Demand a Moratorium on 1080

It’s time to ban 1080, for good.

Millions of acres of Australian land was devastated by the 2019-20 mega-fires. As the wildfires raged, habitat critical to the survival of many species was burnt. Billions of animals directly lost their lives. Many more continue to suffer in the wake of the flames due to lost habitat and limited resources.

Millions of dollars has been invested in the recovery. However, in a reckless attempt to chemically protect threatened native species, a substantial sum goes towards lethal control. Helicopters circled above survivors, but they didn’t only drop emergency food reserves – they dropped a million poison-laced baits, too.

In NSW, the National Parks and Wildlife Service announced that it would “significantly increase the level of aerial baiting” targeting foxes and “wild dogs”. By February 2021, over one million hectares of land had been the subject of lethal control under the bushfire recovery program.

Recently released findings based on DNA evidence conclusively show that 99% of the animals targeted and killed during lethal control programs are dingoes and that the “wild dog” is a myth. As Australia’s terrestrial apex predator, the dingo plays a critical role in the ecosystem. Killing them triggers a range of accumulating impacts, including an increase in the abundance of introduced predators who are then targeted with 1080 poison, too.

Because it is indiscriminate and poses a secondary threat to any animal who scavenges the first victims carcass, 1080 produces a “double death“. Dingoes deserve protection, but so do all survivors of the devastating bushfires.

It’s time to heal, not harm. 

Join over 19,000 Australians who have already demanded an immediate moratorium on 1080 baiting today.