Hi all
The media reports are not consistent with talk about the individuals and
companies being charged with killing "rare", or "threatened", or "protected"
parrots.
For the two companies concerned the maximum penalty for killing the 40
Regent Parrots KNOWN to have been killed seems to be about $109,100 each,
ASSUMING the species is declared as endangered under Victoria's Wildlife Act
and that the charges refer to "endangered wildlife".
However under the Act there are lesser fines relating to "notable" and
"protected" wildlife (with no mention of rare or threatened wildlife) so it
seems most likely that the companies have been charged only with taking
"protected wildlife" where the maximum fine for 40 birds is $26,215. (Most
species are protected and birds other than Regent Parrots were apparently
killed as well, so presumably the fine could be higher.)
Robert Gosford, in the first posting on this, also said the companies are
being charged with giving false or misleading information (maximum of 120
penalty units at $107 a unit, or $12,840) and 2 counts of failing to comply
with an authorisation (maximum 100 PUs or $10,700).
(The penalties for "taking wildlife" are up to 240 PUs for the first
endangered bird and 20 PUs for each additional bird killed, with the
possibility of two years jail as well. For 'protected wildlife' the
penalties are 50 PUs for the first birds plus 5 per additional bird with the
possibility of up to 6 months jail.)
Incidentally a lot of these almond plantations are funded through the
threatened Managed Investment Schemes which have pumped a lot of money into
the Select Harvest/Kyndalyn Park operation with its multi-million profits.
Michael Norris
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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