DoC's poison threatens wildlife

By ANNE BESTON and NZPA

The Department of Conservation has admitted that rat poison which is threatening wildlife off the Kaikoura coast after a big spill, was for its own use.

In an embarrassing accident for the wildlife protection agency, a 20-tonne truckload of blood-thinning brodifacoum pellets, enough to fill about 20 large spa pools, spilled into the sea about 10km south of Kaikoura.

The poison was on its way to sub-Antarctic Campbell Island for a DoC rat eradication programme.

The truck and trailer overturned after a collision on State Highway 1 about 3.50 am yesterday. It was left hanging over a cliff until it was removed by a crane. The driver escaped unhurt.

DoC spokeswoman Trish Grant did not know if the department would face charges over the spill, or if the company which was transporting it on the department's behalf, Animal Control Products, could be prosecuted.

"It is unfortunate and everyone is clearly concerned it's gone into the sea, but my understanding is that it wasn't actually in our possession because we hadn't taken receipt of it," she said.

Environment Canterbury would investigate the accident and see what lessons could be learned, said Ms Grant.

The Herald understands the rat bait is usually transported in sealed plastic containers but the load that spilled into the ocean was in paper packets.

The scenic Kaikoura coastline, which attracts up to 800,000 tourists a year, is an important habitat for seals and sea lions, sea birds and other marine life, but is probably most famous for its whale-watching trips.

Only about 2 tonnes of the poison was recovered from the shoreline with the rest creating a green slick about half a kilometre offshore.

DoC's South Marlborough area manager, Robin Blakemore, said it was difficult to know what effects the poison would have on marine life. Two patrol teams would scour the area over the next few days, or weeks if necessary, to find potential victims of the spill.

Crown Public Health protection officer Paul Schoolderman said 18 tonnes of rat poison swilling around in the ocean was a significant spill.

Any lethal effects, such as on fish, would not be immediate because of the slow-release nature of the poison. It is expected to be about 10 days before any residue disperses.

Mr Schoolderman said CPH had talked to experts and all agreed it was not a threat to human health.

Kaikoura chief fire officer Ian Walker said his team cleaned up what they could from the foreshore and stowed it in drums for taking to regional council Environment Canterbury storage facilities. From there it would be buried, he said.

Poison which had spilled into the sea was dispersing.

"The sea's eaten it up - not much we can do about that," he said.

Kaikoura Whalewatch manager Wally Stone said the township had rallied round to offer help.

"We've offered our boats to go out and collect packets still floating on top of the water. The ocean is fundamental to the town of Kaikoura, which relies on fishing and tourism. This spill is a worry."

The road remained closed for most of the day with motorists diverted through the Lewis Pass. It reopened just before 4 pm.

Meanwhile, eight Blenheim trampers who spent a freezing night outdoors in Nelson Lakes National Park were found yesterday. Three were suffering from frostbite.

One of the three, 74-year-old Sylvia Oliver, of Blenheim, was in a serious condition.

The group was found by a search party in Speargrass Basin, just off the main ridge from the Mt Robert skifield, at 8 am.

The trampers were taken to Wairau Hospital in Blenheim, said search coordinator Russell Tucker.

The group, who entered the park about 9.30 am on Tuesday, were well equipped and had food and sleeping bags but no tents.

They made contact with police about 6.30 pm on Wednesday, expressing concerns about their position and the weather.

The area was very exposed and cold, and it was snowing. The trampers huddled together under what shelter they could scrape together, said Mr Tucker.

The icy winter blast that has gripped the South Island and the central North Island over the past two days caused chaos on the roads with minor accidents landing a dozen people in hospital in Otago and Southland.

Akaroa was cut off from Christchurch because of snow, Dunedin was described as a skating rink, while in the North Island snow closed the Desert Rd.

School buses in Otago and Southland were cancelled for a second day, and roads were likely to stay closed for several days.

The shivery weather is caused by a large, deep, low-pressure system south of the Chatham Islands in tandem with a stalled high-pressure system to the west of New Zealand.

Metservice weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said: "This combination of events is allowing further waves of polar chilled air to migrate directly from the Antarctic ice shelf on to our south end."

By the weekend severe inland frosts would cover much of the South Island.