birding-aus
Birding-aus,
Well I guess since others are, I will have my say on this
issue too. What is the greater threat to Australian wildlife? Hunting, or
various forms of habitat degredation. To pose this question is to answer it
- is it at all uncontroversial that habitat destruction is overwhelmingly
the greater threat? If that is so, the more people who support the
preservation and reclaimation of wetlands (a particularly threatened and
degraded habitat type in Australia) the better. That will give economic and
political muscle on the side of habitat conservation and against those who
would chop it down and/or drain it. I myself never have and never will go
hunting. But there are 10s of thousands of Austrlaians who want to, and
will support economically and politically conservation measures if they are
allowed to hunt, and not otherwise. Wetland conservation, like habitat
conservation in general, needs every dollar and every vote it can get; we
are hardly guaranteed to win even with hunters and their lobby's support,
let alone their opposition, or hostile neutrality. Conservation issues are
on thing; animal rights issues another. If I have to choose between them, I
know the choice I will make.
Kim Sterelny
Kim Sterelny
Philosophy
Victoria University of Wellington
PO Box 600, Wellington
New Zealand
phone: 64/(0)4/4721-000
Fax: 64/(0)4/495-5130
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