Posted on 9-9-2003

Aerial Spraying: GE Through Back Door
 
Helen Wiseman-Dare, Chairperson, West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying today condemned the government's decision to aerial spray Hamilton for the Asian Gypsy Moth 8 times before Christmas, using triple the dose of Foray 48B as used over west Auckland. Over 3,300 people have reported adverse health effects in west Auckland, with over 10,000 calls having been received by MAF's PAM health service.
 
With only one moth found, where are the rest of the moths MAF alleges to have hatched out of the same egg mass?  Why have the 700 pheromone traps in place around Hamilton failed to find another single moth?  Where are they - could they have spread beyond Hamilton?
 
By aerial spraying vast tracts of New Zealand with Foray 48B is the government trying to achieve irreversible contamination of our environment with GE? Helen Wiseman-Dare asked today.
 
The active ingredient in Foray 48B is Btk which contains Bt - the same Bt that is used in GE plants such as sweetcorn. This is what is tested for to determine GE contamination.  In addition, Foray 48B - shipped in from USA, has a soy base. All US soy is GE.
 
By spraying such large parts of the country with Foray 48B - parts of Auckland alone have had over 40 sprays - the government appears to be doing all it can to achieve GE contamination of our environment before the Moratorium has even been lifted.
 
WASP is urging Hamiltonians to use every means at their disposal to protest against this gross abuse of their human rights including civil disobedience.
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Helen Wiseman-Dare, Chairperson, WASP (West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying), Ph:  09 827 2516,  Email:  wasp@xtra.co.nz