Thousands of anti-1080 protesters marched across the country on Saturday imploring the Government to stop allowing the controversial poison to be used.
Protesters carrying signs reading "Ban 1080" and "It kills everything" gathered at 40 sites around New Zealand.
Outside Parliament, hundreds stood and chanted with some wearing skull and crossbones capes, chemical hazard suits and masks while others dressed in black with white crosses to symbolise the loss of the wildlife they say was killed by the poison.
One South Island group met the Wellington party at the ferry terminal then walked to Parliament at 10am as part of the nationwide Operation Ban 1080, a social media promoted demonstration against the pesticide.
Other marches were held in Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Kaikoura, Napier, Queenstown and Taupo as well as in smaller centres.
DoC, Federated Farmers and Forest and Bird all support the use of 1080 but environmental groups nationwide have been outspoken in calling for it to be banned claiming it kills native animals and birds.
Supporters say predator pest numbers are so high that without serious action some native forests would be seriously damaged.
More photos from the weekend's protest:
-Stuff.co.nz/Maddison Northcott and Christina Persico
4 comments
Commitment?
Posted on 10-09-2018 09:40 | By SonnyJim
OK - protest is alright. But where is the solution? Maybe the protestors could cough $50 each for research or is that beyond their commitment?
Shameful
Posted on 10-09-2018 13:07 | By overit
Keas being taken out. I really dont like this stuff!!
Why?
Posted on 10-09-2018 17:12 | By jed
This is like arguing to ban vehicle airbags because they sometimes kill people. The fact is, that airbags save many more lives than they take. Same with 1080, the good far outweighs the bad. And, as usual, 1080 protestors have no better ideas.
These people are legends for speaking up
Posted on 14-09-2018 09:09 | By Kauritatahi
The NZ govt, and their pro1080 cohorts have laughed a propaganda war and campaign of misinformation and slander against people opposed to 1080 use in NZ. Some of the TV media reporting in the last few weeks has been totally biased and blatantly false. After the sham or the ERMA1080 review in 2007 and subsequent sham pro1080 PCE reports to attempt to justify the over-use of 1080 in NZ, the public have seen enough of the real truth and negative affects for themselves. There are always alternatives to 1080 such and trapping, shooting, and micro-encapsulated cyanide to name just a few. Outdoors and rural people are now totally sick of having their food supplies, water supplies, farming stock, pets, and property and way of life poisoned. 'Clean Green NZ' has become a total fraud. Wake up!!!
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