Cultural Anthropology Thang

Andreas Cantu 
Mr. Roddy 
IHSS 
14 September 2019 
Compound 1080 
About a year ago in New Zealand six dead birds ended up in their parliament. The activists who had brought them their were convinced that they had died due to the country's use of 1080, a pest control chemical. However after the autopsy were complete, it was concluded that these birds did not die of 1080, the story put a spotlight on this chemical and its widespread use. In New Zealand they use american products to kill the European pests, to help protect their native species. During WW2 America was on top of the technology game with devices such as, Penicillin, The Atomic Bomb, and kidney transplant technology. Due to the war the Atlantic had obstructed shipments thus pushing America to develop alternatives to scarce commodities. They began the improvement of pesticides, to replace the German imports, and in 1943 Monsanto acquired the contract for 1080. Its active compound is sodium monofluoroacetate, it is a natural product of some African, and Brazilian plants, but farmers noticed a large amount of their cattle die after grazing on heart leaf and bullock poison. Since its came out in 1954 New Zealand has accounted for 90% of its use worldwide, after other countries stopped using it due to its lethal attributes. Another big reason for its continues use is New Zealand's anti predator program "Battle For Our Birds." The ex minister of conservation stated that "We are deliberately using the language of war because we are up against invasive enemies that are hard to defeat. If we are to save the creatures we love, we have to eradicate the predators intent on eating them to extinction" (Department of Conservation, New Zealand Government 2017.)  One of 1080s pros is its ability to do what is called secondary poising, this help with mass eradication of unwanted pest, but unfortunately if a dog or a cat gets a hold of a poisoned pest, they are most likely dead. 1080 has become a good icebreaker to start thinking about what species belong in New Zealand and which do not. 
https://culanth.org/fieldsights/compound-1080-sodium-monofluoroacetate

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