"Clean Green NZ Is A Joke"

Those were the words of a Brazilian couple who say they were exposed to a "rain of chemicals" from a helicopter spraying gorse whilst they were tramping the Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park, the second largest national park in New Zealand.

The 78.4km Heaphy Track is the longest trail in the park and considered one of the least developed. About 4000 people complete it each year. According to the DOC website there is an annual program to control gorse using Tordon/Grazon brushkiller spays.

This is a report about the tourists, from Voxy:

"Blenheim, Jan 21 NZPA -
A Brazilian couple, who claim chemicals were showered on them while tramping, say New Zealand's "clean, green" image is a joke.

Caroline Leone and husband Rodrigo Ferreira Santos from Sao Paulo saved for their trip-of-a-lifetime to New Zealand because they believed it "was the perfect place for experiencing beautiful nature, amazing national parks and great landscapes".

However, while tramping the Heaphy Track before Christmas they and others were shocked to experience a "rain of chemicals" from a helicopter spraying gorse. Ms Leone said they were aware of a helicopter and aeroplane flying directly over head for the entire five-hour tramp back to Kohaihai. They thought a rescue was being staged somewhere, until arriving at Kohaihai they saw a sign advertising aerial spraying of gorse.

"I have no word to describe the anger I feel right now," said Ms Leone who suffers from a medical condition which is made worse by herbicides and pesticides. "We could not believe what had just happened to us. We find it completely unacceptable and disrespectful as well as a deep violation of our rights not to be told that we were going to be exposed to any chemical spraying whilst tramping in a national park."

Karamea tourist operator Paul Murray, of Rongo Backpackers where the couple stayed, said they were visibly shaken and angry. He described the chemical applications as "a blatant disregard for the rights of tourists and trampers".

Ms Leone said her medical condition, called endometriosis, was exacerbated by herbicides, pesticides and dioxins in the environment so she tried her best to avoid exposure. The couple encountered two other weed spraying incidents in the South Island but say, ironically, they chose to holiday in New Zealand for its clean, green image.

"What happened to us is unacceptable in a country that sells its image overseas as `100 per cent pure and clean'. It's just a joke," said Ms Leone.

"Most times we would see 1080 drops around the tracks and when they spray they don't seem to care if anyone is there. Many of the travellers we met were saying the same thing. New Zealand's 1080 poison and weed spraying programmes will definitely have a big negative impact on your tourism."

The couple are perfectly within their rights to feel so angry and let down, they came to NZ because of its 100% pure image and were then allegedly exposed to herbicide for 5 hours.  But how many other visitors have been exposed to toxins without knowing it?

What are Tordon and Grazon? This is from the Journal of Pesticide Reform:

"The herbicide picloram (commonly sold under the trade names Tordon and Grazon) is typically used to kill unwanted broad-leaved plants on rangeland and pastures, in forestry, and along rights-of-way.

In laboratory tests, picloram causes damage to the liver, kidney, and spleen. Other adverse effects observed in laboratory tests include embryo loss in pregnant rabbits, and testicular atrophy in male rats.

The combination of picloram and 2,4-D causes birth defects and decreases birth weights in mice. Picloram is contaminated with the carcinogen hexachlorobenzene. Hexachlorobenzene, in addition to causing cancer of the liver, thyroid, and kidney, also damages bones, blood, the immune system, and the endocrine system. Nursing infants and unborn children are particularly at risk from hexachlorobenzene.

Picloram is toxic to juvenile fish at concentrations less than 1 part per million (ppm). Concentrations as low as 0.04 ppm have killed trout fry. In Montana, roadside spraying of Tordon killed 15,000 pounds of fish in a hatchery 1/4 mile downstream from the Tordon treatment.

Picloram is persistent and highly mobile in soil. It is widely found as a contaminant of groundwater and has also been found in streams and lakes. It is also extremely phytotoxic, and drift and runoff from picloram treatments have caused startling damage to crops, particularly tobacco and potatoes.

Because of these characteristics, both the Ecological Effects Branch and the Environmental Fate and Ground Water Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended that use of picloram not be continued. These recommendations were not accepted by EPA when it evaluated picloram in 1995."

With little known about its effects on humans we wonder if anyone will be monitoring the health of the Brazilian couple. Why is spraying being done during the peak holiday season?

