03-18-2016, 04:48 AM
It has just come to my attention that multiple government agencies (State and Federal) are working together in the planning of a massive rat and mongoose eradication effort throughout the islands. From an initial review of the:
Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) for Invasive Rodent and Mongoose Control and Eradication on U.S. Pacific Islands within the National Wildlife Refuge System and in Native Ecosystems in Hawai‘i
it appears that they are planning the wide, ground and aerial, distribution of diphacinone, chlorophacinone, and brodifacoum, all of which are vitamin K uptake inhibitors commonly known as rodenticides, ie., what we commonly call rat poison.
This action in itself would be considered noble in that the rodent population is a serious menace to other forms of wildlife. But, at least in the short term, the broad, rather than controlled and site specific, application of these toxins in the environment will have a devastating effect on a myriad of lifeforms including domestic animals and possibly all of us (humans) that depend on food that comes from our local environment.
From what I can tell this program would effect large parts of Puna as well as all the other native habitats on the island and throughout the state. And over time as the poison is moved out of the initial target areas will impact thousands of us in our own habitats.
This has been reported in the Tribune Herald on February 25, 2016 and can be read here:
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...t-controls
and which seems to play down the negative impacts to the program. Whereas more recently our (Puna's) own Sydney Ross Singer wrote a Community Voice piece in Civil Beat that brings a more urgent sense of concern to this issue as can be read here:
http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/03/eradica...mongooses/
and even though the Trib's piece only reports that:
a new joint state and federal proposal to launch a comprehensive control or eradication of the invasive animals from native ecosystems...
it appears from a reading of the very detailed and lengthy Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice that can be read in its entirety here:
http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Docu...tewide.pdf
that there has already been a lot done in laying the groundwork for this program.
To me this sounds like a nightmare. In the EISPN it is noted that studies of past poisonings to kill rats showed that the poison kills more than rats and that here we can expect “non-target” casualties as well. Here on the island this would include cats, barn owls, the Hawaiian owl, the Hawaiian hawk, and any other bird which eats the poison or eats poisoned crabs, insects, rodents, fish, slugs, or any other prey. The poison is found in everything, making the entire food chain poisonous.
Further fish are also found to contain the poison after it leaches into the oceans and reefs, including fish used for human food, making this a known hazard to most of us. Pigs are expected to also eat the poison and eat dead, poisoned animals, making them a health hazard to consume as well.
For those that don't know it the most common use of a vitamin K uptake inhibitor in humans is in the form of Warfarin. This is a drug that is used as a blood thinner, and is one of the most widely used medications in America, especially by the elderly. The humbug with Warfarin (which I was on for five years because of a now past medical condition) is that in anything over the exact prescribed dosage it is poisonous and can kill you. As such its use is tightly controlled and anyone taking it is cautioned over and over about the dangers of overdosing. This type of substance in our food supply, or our animal's food supply, could be devastating.
The Trib's article concluded with:
The first talk story session is slated for 6-8 p.m. March 14 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Komohana Research and Extension Center, conference rooms A and B. The second session is from 6-8 p.m. March 15 at the West Hawaii Civic Center community meeting hale.
Comments also can be submitted online and via mail and email.
For more information, visit http://removeratsrestorehawaii.org or http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDet...-0026-0019
Unfortunately I just became aware of this program and missed the opportunity to attend either of those meetings. Did anyone here attend? Does anyone know anymore than this? What are your thoughts and feelings about the wide spread application of rodenticides in our environment?
Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) for Invasive Rodent and Mongoose Control and Eradication on U.S. Pacific Islands within the National Wildlife Refuge System and in Native Ecosystems in Hawai‘i
it appears that they are planning the wide, ground and aerial, distribution of diphacinone, chlorophacinone, and brodifacoum, all of which are vitamin K uptake inhibitors commonly known as rodenticides, ie., what we commonly call rat poison.
This action in itself would be considered noble in that the rodent population is a serious menace to other forms of wildlife. But, at least in the short term, the broad, rather than controlled and site specific, application of these toxins in the environment will have a devastating effect on a myriad of lifeforms including domestic animals and possibly all of us (humans) that depend on food that comes from our local environment.
From what I can tell this program would effect large parts of Puna as well as all the other native habitats on the island and throughout the state. And over time as the poison is moved out of the initial target areas will impact thousands of us in our own habitats.
This has been reported in the Tribune Herald on February 25, 2016 and can be read here:
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...t-controls
and which seems to play down the negative impacts to the program. Whereas more recently our (Puna's) own Sydney Ross Singer wrote a Community Voice piece in Civil Beat that brings a more urgent sense of concern to this issue as can be read here:
http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/03/eradica...mongooses/
and even though the Trib's piece only reports that:
a new joint state and federal proposal to launch a comprehensive control or eradication of the invasive animals from native ecosystems...
it appears from a reading of the very detailed and lengthy Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice that can be read in its entirety here:
http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Docu...tewide.pdf
that there has already been a lot done in laying the groundwork for this program.
To me this sounds like a nightmare. In the EISPN it is noted that studies of past poisonings to kill rats showed that the poison kills more than rats and that here we can expect “non-target” casualties as well. Here on the island this would include cats, barn owls, the Hawaiian owl, the Hawaiian hawk, and any other bird which eats the poison or eats poisoned crabs, insects, rodents, fish, slugs, or any other prey. The poison is found in everything, making the entire food chain poisonous.
Further fish are also found to contain the poison after it leaches into the oceans and reefs, including fish used for human food, making this a known hazard to most of us. Pigs are expected to also eat the poison and eat dead, poisoned animals, making them a health hazard to consume as well.
For those that don't know it the most common use of a vitamin K uptake inhibitor in humans is in the form of Warfarin. This is a drug that is used as a blood thinner, and is one of the most widely used medications in America, especially by the elderly. The humbug with Warfarin (which I was on for five years because of a now past medical condition) is that in anything over the exact prescribed dosage it is poisonous and can kill you. As such its use is tightly controlled and anyone taking it is cautioned over and over about the dangers of overdosing. This type of substance in our food supply, or our animal's food supply, could be devastating.
The Trib's article concluded with:
The first talk story session is slated for 6-8 p.m. March 14 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Komohana Research and Extension Center, conference rooms A and B. The second session is from 6-8 p.m. March 15 at the West Hawaii Civic Center community meeting hale.
Comments also can be submitted online and via mail and email.
For more information, visit http://removeratsrestorehawaii.org or http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDet...-0026-0019
Unfortunately I just became aware of this program and missed the opportunity to attend either of those meetings. Did anyone here attend? Does anyone know anymore than this? What are your thoughts and feelings about the wide spread application of rodenticides in our environment?
