Native New Zealand Birds Used in Protest Killed by Cars, Not 1080

Anti-1080 protestors are anything but subtle. They have clogged up comment threads on live stream videos and flooded the streets to protest against the Department of Conservation's use of 1080 to control pests in New Zealand. A spokesperson has accused the department of being "terrorists" launching a "chemical attack" on native wildlife. But the protestors themselves are now facing criticism for taking their actions a step too far.

Yesterday, child protestors placed dead native birds on the steps of Parliament surrounded by fake 1080 pallets. They claimed the birds, including two kererū, two weka and a red-billed gull, were killed by 1080 poison. But after Speaker Trevor Mallard discovered the birds were “almost certainly bludgeoned to death”, he filed a police report. "All of those birds [are] protected birds, and it is illegal to either kill them or to be in possession."

A protest organiser now claims some of the birds were actually road-kill. Protest co-organiser Alan Gurden said he could "guarantee" the birds were not bludgeoned. Environment Minister David Parker told Newshub that more tests would be carried out on the birds to determine whether 1080 was involved at all.

Forest & Bird chief conservation advisor Kevin Hackwell told the NZ Herald he was disappointed but not surprised by the demonstration: "Sadly, we have seen the anti-1080 protesters go too far, time and time again.”

Acting director-general for the Department of Conservation Mervyn English said DoC staff were repeatedly approached by some “abusive” anti-1080 protestors. "There have been eight incidents where staff have been physically confronted, abused and harassed,” he said, as well as “countless incidents of social media threats and abuse.”