I agree, well considered.
Cheers
David
On Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 8:08 PM, David Richardson <
> wrote:
> Well written Mr Leseberg.Food for thought.
>
> D. Richardson.
>
> On Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 4:15 PM, Nick Leseberg <
> >wrote:
>
> >
> > Dear Sonja et al,
> >
> > I think we as birders need to be very careful how we approach this
> > particular event. The broad statement that "I don't think shooters would
> > consider it a waste or mindless" is unhelpful and attempts to tar all
> > shooters with the same brush. There are many responsible shooters out
> there
> > who are very aware of the rules applied to regulate their chosen pastime,
> > and who abide by those rules. There are plenty of birders who disregard
> or
> > blatantly flout the rules associated with our pastime, approaching nests
> > too closely (see the recent thread concerning the nesting Red Goshawks at
> > Mataranka), using excessive playback when photographing birds etc, but
> > there is no suggestion that birding should be banned. Likewise there are
> > hunters who will disregard or blatantly flout the rules pertaining to
> > hunting. As birders and people generally concerned for the environment,
> we
> > must be sure to direct our efforts at ensuring the rules that exist are
> > enforced and that those who flout them are puni
> > shed accordingly, rather than simply decrying the existence of duck
> > shooters as a fraternity, because one or even a minority of duckshooters
> > broke the rules.
> >
> > This raises the follow-on question of whether the rules and regulations
> > which apply to hunting are adequate, an issue for which there is no easy
> > answer. Several species of duck are not endangered and could quite easily
> > sustain a level of harvesting that would not affect their population.
> Just
> > as there is a program for management of macropod populations in some
> rural
> > areas, a program whereby people are permitted to sustainably hunt certain
> > duck species is unlikely to have any significant effects on the
> populations
> > of those species. If such a program is effectively managed and policed I
> > can only see benefits. What if the money raised from such a program was
> put
> > towards the conservation of sensitive wetlands, as occurs in the United
> > States where the hunting lobby is also a very effective conservation
> group?
> > I have often wondered why organisations which ultimately have similar
> goals
> > are not able to unite in some way to further both their interests.
> >
> > If the issue is that shooting ducks is inhumane due to the probability
> > that birds will be left wounded, then we should make this clear also. Is
> > there possibly a balance that can be reached here? What if those rules
> and
> > regulations that try to mitigate these problems can be better enforced,
> > perhaps with the help of conservation volunteers? Would that satisfy
> > organisations like the Coalition Against Duck Shooting? Could the
> > organisations on both sides of this argument meet at some level to come
> up
> > with an accord where they agree to disagree on some issues, but also
> commit
> > to working together to solve other problems and also advance the causes
> of
> > both organisations on issues such as wetland conservation, shooter/birder
> > education etc.
> >
> > So, before the hate mail starts rolling in, I want to make it clear that
> > my intention here is not to defend duck shooting. The incident that
> > occurred in NW Vic was abhorrent and we as bird lovers should voice our
> > disgust and ensure that the perpetrator(s) feel the full weight of the
> law.
> > When looking at the bigger picture though, we need to be articulate and
> > direct about what our issues are. If we have a particular problem with
> duck
> > hunting we need to make that clear, and we also need to ensure we can
> > justify why it is a problem and how this problem can be solved. Broad
> brush
> > statements such as "duck shooters are murdering innocent wildlife and
> > should be stopped" are not helpful, and simply force the opposing groups
> > further apart. In reality, the abolition of duck hunting in Victoria (and
> > perhaps looking further ahead, NSW) doesn't seem to be an option, so
> let's
> > think outside the box and be creative in coming up with ways we can
> > approach this problem and get a better outcome
> > for all involved.
> >
> > Regards and good birding (as he boards up his windows and doors, and
> turns
> > off his phone and email!!)
> >
> > Nick Leseberg
> >
> >
> >
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