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The Macquarie Island Evidence: What DOC Doesn’t Want Acknowledged About Skua and 1080
The Macquarie Island Evidence: What DOC Doesn’t Want Acknowledged About Skua and 1080By Nigel Gray Independent Researcher 25 August 2026A scientifically documented case of skua dying from secondary poisoning
In its recent OIA response, the Department of Conservation (DOC) insisted that brown skua — the large, aggressive seabirds occasionally seen around New Zealand’s coasts — are ecologically insulated from inland toxins such as 1080. DOC stated: Nigel’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This claim is presented as categorical fact. This is not hypothetical. This is documented science, published in 2023. What the 2023 Macquarie Island research actually foundThe key source is the Macquarie Island eradication programme, analysed in the 2023 Travers thesis, which monitored skua diet and mortality during the removal of rabbits and rodents. The findings were unambiguous: Brown skua consumed rabbits. Brown skua consumed rodents. Brown skua scavenged terrestrial carcasses extensively. Brown skua died from secondary poisoning after feeding on poisoned rabbit carcasses. The programme recorded multiple skua deaths attributable to secondary poisoning. This matters because rabbits are one of the most common species to die in large numbers during New Zealand’s aerial 1080 operations — and their carcasses remain toxic for days to weeks. In other words: Brown skua have already been proven to die from eating poisoned land mammals.This is the exact exposure pathway DOC claims “does not exist”. Why this destroys DOC’s inland‑exposure denialDOC’s OIA response insisted: skua do not travel inland skua do not encounter terrestrial prey skua do not feed on land mammals skua do not have exposure pathways to 1080 skua deaths cannot be linked to inland toxin operations But the 2023 Macquarie Island evidence shows: skua do travel inland when food is available skua do scavenge terrestrial carcasses skua do exploit opportunistic land‑based prey skua do die from secondary poisoning skua are vulnerable to toxin pathways involving mammals DOC’s position is not scientifically defensible. The Petone skua: a case that fits the known poisoning patternThe Petone skua was: emaciated dehydrated debilitated scavenging displaced from normal habitat found within flight range of multiple 1080 operations never tested for toxins These symptoms overlap strongly with sublethal toxin exposure, including: metabolic disruption neurological impairment starvation following toxin‑induced debilitation dehydration due to organ stress MPI tested for H5N1. But the 2023 Macquarie Island evidence shows: Secondary poisoning is a known, documented, real pathway for brown skua.The Petone skua fits the pattern. Why DOC’s narrative is collapsingDOC’s ecological framing — “marine only”, “no inland movement”, “no terrestrial diet” — is contradicted by: the 2023 Macquarie Island skua deaths global skua opportunistic feeding behaviour drift‑assisted inland movement inland scavenging events documented in other seabird species DOC’s own admission that all 1080 operations fall within skua flight range DOC’s certainty is not scientific. The public deserves the truthNew Zealanders were told: the skua was “detected with H5N1” there were “no concerns about toxicity” skua “would not encounter species affected by 1080” But now we know: skua have died from secondary poisoning before skua do scavenge terrestrial mammals skua do exploit inland carcasses skua do travel far beyond their “preferred” marine zones DOC withheld part of the 1080 review under s9(2)(g)(ii) — a clause used when officials fear public backlash The 2023 Macquarie Island evidence makes DOC’s denial untenable. AI IMAGE OF A BROWN SKUA SCAVENGING A RABBIT AS DOCUMENTED AT MACQUARRIE ISLAND:
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