Guest guest Posted March 22, 2001 Report Share Posted March 22, 2001 kim [kkaos] Monday, 19 March 2001 06:12 alqld; sara; seanqld ; Pat [alqld] Oppose deadly rabbit biocide NOW >Dear All, > >Environment Australia is NOW considering giving their >approval to the use of RCD (Rabbit haemorrhagic disease) edible baits >to kill wild introduced European rabbits in Australia . > >Environment Australia is the department of the Australian government >dealing with the environment. > >The NRA (National Registration Authority) >have yet to legalise the RCD baits in Australia. > >I believe the NRA will need the approval of Environment Australia to >legalise the RCD baits >and Environment Australia will give their final decision to the NRA at the >end of March 2001. > >Environment Australia is NOT calling for public submissions on the RCD bait >issue however anyone with any scientific or environmental knowledge of >the issue may send a submission about RCD baits to the >chemical evaluation manager at Environment Australia by fax. > >Submissions must be in this week to give time for consideration >(the earlier the better). > >Submissions with a scientific or environmental basis will be preferred >rather than emotive submissions according to my source. > >If you know of anyone who would like to send a submission to Environment >Australia, (especially anyone with scientific qualifications) please ask >them to write to > >Mr Chris Lee Steere, >Chemical Evaluations Manager, >Environment Australia >Fax +61 2 62500387 > >In the first week of April I will be attending my next status conference >with >the NRA and my Environmental Defenders Office lawyer. We are attempting to >obtain RCD bait information from the NRA under the FOI Act (this has been >dragging on for >2 years now). > >Any help on submissions to Environment Australia would be much appreciated. >If Environment Australia do not approve the RCD baits, the whole >consideration process >may grind to a halt. > >There is a huge archive on about RCD useful for preparing >submissions on my website See : > >http://www.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/rrcd.htm > > >Some of the issues to mention include > >* possible future change in host range of the RCD/RHD virus >*Effects on the birds of prey of a decline in European rabbits in Australia- >introduced wild European rabbits are a major food source of many birds of >prey >(wedge tailed eagle numbers have declined by 30-40% in parts of Australia >in the past few years since the arrival of RHD and I believe a bird count is >still underway >in the Eastern states of Australia). >*Lack of an Environmental Impact Statement on the RHD virus (a draft EIS was >prepared >but never formalised) >*Ear rot and protracted deaths of rabbits in New Zealand (the only country >ever >to spread RHD on baits). There has been lack of funding to research why the >ear-rot appeared in New Zealand. >*RCD/RHD baits may confer immunity to wild rabbits against RCD according to >New Zealand researchers. (see website). >*Australia has a large number of animal species existing no-where >else in the world - they may eat the RCD/RHD baits or rabbits heavily >infected >with RCD/RHD and consume large doses of live RCD/RHD virus and no testing >using large doses of RHD virus fed orally to native >Australian animals (or humans) has been conducted as far as we know. >*There is no monitoring program to monitor any effcts of the use of baits on >other animals. >*The increase in the use of RCD/RHD live virus on baits may increase the >likelihood >of outbreaks of RHD in other countries where the disease is unwanted (the >RCD/RHD >virus is resiliant and may travel on clothing and may be carried by >migratory birds >or sea mammals and on insects and dust particles. An outbreak of RHD occured >in Mexico >in the 1980's and was thought to have arrived on frozen food). >*There are no safe vaccines to protect Australian native animals or humans >should RHD choose >to switch on in another host species. >*RHD is NOT species specific. RCD/RHD most probably changed hosts to >European rabbits >from an unknown reservoir species and RHD has killed European brown hares (a >different genus >to the European rabbit). According to CSIRO tests, some animal species >tested positive to RCD/RHD when injected with low doses of the RCD virus >their antibody levels were above the 30% cut-off level). >*At the time RCD/RHD was released, 4 out of 5 caliciviruses were known to >infect humans and >RCD/RHD antibodies were found in a Mexican laboratory worker according to >the Australian >RCD program (Hepatitis E [a calicivirus that kills a large percentage of >pregnant women infected with Hepatitis E] has since been re-classified ). >*RCD/RHD is a relatively new virus, only having apeared for the first time >in China in 1984. >Little is know or understood about the RCD/RHD virus which kills a mammal >often within >2 days - faster than Ebola. The disease has no cure. >*The RCD/RHD virus in Australia has not been successful in some areas of >Australia >and the RCD virus escaped from open air testing on Wardang Island in 1995 >(showing an >inability of humans to contain the virus). >*Dr Alvin Smith and Dr David Matson, USA specialists in caliciviruses have >warned >Australian authorities of the dangers of the spreading the RHD virus but >their warnings have been >ignored. >See Dr Smiths website at http://www.vet.orst.edu/FCSTFHOM/Smith-A/CALICI.HTM >Also see letters from other scientists who are very concerned at the spread >of RCD/RHD >http://www.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/sci.htm > >Kind regards, > >Marguerite > > > > > -------------------------------- animal liberation queensland * http://www.powerup.com.au/~alibqld ethical consumption * http://www.powerup.com.au/~kkaos ecovegan * http://www.powerup.com.au/~kkaos/main.html -------------------------------- " The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion " - Socrates ====================================================================<<< Share your files with friends using the SmartGroups document area. http://ad.smartgroups.com/adclick/CID=000000090621c29500000000 ====================================================================>>> If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a questionnaire visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/alqld To leave the group, email: alqld- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.