Feratox pest control substance found at Waiōtahe Beach: Recovery and disposal

Bay of Plenty Regional Council was notified on Thursday 27 February via the Pollution Hotline that approximately 15 small bags (mobile phone size) containing Feratox, an encapsulated form of cyanide used for pest control, had been found on the high tide line at Waiōtahe Beach, Ōpōtiki.

Regional Council staff were on site on the Thursday night and located a further two bags to what was reported.

Four staff, along with a representative from local iwi Whakatōhea, were then on site again at first light on Friday 28 February to search the area between the Waiotahe River mouth and the entrance of Opotiki Harbour.

Additional staff undertook a search from Bryan’s Beach to the west of the Waiotahe River and East of the Opotiki River mouth, to ensure a buffer zone is in place while recovery of the capsules takes place.

The search concluded early Friday afternoon (around 1.30pm) with 33 individual bags of Feratox collected from Waiōtahe Beach and Bryan’s Beach. No bags were located at Hukutaia and Snells Beach, East of Ōpōtiki Harbour, and West of Waiōtahe Estuary.

All collected bags were disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The individual packets that were discovered are untraceable, which means it is hard to pinpoint a source (note, the box that these packets came in would be traceable, but we have not found that at this stage).

WorkSafe have been notified about the situation as use of this pest control product requires a Controlled Substance Licence.

While these areas are open to the public, Regional Council is advising people to continue to exercise caution in these areas. Please keep dogs on leads to reduce the risk of scavenging.

If people do see any bags or capsules, please contact Regional Council’s Pollution Hotline on 0800 884 883.

Regional Council would like to thank the contractors and Whakatōhea for their involvement in the search and their support throughout the recovery process.