SMUGGLERS have defied a government ban to bring the deadly rabbit calicivirus
into New Zealand. Over the past two weeks, dead rabbits carrying the virus have
turned up on farms throughout a wide area of the South Island. Farmers, who
regard the rabbit as a pest, have admitted to spreading the disease.
In July Peter O鈥橦ara, New Zealand鈥檚 deputy director-general of agriculture,
rejected an application to import the virus from Australia, where it is already
in use as a biological control agent
(This Week, 12 July, p 12). He ruled that
the epidemiology of the disease was too poorly understood and that scientists
were uncertain about its effectiveness.
O鈥橦ara says he is sure that the virus was already in New Zealand before he
decided to ban it. 鈥淭he virus had been sitting in a freezer somewhere,鈥� he told
快猫短视频. 鈥淲hen I made my decision, the farmers got to work
spreading it.鈥�
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The first evidence that the virus was at large came from council workers on a
farm near Cromwell who were preparing to poison rabbits with the pesticide 1080.
They found dead and dying rabbits, which on 26 August were confirmed by
government scientists as having calicivirus.
Roadblocks were immediately set up around five farms in the area, but were
dismantled two days later when infected rabbits were found at Twizel, 120
kilometres northeast of Cromwell, and at Ranfurly, 70 kilometres to the
east.
O鈥橦ara says there was little point in trying to control the disease. 鈥淔armers
told us we were wasting our time because the disease was all over the place.鈥�
Last weekend the disease was confirmed at Culverden, 550 kilometres from
Cromwell.
Farmers have admitted responsibility for spreading the disease. They
liquidised the livers of infected rabbits and spread the mixture on carrots and
oats left as bait. Live rabbits were also inoculated and released. Due to a
legal loophole, it is illegal to import rabbit calicivirus but not to spread
it.
O鈥橦ara condemns the farmers鈥� action. 鈥淭hey have demonstrated brilliantly to
any terrorist what you have to do to bring this country to its knees,鈥� he says.
Because the New Zealand economy relies heavily on livestock, he says, the
deliberate introduction of animal diseases could be devastating. New Zealand鈥檚
chief veterinary officer, Barry O鈥橬eil, adds that infected livers used by the
farmers could be contaminated with a range of viruses.
The farmers鈥� professional organisation has also released a critical
statement: 鈥淚n no way does Federated Farmers condone any deliberate
circumvention of border controls.鈥�
John Parkes, a vertebrate pest specialist with Landcare Research, a
government agency based in Lincoln, believes the farmers have done themselves a
disservice. If the virus is to be an effective control agent then the current
season, late winter, is not the time to release it. 鈥淭he most likely natural
vector, the blowfly, is not around,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he disease might die out.鈥�
Agricultural authorities are now investigating how the rabbit virus reached
New Zealand. Whoever is guilty of importing the virus could face a five-year
prison sentence and a fine of NZ$100 000 (拢40 000).