TVNZ have also picked-up on this story and have invited people to give their responses to the question: Do you think NZ is living up to its clean, green image?

The following responses were given

cgilmour74 ; 2010-01-21 @ 11:49 NZDT

I'm an Aussie living in Papamoa, and I cannot believe you use poisons to control the rabbit population here. I have seen numerous dead birds and penguins in the sand dunes as a result of the poisons. In addition I was shocked to find out Kiwis don't have to have a recycling bin!!!

Oboist2 ; 2010-01-21 @ 10:31 NZDT

There is lot to be proud of as a New Zealander, however we are subject to "market forces" and the almighty dollar, the same as any other country, and as such, often the most cost effective solutions are sought to control problems. Some problems, brought on by, for the most part, environmental mistakes from the past, sometimes do require solutions that I for one, would rather not see used, but the reality.. We can do better.

Deerstalker ; 2010-01-21 @ 10:19 NZDT

Some of our lakes are dead - mostly from dairy farming effluent [faecal coliforms] and nitrates leaching through the soil into the watertable. Rivers are over tapped for water by dairy farming and end up dry beds by the sea. Our forests are great swathes of chemically poisoned land unfit for human habitation. Our seabeds are being plundered. New Zealand, you were in such a hurry to catch up with the rest of the world, you ended up with its problems.

nicH ; 2010-01-21 @ 09:44 NZDT 

I agree that people should look after their back yard. However, we do promote NZ to be a natural clean utopia to the rest of the world and a lot of our practices do make this claim false. I think we are in a unique position to be an example to the world of how to be clean and green but we seem to be happy to live with the facade and not demand the reality. It all starts with the individual, demand organic and free range produce and meat and, demand better pest and weed control practices.

Click on highlighted links for more about the '100% Pure' myth and the aerial use of the pesticide the couple saw on their trek -  1080. 

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1080 Documentary Wins Out Against NZ Propaganda Machine

Dirty tricks are afoot in the war against 1080 use in New Zealand. "Someone based in New Zealand" has been left with egg on their face after allegedly sending an email to the director of the AMRISTA Film network trying to "persuade" the festival organisers not to show the Graf brothers Poisoning Paradise documentary about the use of 1080 in NZ. Unfortunately the ruse backfired and the Graf brothers were sent a copy of it.


Details of the attempted coup are presented on the GrafBoys weblog, from which the following extracts are taken. This is the email in which the self confessed "very disturbed" author managed to do his/her own "dredging up":  an old, spent conviction of one of the brothers: (note: words in italics within the emails are our comments)

"To: director@swanseafilmfestival.com
Subject: Poisoning Paradise is propaganda

Dear Director

I was very disturbed to read recently that Poisoning Paradise, a film by Clyde and Steve Graf of New Zealand , is to be shown at your festival. I am concerned that audiences unfamiliar with the issue in New Zealand would not recognise this film for what it is – a blatantly biased piece of propaganda paid for by the deer hunting lobby.

The film (it would be very wrong to call this a documentary) is also made by deer hunters, one of whom has been convicted of armed robbery. The very few so-called ‘experts’ that the brothers dredge up have no scientific standing in New Zealand . The ‘research’ is not peer reviewed and goes against all other scientific research in New Zealand (see the first link below).

Despite all their efforts, and financial backing, none of the television networks (public and private) in New Zealand have agreed to screen it for the reasons listed above. (ed. now why is that?) I believe that screening this rubbish would only lend credibility to these characters, and would reflect very badly on what looks like a fine festival that you run. (ed. toadying, an adult is writing this?)

1080 is actually a critical tool in the battle to protect New Zealand ’s beloved native flora and fauna from introduced pests, and one that we cannot do without.

I have posted some links below that may be of interest and there is plenty more material that can be found.

I would appreciate it if you let me know what you decide to do on this matter.

Kind regards

Rxxxxxx Cxxxxxx"

(links are displayed on the Grafboys blog) 

Fortunately the recipient of this miserable missive saw it for was it was and allegedly copied the Grafs into the response:

"Attention: Rxxxxx Cxxxxxx. (Name removed to protect identity of writer)

Our decision to screen this documentary film within the AMRITSA Film Festival network has been made and will NOT be reversed.

AMRITSA Film Festivals are dedicated to and based upon the right of the free expression of opinion. (ed. so he noticed that the film wasn't shown on TV networks in NZ?)

