Thread: TB in possums - not many if any

Interesting article, only 54 possums out of 124,213 possums over 9 years had TB

Lack of disease raises questions over possum killing, poison drops - National - NZ Herald News

Not surprised by that, I've killed, skinned and chopped up a few thousand possums, never seen one with obvious lesions, cysts or signs of TB. I have spoken with possumers who have though.

Uncontrolled stock movements is by far the worst culprit for TB spread.

Possums still need to be controlled, using TB as an excuse is now pretty debatable, we all know that. The fact that they eat our native bush and do a fair bit of damage is also something we know, hence the need for control.

Like any pest they need a variety of methods implemented to really put a dent in their numbers. One method alone won't work.

The "reasons" portrayed to the general public by DoC and the media for the most recent 1080 drops has shifted significantly though...from possums and TB being the "need", to a focus on "battle for the birds" and killing rats and mice.

In the near future I don't see a reduction in aerial 1080 operations, I would like to, but can't see it happening. One day hopefully they'll see that 40 odd years of dropping poison everywhere willy nilly, every few years, hasn't actually worked.

Hopefully we will see a shift to more focussed or aimed methods of eliminating pests, but with some of the shiny bummed office folk running DoC in charge, I don't see it happening soon.

You probably didn't know what to look for.
I have skinned and post mortemed 1000's of possums( privately and for MAF) from Taupo to Wellington and have come across TB in all areas as well as TB in pigs(50% infection rate) in Wgtn and TB in deer out of National Park.
1080 is still our best option BUT over the years it has been the arrogant we know best attitude of the people(DOC and AHB) using it who have stuffed up.
Firearms are safe until some idiot gets hold of one, we shouldn't ban firearms because of a few idiots, but the way the media( a few members of it) portray it all firearm owners are potential mass murderers.
Its the same with 1080 and cyanide it's safe in the right hands and used sensibly.

I reckon one of the reasons we continue to see NZ being poisoned wholesale is that the Ministers of Conservation and MPI respectively do not want to be the ones that carry the can for all their predecessors support of the bullshit that surrounds the 1080 poison use scam. The worms are squirming. Take a look at this link.

03.06.15 - General Debate - Part 4 | In The House

03.06.15 - General Debate - Part 4 | In The House

Questions .What if all the animals , birds and fish were killed in this country
What if there was nothing left to kill for the table
What if `as there's nothing left to kill, we don't need firearms
What if the banks or safe pay who runs eftpos shut down like it did in Taupo the other day
How could you survive
I think now someone has control

You can add you ideas to this from outside the square, sort of speak and I will get some flack but I can handle it

Don't think it's a sinister plot to be honest. Incompetence is very nearly as dangerous though

1080 seems to draw all the nut bags up. Jesus fucking christ seriously.

Go put on your tin foil hat the goverment isnt going to do any of that shit ffs.

Guns only for killing? What about all our target shooting sports? Small bore full bore shotguns pistols and so on.

Get a hold on life ffs

BAN 1080!!

My dad was a stock agent, when they backed of tb vector control a few decades back, lots of properties became infected. He said he could name 5 farmers who committed suicide when tb took their livelihoods away.

When I talk to him about it he always says "people have short memories"

Kj

Originally Posted by kimjon

My dad was a stock agent, when they backed of tb vector control a few decades back, lots of properties became infected. He said he could name 5 farmers who committed suicide when tb took their livelihoods away.

When I talk to him about it he always says "people have short memories"

Kj

Yes. I had a beef herd under TB movement control as did many others' in our area. Got a drought on top of the movement restrictions and I was praying for 1080 and a clean up of 'possums.
The ban 1080 brigade are in wonderland. Its emotional thinking.
Restrictions on 1080 I could agree with, but banning is bananas. At the very least until there is a viable alternative.

If you have had to deal with TB, one alive infected 'possum is one too many.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Yes. I had a beef herd under TB movement control as did many others' in our area. Got a drought on top of the movement restrictions and I was praying for 1080 and a clean up of 'possums.
The ban 1080 brigade are in wonderland. Its emotional thinking.
Restrictions on 1080 I could agree with, but banning is bananas. At the very least until there is a viable alternative.

If you have had to deal with TB, one alive infected 'possum is one too many.

The people who arent on the ban 1080 brigade are in dreamland or working for the pro 1080 brigade. If people really think 1080 is about possum control you couldnt be fewer from the truth. Its BIG BUSINESS and back handers for the government. First it was the fight to control possums because of TB and eating the native.

30 years or so of bombing the place its getting very difficult to justiy using 1080 to kill fuck all possums with little evidence of TB. As its become such BIG business and more needs to be produced and used the possum has become the bird egg eating demon that needs to be stopped.
Government had to dream up something so the "Battle of the birds" Bs was dreamed up so they can justify not only the continue use of deadly 1080 but f king more. So its the rats and the stoats now that need the 1080 bomb, plus the few possums left to save the birds that 1080 by kill is harmless to (yeah right)
1080 as long as its making money is here to stay, and the government will dream up whatever it takes to keep it rolling along.
What gets me with they BS story about lets save the birds is this...
Firstly, years ago when i was pighunting everyweekend when there was untold possums around in the bush there were plenty of birds of all sorts around as well. 20 so years later theres fuck all possums around in the same areas but no more birds thn there was back then.
Secondly, 30 or so years of bombing the place with 1080 why hasnt the by kill controled rats and stoats?
If the rats and pests etc are out of control and a threat to birds which have lived with rats and stoats for untold years with no problems how comwe the drops over 30 years hasny done a thing?
Do they have to change the baits so its more suitable for rats and stoats so it works better?
If so how come they continue with baits designed still to kill possums and deer and pigs (which is the aim apart from the money) instead of the aim to kill rats as clearly 30 years of bombing the country has done nothing.
Its all BS and 1080 should be banned apart from the remote areas where we all know it works at least on possums.
Trapping and bait should be used in accessable areas but while 1080 is big business and making money its unlikely thats going to happen without a huge public backlash but theres many a brain dead people in this country that has fallen for the crap the government and DOC has feed them
?

+1 agree on banning explore other avenues, it's 2015 FFS.

Infected cattle are far more of a threat than possums. These are figures provided by MPI.

Tb detected in opossums by year
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
Source: Primary Industries. Minister Nathan Guy
Possums surveyed per year
4871
13,874
23,339
17,576
25,103
18,682
10,930
9838

Tb found by year in surveyed possums
09
6
1
9
12
17

Movement of cattle is without doubt the major cause of bTB infections, including into wildlife. piss poor unreliable bTB tests are only accurate to plus or minus 20% of stock. It is well known that bTB clears can test positive and bTB infected animals can test negative. many farmers have been unwittingly buying infected stock from other farmers who also may be assuming the cattle are clear when in fact they are not. The very low incidence of possums infected with bTB prove that the biggest problem lies within the farming industry itself, and with the poor real performance of the AHB / TB free NZ. Possums have too long been a very convenient excuse to apply mass poison applications over vast areas of our country.