birding-aus
While the slaughter of wildlife should generally be deplored is there a
positive side to duck killing?
At Hospital Swamps near Geelong last Friday, while looking at waders and
ducks, I was told by a group of duck shooters (preparing for their Saturday
shoot) to 'clear off' as I was on private property. As it was a spot I had
often visited in the past I got involved in a somewhat heated exchange.
The shooters (part of the "Geelong Field and Game" group I think) replied
that they had in fact invested quite a lot of effort in improving the
habitat of the swamps for waterbirds and that the pleasure I was deriving
from bird watching reflected, in part, their hard work. It did make me
think.
Isn't it true that the US group "Ducks Unlimited" provides a lot of wetland
habitat? Isn't it true also that hunting groups in Japan are important
sources of funds for the protection of waders on the Asian-Australian flyway?
I don't want to shoot ducks myself but I am not a vegetarian. I eat poultry
and meat. Can duck shooting be seen as wholly a negative by non-vegetarians
who benefit from wetland habitat improvements, provided by duck shooters,
which assist the survival of ducks and other water birds?
Its an old question but given the teeth-nashing on Bird-Aus today I thought
I raise the point.
Harry Clarke
School of Business
Faculty of Law and Management
Room 433, Donald Whitehead Building
La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3083. Australia.
Phone: 03-9479-1732
Fax: 03-9479-1654
E-mail
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