The
best discussion I’ve found on this subject is this 2009 paper by the Invasive
Species Council. http://www.invasives.org.au/documents/file/reports/Critique_IsHuntingConservation.pdf
It
refers to my own major problem with this outrageous policy (I think much
more serious than gunshot risk to other park users) – the certainty that
shooters will deliberately introduce ‘stock’ (feral animals) into their
favourite hunting patch (National Park or Nature Reserve). The interests
of hunters are absolutely opposed to the desire to eliminate ferals from any
allowable hunting ground. Their interest is to maintain stocks at a
satisfying level, that is, the numbers that ensure they can likely find a target
without too much trouble. That number is in most cases higher than the
number now present.
Successful
policies are those that align personal (selfish) motivations with a desirable
social outcome. This is the opposite and will inevitably make things worse
in areas that currently are not in much trouble.
Take
Mark’s Charcoal Tank as an example. At present you might find some rabbits
and maybe a fox or two. I’m sure there’s a few hunters in West Wyalong
who’d like some more fun than they are getting now, and driving out to Charcoal
Tank to blast a few rabbits doesn’t quite cut it. But if they could get a few
pigs in there, or even some goats, what fun they could have. Worse than
that, after the situation settles down and people forget where the pigs or goats
came from, their regular shooting to “control numbers” will be seen as a
justification for the continuation of this very bad
policy!
My
letter to the NSW ministers is below, encouraging anyone motivated enough to
improve on it and send in similar letters.
--------------------------------------------
I
write about the unsupportable decision to allow shooting in National Parks and
other reserves in NSW. Quite apart from the obvious and well discussed
dangers, there is one very serious issue that I have not yet seen addressed
adequately and that deserves further attention and a reconsideration of the new
legislation.
Irresponsible
game shooters are well known to actively introduce target species to areas in
which they are allowed to shoot. This has been cited often as a reason for
the numbers and extent of deer, pigs and perhaps goats that are now pests in
public and private land throughout eastern Australia.
Some
of the reserves in which shooting is soon to be allowed are quite small and
isolated by surrounding cropland. The temptation to release just a few
piglets, goats or deer in such reserves will be irresistible to a minority of
shooters. What could be more attractive to a not-so-thoughtful shooter
than a local ‘private’ hunting ground? Many of these reserves currently
support few or uninteresting feral species, so that the pressure to augment
feral stocks will be great.
What
is a keen hunter going to do in the unlikely event that his local hunting ground
(National Park or Nature Reserve) appears to be running low on 'stock'?
Where is the vested interest for shooters to actually eliminate any feral
animals at all? On the contrary, there is a considerable motivation to increase
the number of feral animals so that they can be seen to be 'doing more' and
being a more impressive part of the 'solution'. Personal interest is
completely opposed to the professed objectives of the
policy.
Given
we already know that feral translocation by shooters has occurred extensively in
the past and largely if not entirely caused the present problem, any legislation
that encourages such introductions to areas of even higher conservation value is
an appalling, unforgivable change. Together with the certainty that some
native animals will be accidentally shot and the fact that general recreational
hunting has never been shown to control any feral species in any location in
Australia, what is the justification that allows changing the law? We are
faced with a lose-lose and yet one more 'lose' for our limited remaining native
species.
Hunting
can be an enjoyable and satisfying activity for many people, including me.
Unfortunately in the context of Australia’s contemporary highly degraded
ecosystems it has become an unnecessary and destructive luxury that, if allowed
at all, should be limited to dedicated self-funded hunting
reserves.
Has
the government included consideration of the problem of deliberate feral
translocations into national parks and reserves, and if so, what evidence was
used to decide the new laws would not make the situation worse than it is
now?
Sincerely
Julian
Robinson
62/44
Jerrabomberra Av
NARRRABUNDAH
ACT 2604
Australia
02-6239
6226
0419
039 540
