Unbelievable. In one sentence, cannon netting is described as "obviously
questionable" (why obviously questionable?), then later the writer asks what
cannon netting is, and says that it "sounds" atrocious. Population
viability analysis. Oh dear, sounds atrocious. Obviously questionable.
If you are going to criticise something, try finding out what the **** it is
before you condemn it (or support it). I hope that people on this
discussion list are a little more diligent in investigating fact before
commenting publicly on any conservation matters. If our criticisms of land
clearing, duck hunting, wetland draining, or any one of a hundred other
issues are up to the standard here, we will lose credibility and do whatever
cause we are speaking up about more harm than good.
If we are going to have a debate about something, lets make it an informed
debate. Dispense with unsupported anecdote, and casting aspersions on
people.
Scott O'Keeffe
-----Original Message-----
From:
Behalf Of Marilyn Davis
Sent: 04 February 2001 14:13
To: ;
Subject: Cannon netting of waders
Hello Birdoes
I think Tom Tarrant's comments are informative and should not be construed
as veiled criticism about any group. Rather though, it appears to be about
the obviously questionable practice of cannon netting. It is clear that from
the discussion so far posted, there should be much more debate about this
activity. Why is it that nearly always when a controversial subject
discussion is raised, there is an outcry of demand to ban some members who
have a contrary view or because they post relevant information those others
may prefer to bury. Surely we can just use our delete key if we find a
thread so objectionable.
I recently visited Melbourne and near Altona we observed a Red-necked Stint
in flight dragging what appeared to be some seaweed trailing from its tail
covert area. As it landed close to me it crashed and toppled over and when
i looked at it with binoculars, something that looked like the stomach
lining from a small fish tangled with seaweed could be seen wrapped around
its leg which also carried an orange flag above the knee. The bird hobbled
and toppled until it took flight with some of its mates. It couldn't stay
with the small flock and was conspicuously labouring. This is what banding
can cause and I think it should be questioned. I don't know what cannon
netting is but it sounds atrocious. Could somebody describe it please?
I wish to thank you all for the fascinating discussions. Apart from being
informative and interesting the banter and wit makes me laugh and sometimes
it makes me think more seriously about some of the bird welfare issues such
as this current discussion about cannon netting and injuring birds. As I
have said before, my father told me that one of the great human qualities is
the ability to appreciate another point of view. It doesn't mean I have to
agree with it!
Marilyn
>From: "Andrew Geering" <>
>To: <>
>Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] Cannon netting of waders
>Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 08:48:08 +1030
>
>I feel compelled to enter the debate on cannon netting, to redress some
>factual errors. Yes, fatalities do occur, but in the hands of an
>experienced team, nothing like 4%. I can count on one hand the number of
>times I have seen a bird decapitated. Decapitation is generally a sign
>that the bird was too close to the net at the time of firing, and extreme
>caution is taken to ensure that this does not happen. From my experience,
>the great majority of fatalities result from two causes: capture myopathy
>and drowning. The Queensland Wader Study Group (QWSG) has taken measures
>to minimise both causes of death, and it is very rare for us to have a
>single fatality. Certain species are more prone to capture myopathy, such
>as Bar-tailed Godwit and Great Knot, and we wont fire a net if a flock is
>too large. Mesh size has been altered to minimise tangling of feathers,
>and thus reduce stress. At the first sign of capture myopathy, birds are
>just released. Handling is kept to a minimum. Only in exceptional
>circumstances will a net be fired into water, and then only if the team is
>large and experienced.
>
>I think you just have to open a copy of The Stilt to see some of the
>benefits of the work. The leg-flagging program has been extremely
>successful. For example, from leg-flag sightings, a large body of data has
>been collected in the last couple of years showing the link between
>breeding Bar-tailed Godwits in Alaska and wintering birds in Australia.
>
>I think some of Tom Tarrant's veiled criticisms of the wader study groups
>are unwarranted (who else could he be speaking about? No one else in
>Australia has a permit to cannon net waders). The QWSG has not cannon
>netted for a couple of years, and is not likely to do so in the forseeable
>future. However, the group has remained extremely active, doing such
>"boring" activities as running a monthly count program, lobbying to save
>roost sites such as those at Manly and Dux Creek, doing comprehensive
>surveys of the Great Sandy Straits (data used for Ramsar nomination) and
>the Gulf of Carpentaria, running workshops and monthly field id days,
>producing educational signs for sites such as Boondall and Karumba,
>participating in various environmental managment committees, and the list
>goes on and on. The same can be said about the AWSG. Two of our members
>have been on the AWSG excecutive, and they have literally spent hundreds of
>voluntary hours working towards habitat protection etc. One has to look no
>further than page 1 of yesterdays Weekend Australian to see some of the
>results of the AWSG work. Amanda Hodge cites AWSG data - the 90% decline
>in shorebirds in the Coorong. Cannon netting is the highest profile
>activitiy of the wader study groups, as it makes good television viewing,
>but it is by no means their sole activity, nor even the most important
>priority.
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
