1080 Poison Pellets?

Question

Do you agree it should be used in New Zealand to kill of introduced opossums when it kills off wildlife they are trying to help with it's use.

Answer 1

Sure... kill everything and start again fresh....

Answer 2

As I understand it, many plants in Australia and NZ contain a chemical found in 1080, hence native wildlife is less susceptible to it.  Also, if you are trying to kill off foxes, wild dogs or cats, you can bury the bait in a way that means native wildlife is less likely to dig it up an ingest it.  

Possums is a different matter.  IF possums are less susceptible, then the dose needs to be higher.  Also possums aren't going to dig, hence you'd need to bait a piece of fruit or something, which birds and rats etc can conceivably get to.  

If the authorities can find a way to get around this, so that the bait is laid in a way only possums can get, and the possums really are a problem to the environment (ie out competing native species), rather than a nuisance, then I would come down on the side of baiting.  

Having said this I'd still prefer some more humane way of killing, maybe attracting to a trap using pheromones or calls and then lethal injection.