This ‘right’ is one which we will hold to fast and maintain in the interest of debate.

Should YOU and or YOUR organisation (ed. this means R C was writing on behalf of their employer?) wish to present an alternative point of view to that contained within ‘Poisoning Paradise’ then we suggest you submit a ‘film’ and it would be considered for screening.

Thanks for writing

AA"

We here at E2NZ applaud that response and we wait for the "organisation" to produce its own film.

Any worldwide, legitimate debate over the aerial use of 1080 in New Zealand,

 a country that long traded on its '100% Pure' image yet is the world's largest user of the deadly poison, can only be welcomed.

It will also give us a clue as to the identity of this "organisation".  As Rolf may say "have you guessed who it is yet?"

Our readers may also be interested to read our post about the debacle over the editing/censorship of the 1080 page on Wikipedia in which references to the film were removed.

For our many other posts about toxic 1080 use in New Zealand please see those tagged '1080' - link

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Rangitikei River Drownings

This afternoon there was was another tragic drowning in a NZ rafting river - the Rangitikei River near Bulls which has stretches of grade 4 and 5 white water. Police were said to be in attendance and visibly upset people were being comforted.

In October 2007 trainee guide Tor Prestmo, 24, from Norway, drowned when he was swept under water after a collision between two rafts on a grade five rapid on the same river. River Valley Ventures ltd. was later convicted for health and safety breaches*. See post Another Adventure Tourism Death Results in Prosecution - Tor Prestmo.

A year earlier a school student from Newcastle, Australia was trapped and nearly drowned just 15cm below the surface of this river whilst on a rafting expedition with River Valley Ventures. Source.
There were 30 students and 5 adults in the rafting the group.

The NZ Maritime Safety Authority's report into the student's entrapment stated:

"Guides will in the future carry fold up snorkels as part of their rescue
kit. The maximum effective length of a pipe/hose for breathing underwater is approximately 18cm. If using a hose from a raft pump, the hose can be cut to the right length."

Full report may be found here

Another fatality on the Rangitikei River occurred in October 2005 when Andy Warren, a member of a group of senior army personnel on a leadership course, drowned when he was thrown from the raft he was in (River Valley Ventures owned and operated the raft) Full report of the drowning here

Whilst it is too soon to say if this latest fatality is as a result of adventure tourism it does come at a time when the review of the Adventure Industry (initiated following a consistent and very public pressure by Emily Jordan's father Chris) has been put on the back burner because of a lack of 'buy-in' by industry operators and is already 2 months behind schedule.

Some countries have seen fit to advise their citizens of the dangers they may face in New Zealand. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers the following guidance: link

Local Travel

"There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports you should check that the company is well established in the industry and your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, you should check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. You should ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas and you should keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts."

Update
*River Valley was convicted of failing to take all practicable steps to protect the safety of Mr Prestmo, and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay $60,000 in reparation to his family.

See also: Teen who drowned in Rangitikei 'a good kid'. At the time of Steven Tuanau's death  there had already been three drownings in New Zealand this year.

On average (last 5 years) 114 New Zealanders per annum have died by drowning. New Zealand’s annual drowning toll is one of the worst in the developed world. (source)

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American Tourist, Caroline Lackey, Drowns In Rafing Incident. Updated Following Rangitikei River Drowning

There has been another tragic Adventure Tourism related death in New Zealand.

In an incident very reminiscent of the drowning of British tourist Emily Jordan, a 58 year old American tourist, Caroline Lackey, has died after she became trapped under a rock whilst rafting at the Te Hoe section of the Mohaka River yesterday.

Watch Kentucky news report
The trip was said to be a private one and not under the guidance of any commercial operators.

Our deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends who must be devastated by their loss. Mrs. Lackey's husband, son and daughter in law were thrown clear of the raft but fotunately managed to swim to safety.

Her death comes at a time when the review of the Adventure Industry (initiated following a consistent and very public pressure by Emily Jordan's father Chris) has been put on the back burner because of a lack of 'buy-in' by industry operators and is already 2 months behind schedule.

Some countries have seen fit to advise their citizens of the dangers they may face in New Zealand. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers the following guidance: link

Local Travel

"There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports you should check that the company is well established in the industry and your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, you should check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. You should ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas and you should keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts."

oday's posts - click here