Certainly there are plenty of threats to our natural ecology: everyone should be dealt with / managed where this is practical ? unfortunately that may not always be the case. The appropriate management response will depend on what stage the pest is at in its incursion: the same pest will elicit different management responses depending on whether it is a new invader to an area; whether it is in the expansion surge phase; or has firmly established itself in an area (eg the response to mynas first appearing in villages / farmland west of the divide; those building up / expanding in eastern coastal towns; and to those firmly established in Sydney can and should be different). The management response to an invasive pest will range from elimination, containment, or dealing with / ameliorating the consequences. The actual tactic will depend on the characteristic of the pest: in the case of the myna, as it is sociable, sedentary, conspicuous, commensal, disliked, and is amenable to trapping, it is an ideal pest for community / individual action. Most pests are not, unfortunately, and so we place more emphasis on governments to deal with the issue. Their response is governed by their resource limitations which means they need to assess and rank the seriousness of the threat posed by the pest, and allocate scarce resources accordingly. Such a limitation is not a consideration for private individuals. We can spend our money and time anyway we like as we are the one to make that choice. It is false to argue that community people we should focus on a ?bigger? threat ? it may be that that threat is not amenable to being controlled or managed by them: eg camels, wild pigs, cats, foxes and buffel grass in the outback; foxes and cats in cities; carp, trout or redfin in inland rivers; Crown of Thorns Starfish on the Great Barrier Reef: if they are to be controlled or the impacts ameliorated, then that is beyond the capacity of individual actions of community people and the job for governments.
Let?s conclude that we should deal with any major threat to our ecology: finding the right strategy and tactics is the task.
Cheers
Bill
From: Mark Clayton [
Sent: Monday, 24 December 2012 8:08 AM
To: 'Bill Handke'; ; m("indianmynaaction.org.au","chat");">
Cc: 'Alison Russell-French'; 'Anne I'ons'; 'Bruce Lindenmayer'; 'Graham Gliddon'; 'Greg Flowers'; 'Ian Andrew Fuller'; 'Kate Grarock'; 'Marg Peachey'; 'Megan Vandervelde'; 'Peter Ormay'; 'ray barge'; 'Rosemary Blemings'; 'Ross Dalton'; 'Tony Peacock'; 'COG List'
Subject: RE: [news] Myna Matters Bulletin #25
Bill et al,
Again a very informative newsletter. I would however like to make a point on one comment, that being the work of Darren le Roux and whether it can help getting the Myna listed as a threatening process. It should in theory be an easy task given that so many people dislike the bird. Unfortunately there are far more severe threats to our wildlife, particularly native fish and amphibians posed by introduced trout and other fish species but let anyone suggest removing them, especially trout, from our lakes, rivers and streams or declaring them a threatening process, and watch the outcry from the fishing fraternity. I know many people in departments like the NSWNPWS would like to see this happen but politicians don?t have the guts to try it! Just look at the ludicrous laws allowing hunting in National Parks that are proposed by the O?Farrell government in NSW and the power of the gun lobby.
Just something for people to think about!
Merry Christmas all and a Happy New Year,
Mark
Please find enclosed Myna Matters Bulletin #25 ? the 2012 Xmas Edition. There has been an amazing amount of myna control stuff happening all up and down the eastern seaboard over the past year. Lots of it reported in here.
On behalf of the CIMAG Committee, have a great, safe Xmas and a wonderful 2013.
Cheers
Bill Handke
Canberra Indian Myna Action Group
