Last week about 100 people protested against a bill that would allow hunters to shoot feral animals in national parks. Much of the protest is spearheaded by rangers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW. They claim that hunters won't discriminate - that they are just as likely to shoot native wildlife as pest species.
I've had personal experience on this issue. Several years ago I joined Operation Duck Rescue at Barren Box Swamp in the Riverina region of New South Wales. I watched first hand as native birds were shot by hunters and left to die - all because they got in the way of targeted ducks.
Prior to that, I was quite a neutral party. I didn't have a strong aversion to hunting; I thought it had its place in the world. But once I personally witnessed the attitude and behavior of the hunters, my opinion shifted strongly.
I was naive. I thought that licensed hunters would abide by the rules. One rule was to never aim the gun at or below the horizontal level. I photographed one hunter doing just that. Then there was the hunter who held his shotgun dead level, aimed at me - ME! - and fired. I was further disappointed when I reported this to the NPWS rangers. They refused to investigate or report it to the police. Instead they searched my car - for ducks!
The story gets sadder. The protestors were not overstating the case as I initially thought. One of the jobs the rescuers assigned themselves was to wade and paddle around the swamp picking up the wounded waterfowl and rushing them to the temporary vet camp.
It was tragic to discover injured ducks - legal game - that had fallen and not been picked up by hunters. But most devastating of all was to come across the non-target native birds - the illegally shot aftermath.
The swamp at that time of year, March, was basically a rookery. Hundreds of nesting cormorants were raising chicks and many were caught in the crossfire as they flew back and forth to their nests. My heart went out as we found a juvenile Pacific Heron, unable to fly, left pathetically to die. The hunters were walking off the scene carrying just their 10-duck bag limit, but in their wake dozens of uncounted native birds were left dead and dying.
There is no debate when it comes to the damage caused by feral mammals like pigs, goats, camels, horses and foxes. I've seen a landscape almost denuded by goats with not a morsel left for native rock-wallabies. I've seen pig routings that have turned over entire sections of forest. Undeniably, these introduced species are pests and I for one want to see them annihilated. But will hunters, if turned loose to cull them, abide by the license? Or will they be just as happy to level their firearms at a startled kangaroo, possum or other innocent native? Intentions may be good, but experience says - it ain't gonna happen.
What's your experience or opinion on this issue?
3 comments:
Thanks for the images and experiences Esther.
This is lousy legislation, with significantly misleading statements about its coverage leading up to the bill become an Act (from about 57 to about 757 out of about 775 public reserves and parks now open to private hunters).
There is no scientific support for broad-scale shooting on conservation lands for the purposes of effective feral animal control. There is scientific support for other methods of effective control. Yes, I have participated in this region's feral animal control strategy, which included representatives of the Game Council.
Esther's story highlights the reality in the field, when everyone is a long way from a Court or hospital or vet clinic. This law will not be able to be feasibly administered. We will simply find dead or dying native fauna (oops!), with no sign of hunters.
I could not agree more. It is one thing to control feral pests but another entirely different thing to be shooting animals for "sport".
There is no way that these amateur "hunters" will restrict themselves to culling feral animals no matter how well intentioned they may purport to be.
This appears just a cynical political move to appease the radical element so the Government can take some quick cash. I don't recall this being an election promise.
Let's hope common sense prevails before even more native wildlife, or worse, are maimed and killed.
This is so sad, Thank you for sharing it and educating others.
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