birding-aus

Re: birding-aus Ornithological Racism

To: Nigel Sterpin <>
Subject: Re: birding-aus Ornithological Racism
From: Laurence and Leanne Knight <>
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 1999 21:50:36 +1000
Nigel Sterpin wrote:
> 
> All introduced species should be eliminated...including the 'attractive'
> ones.
> As for your argument about aborigines, well if you want to get technical,
> they island hopped here from Asia approx 50,000 years ago. If that is
> irrelevant, then you need to realise that white man is another race of the
> same species, not another species in itself. Therefore, white man is an
> introduced race, not species.
> I will eagerly kill blackbird eggs and anything else to do with introduced
> animals.
> 
> I get sick and tired of such 'intellectual' statements from people, so as to
> ease their conscience and absolve themselves of having to do anything at
> all.
> Uroo, Nigel Sterpin
> email: 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laurence and Leanne Knight <>
> To: Harry Clarke <>
> Cc:  <>
> Date: Wednesday, 2 June 1999 00:36
> Subject: Re: birding-aus Ornithological Racism

> >
> >So Harry, would you welcome zebra mussels, cane toads, prickly pears and
> >the other things which destroy our endemic biodiversity?  [these are the
> >equivalent of landing hordes of rampaging Mongols/Huns/Vikings in your
> >backyard].
> >
> >Managing the Australian environment is a complicated business, but
> >ferals are low lives as far as I am concerned and don't qualify for
> >Australian citizenship.  The interesting thing about we humans is the
> >damage we cause by translocating species - the wonders of tourism and
> >free trade etc.
> >
> >Just remember, the Aborigines didn't translocate hundreds of species to
> >Australia every year the way we are.
> >
> >Regards, Laurie.

The point, in case you missed it, is that the introduction of ferals is
a dynamic thing not a matter of the past.  There is a constant stream of
exotic organisms being introduced to Australia, and in the absence of
effective quarantine the place will be swamped with weeds and feral
animals.  This rate of introductions is orders of magnitude above the
natural rate.  The Aborigines appear to have introduced a few species
and of course changed the environment through their fire management. 
However that occured over a comparatively long period of time compared
to the current situation.

LK
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