Gunns Limited Chief Executive Greg L’Estrange said the company would stop using 1080 poison as part of its Tasmanian forest operations effective immediately.
The poison has been used for decades as a last-resort to control native and feral animals from destroying young plantation trees.
Mr L’Estrange said the move was a significant step towards embracing the concerns of the community and follows extensive dialogue with a range of stakeholders.
"There is no doubt 1080 has been controversial in the past and this decision is another significant move in Gunns demonstrating its social responsibility," he said. "This is the culmination of years of hard work by our plantation management team, who have developed a range of innovative measures to replace poisons. "These include growing stronger, hardier seedlings at our advanced seedling nursery in north-west Tasmania, biodegradable netting around the seedlings and changes to when we plant. "We have also developed new strategies for the types and timing of fertiliser we use to ensure a rapid growth of the seedling to have it progress beyond the reach of browsing animals as quickly as possible.
