Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Devils that are protected from 1080 exposure, due to, for example, geographical
barriers, are free of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The populations that
are DFTD-free are those interstate, those in wildlife parks, and those in forestry-
inaccessible areas, such as south west, and west Tasmania (Bevilacqua
2004
;
DPIWE
2004
).
Consider:
1. Tasmanian devils eat the carcasses of animals poisoned by 1080 (le Mar and
McArthur
2000
; Statham
2001
).
2. The bodies of 1080-poisoned animals store the poison in their tissues (Okuno
et al.
1984
; Tietjen et al.
1988
).
3. The supply specification for Tasmania's 1080 is 90% purity [Wigley, 2004,
personal communication (owner of Tull Chemical)].
4. The usual contaminant of 1080 is Sodium Fluoride (NaF) [Wigley, 2004,
personal communication (owner of Tull Chemical); Worthing
1991
].
5. Sodium Fluoride is a known tumorigen (Armato et al.
1992
; Tsutsui et al.
1984
).
6. Devils have tumours from a source unknown (McCallum et al.
2009
).
7. The affliction Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is threatening the species
(McCallum, et al.
2009
).
Sodium fluoride is a known tumorigen that is used experimentally to produce
tumors, on demand, in laboratory conditions. So when we see tumors in devils that
have access to 1080-poisoned areas of Tasmania, the alarm bells should be ringing,
and the precautionary principle ought to be invoked.
Even if the evidence linking 1080 and DFTD is circumstantial, it would be a true
wonder if a diet of toxic carcasses had no health ramifications for devils, both indi-
vidually and collectively. Despite Premier Reece's better-off-dead proposition, in
the light of the thylacine's extinction, Tasmania has a reputation to live down, and
in the light of its tourism puffery, of, for example, 'Pure Tasmania', there is a nar-
rative to live up to. Islands are special places, they have offered sanctuary and ref-
uge, and some extra care and precaution may be called for, and may serve better
than hindsight.
Fox
Schofield (
2010
:2) writes: “On the wall in the parlour of the pub at Melton
Mowbray [central Tasmania] there is a faded picture of the local hunt, styled no
doubt on the eponymous English prototype, about to cry 'Tallyho!' and set off. But
there were no foxes to hunt in Tasmania at that time and there still are none, despite
extensive scat-scattering, shaky science and attempts to persuade the public that we
are about to be overrun by 'Renard'. So far $40 million has been squandered on this
program, and still they spend”. The scat reference is to Tasmania's Fox Eradication
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