No 1080 presence in rats washed up on West Coast beach
Toxicology testing of dead rats washed up on a West Coast shows no presence of 1080, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.
Locals and DOC staff picked up almost 700 rats as well as dead Westland petrels, weka, octopus, starfish, a goat, crabs, crayfish and skate fish after they washed up on Westport's North Beach on November.
DOC initially presumed the rats died from a recent aerial 1080 drop near the Lewis Pass and washed down rivers with the help of the more than 500 millimetres of rain that had fallen in the region.
"We don't know the source of the dead rats but it's possible they came from beech forest areas closer to Westport in the Buller Gorge, affected by flood conditions," DOC West Coast operations director Mark Davies says.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.4% Yes
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14.1% No
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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