 days.
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What a about the surrounding water that the poison will wash-out into, gee we all know that. Hope it doesn't rain for 100 days or what.....
Its this type of poor journalism that gives scientists a bad rap. Its NOT 42 tons of poison, it IS 42 tons of bait which will include 840 GRAMS of poison. Mr. Nelson practiced poor journalism to paint an untrue image of indiscriminate spraying. Check your facts Mr. Nelson read the plan yourself at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pestsweeds/draftLHIrodentpla...
Glad you cleared that up. I was thinking they had gone a little nutty over there. I wouldn't my kids, animals or all island creatures to be bombarded with 42 tons of air poison. (Although, I'm pretty sure if I lived there we would take a little 3 day vacation anyway as the stuff fell.)
There has to be another solution, this is negligent destruction, an easy way.
Food and other goods must come into the island by ship. How will this plan prevent the island from being re-infested by the first fertile pair of wharf rats to hit their shores after the poison goes stale?
The idea is so bad on so many levels it's unconscionable. The cats, the bounty and shooting at night with night vision goggles would be far better,
Also this article is a bit misleading as it makes it sound like they'll be just spraying poison all over the place. The poison is actually placed in traps that are dropped in a grid pattern over the island. Of course, rats that escape the traps before death will be hazardous to any dog that eats them, but the island has a leash law.
The poison's the best way. Lord Howe has had a bounty on rats since the 1920's. People catch them like crazy but it hasn't made a dent as most of the island is extremely rugged and inaccessible.
Cats were a bigger threat than the rats and have been eradicated from the island. On LHI the cats liked to eat all the ground nesting birds and devastated the birds leaving the harder to catch rats happily multiplying.
The muzzles are to keep the local dogs from eating any dead rats by the way.
I don't like killing critters without a good reason but there are 2 things that always need to die,bugs and rats. I hope this experiment works so well they do it everywhere in the world that's infested. The only live rats in the whole world should be in laboratories waiting to be cut to pieces.
great idea except for the part where cats eat birds too
I think that reads just right. I'm not sure what you are taking from it, but the wording is perfectly fine.
Bring in the cats. Populate the Island with 1000's of farm cats, that'll get rid of em. Then when the cat population gets out of hand bring in the dogs. Then the cougars. Then the cougars will naturally die off because there wont be enough young men to go around.
So they are going to kill all the native insects as well? Sounds like these people are on drugs. What a dumb idea.
Pay $3 per rat that people catch and kill..and as the rat population dwindles up the ante. I guarantee they will hunt them down and kill them all
And then I would move to the island, and breed the freaking rats, to turn in as wild rats that I caught, so as to get a large reward. That won't work, now will it?
A bounty on rats is THE brightest and most sensible idea yet!! Can you believe college educated folks cannot come to this solution, themselves??? What peabrained idiots are in charge?? God help us all....
Please I urge tyou to read on this issue and how successful eradicatyions have been before opening your mount - or using your fingers to write this rubbish!!. Leave this to people who understand what needs to be done rather than coming up with suggestions that WILL NOT ERADICATE (not control - read up on the difference!!) rodents.
this a great first step, but does not go far enough. this island is too important to let ANY species threaten it. they should be dropping much more poisonous chemicals, more frequently, and without giving anyone any protection. then they will have the completely sterile wasteland which they so desire.
*and no people would ever be allowed back. EVAR
Again, please think before you type - this is another example of online garbage - educate yourself and read the Plan and the references contained within it!
I think its a good idea to rid the island of the didease carrying pests
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