Game Bill, Botched

Tuesday, 12 March 2002 10:00

Total Environment Centre campaigner Fran Kelly said the Bill contained lists of native and introduced birds that could be hunted and killed, yet some were not even found in the wild in NSW, others were protected from hunters 20 years ago because they were becoming endangered, and others were banned in most circumstances when recreational duck shooting was pulled back because so many non listed birds were shot.

"No matter who wrote this Bill, whether it was someone in a shooting or hunting organisation or some faceless Minister's advisor working with such groups, they should have made sure they got some major basic facts right first" said Ms Kelly "

"How is anyone who is out to kill birds going to find species that don't exist unless they introduce them and so break the National Parks and Wildlife Act? How are endangered birds going to be protected from hunters if they are listed as ok to shoot. And how anyway, are shooters going to tell the difference between some species and others when many look so similar?" said Ms Kelly

"It doesn't matter how many rules and regulations the hunters lay down for hunters to comply with - the bill is about providing opportunities - any opportunities - for shooters to go out and kill our birds - native and introduced. All birds have come under fire in the past when recreational shooting has been permitted, and all birds will come under fire again" said Ms Kelly

"What is worse this time is that any monitoring or regulation of protected bird hunting is entirely in the hands of the perpetrators themselves - the hunters. This Bill is a farce, a joke, from beginning to end," said Ms Kelly.

Ms Kelly said the introduced birds not found in the wild in NSW were the California quail, pheasant, partridge and peafowl, the birds that were becoming endangered in the past were the native quail both listed and non listed. And the four species of ducks were some of many birds that were shot during duck hunting season.

This type of blood sport was banned because it caused such a furore in the past, swans, pelicans, anything, was shot -and it will be again under this pathetic excuse of a piece of legislation.