The Government was working on regulations to legalise
the spread of the rabbit-killing calicivirus, a spokesman
for Biosecurity Minister Simon Upton said yesterday.
But the Biosecurity Act regulations were not expected
to be formalised till Mr Upton returned on Thursday or
Friday, after attending environment meetings in Montreal
and London.
The Government announced a fortnight ago that it would
legalise the possession and spread of the virus, after
a Crown Law Office opinion contradicted Agriculture
Ministry advice to farmers that spreading it was legal.
Though those who spread the virus before the regulation
changes would be technically have broken the law,
the ministry considers it impractical to prosecute most
of the people involved.
But those who smuggled the virus into New Zealand and
were involved in its initial spread were still being sought
with view to prosecution.
Ministry spokeswoman Debbie Gee said the ministry's
enforcement unit was "still hopeful" they would be caught.
Meanwhile, the ministry was monitoring the virus spread.
But once the virus spread was legalised, the ministry expected
its main role would be in giving advice to farmers who wished
to spread it further.
"Other than that, we're not resourced for a major monitoring
operation".