1080 is a widely used poison in Western Australia, especially in the south west
to control foxes. It is very successful. It is either injected into eggs and
buried, or into dried meat pieces and dropped by plane. It is less succesful
for feral cats as they don't seem to pick up baits unless food is in very short
supply.
It has an extremely low effect on native species because 1080 is a naturally
occuring compund in a number of south west plants, so native animals (mammals,
reptiles, and I believe birds) have developed tolerances 30 to 100s of times
higher than the lethal dose for a fox.
It was succesfully used at Shark Bay to eradicate foxes from the Peron
Peninsula, and to reduce cat numbers. I don't know if it was used to control
goats. The peninsula has now been fenced to prevent the reintroduction of these
pests. Native mammals and Malleefowl have now been reintroduced to this area
where they formerly occurred.
There is an annual campaign in the south west to aerial bait forests to control
foxes. I believe that this is largely sponsored by ALCOA. This has been
successful. Many farmers bury eggs around the limits of their farms to control
foxes.
It is more heavily used in special conservation areas such as Dryandra State
Forest & Boyagin Rock (Numbat, Woylie, Malleefowl, Red-whatever Phascogale,
Echidna, Carpet Snake, etc), Two People's Bay Nature Reserve (Quokka, whatever
Bettong, Noisy Scrubbird, etc).
However, I thought that it had been banned for use in Victoria?? Native animals
there do not have the natural immunity to 1080. So I was surprised to hear that
it was being considered for use in Queensland. Unless of course 1080 occurs
naturally in the local plants.
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