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to get thru last week.
A small article in todays Melbourne Age described a new permit
scheme which our 'enlightened' state government in Victoria has approved which
will allow farmers to poison cockatoos & corellas where they are causing
damage to crops. This has been approved by the Minister for Conservation
and Environment, Marie Tehan.
Poisoning is very indiscriminate in how it affects wildlife
populations and in this situation it is likely to affect non-target
species.
Recommendations in the Environment & Natural resources
Committee report 'Problems in Victoria caused by Long-billed Corellas,
Sulphur-crested cockatoos and Galahs' Nov 1995 include measures such as decoy
feeding to attract birds away from crops, the use of screen plants for crop
protection and farm and transport hygene measure which would reduce spillage of
grain.
The measures recommended in the report are designed to reduce
damage to crops etc without causing the collateral damage that measures such as
poisoning and shooting would cause.
Euan Moore
