Farmers facing poison battle - SA

[dArKeR]

Craig Bishop

Pietermaritzburg - A boycott of South African wool could be on the cards if the government gives the go-ahead to test a controversial and toxic, predator-control chemical, 1080.

Conservationists have slammed the decision by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the national wool industry to start testing 1080 and have threatened to take legal action against the national department of environmental affairs and tourism and to lobby for a South African wool boycott.

One farm in Underberg and another in Kokstad will be part of the nationwide trial of 1080, which is designed to kill problem predators, such as black-backed jackals and caracals that cost the wool industry millions of rands each year.

Proponents of 1080 poison say it is species-specific, it biodegrades quickly, that a jackal will die within 30 minutes of ingesting it, that birds will not be poisoned and that 1080 does not cause secondary poisoning.

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1497538,00.html