Please help ban blood sports in Australia

[Guest guest]

An urgent message to all people opposing blood sports.

from Rabbit Information Service (Western Australia)

rabbit

http://www.iinet.net.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm

 

Dear Madam/Sir,

 

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has introduced a Bill (Game Bill 2001)

to allow the use of any firearm,

bow, animal or other hunting device to capture kill or harm animals

designated as 'game' or 'pest' animals. Furthermore, the Game Council

will be managed by a majority of hunters.

 

Please write to the Premier of NSW and the Agriculture Minister to

oppose the introduction of this unethical and biased Bill.

 

Whether you wish to write in your official capacity or as a

matter of

personal conscience, I urge you to read this email and write to the NSW

Premier

opposing legalisation and legitimisation of blood sports in NSW promoted

by the new Game Bill.

 

I am a West Australian and Western Australia has shown itself to be a state

which is trying to address public

concerns about cruelty to animals.

 

The recent new WA Bill addressing Cruelty to Animals is aimed at bringing

our State

regulations about animal cruelty up to date.

 

Unfortunately, the NSW Government may legalise cruel

blood sports targeting some animal species if the new Game Bill

is approved.

 

A recent report in the Sunday Times (Western Australia) about " Billy the

kid " , the eastern

grey kangaroo hopping around with an arrow through its neck left many West

Australians sickened by the nature of this cruel act.

 

Yet in NSW, such cruel acts as hunting animals with bows and dogs may be

legalised and promoted by the NSW State Government if the Game Bill is

passed.

 

If the new NSW Game Bill is passed, there may be many more animals

targetted legally by the same type of people who left " Billy the kid " to die

a long

and painful death.

 

Worse still, the NSW bill includes the legitimisation of hunting with dogs.

 

A video produced by the League Against Cruel Sports in the UK shows the

barbaric

nature of hunting animals with dogs.

 

The LACS video also provided evidence many people who call blood sports a

" sport " are sadists.

 

Such sports target defenceless animals and the LACS UK video shows some

animals thrown live to hunting dogs who tear them apart.

 

Dogs can also be hurt by wild pigs if used in hunting.

 

I'm sure you agree that blood sports are cruel, barbaric and un-Australian.

 

Please email the NSW Premier opposing the new Game Bill.

 

I would like you to cc me a copy of your letter so I may place it on a web

page opposing

the legitimising of cruel blood sports in Australia if you agree to do so.

 

Here is further information about the Game BIll from Animal Liberation NSW

 

Please write to the Premier of NSW and the Agriculture Minister to

oppose the introduction of this unethical and biased Bill. Further

details can be found within the copy of our sample letter below.

 

The Hon. Richard Amery

Minister for Agriculture NSW

mountdruitt

 

The Hon. Robert Carr

Premier of NSW

bob.carr

 

***

 

Please use this letter as a sample. Use details to create your own letter.

 

 

Dear Minister/Premier Carr,

 

I am very disappointed that you have introduced a Bill (Game Bill 2001)

that will not only allow the infliction of suffering on wild-living animals

(classified as game, animals or pest animals, but which is likely

to increase the number of animals subjected to suffering at the hands

of both recreational hunters and misguided farmers.

I urge you to withdraw the Bill immediately.

 

This Bill is unethical and biased in its nature in a number of ways:

 

1) Hunt is defined as to use any firearm, bow, animal or

other hunting device to capture kill or harm the animals,

but does not include laying or using poison for that purpose (page 2).

 

This is just totally unacceptable. Licensed hunters under the Bill will be

able to inflict terrible suffering. An animal struck by an arrow, is likely

to suffer great injury, but may run for miles and take days to die of

those injuries. And yet again we have the terrible reality of legally

permitting dogs to be used against other animals.

While the dogs may themselves be injured

(e.g. as is almost inevitable in a fight with a wild pig),

any of the animals pursued by dogs will be mauled before a

hunter could catch up and perhaps then kill the animal.

Stray pursuit dogs that are not retrieved will also add to the

wild dog population.

 

2) Game Council membership (page 6): the Bill dictates that 7 of the

14 members of the Game Council must be nominees of hunting organisations;

that the Chairperson must be one of those nominees; that the Chairperson has

both

a deliberative vote if an equity of votes and then a second or casting vote

on the Council; and that a quorum is just 8 members present

(pgs 35 & 36 & 40).

 

The proposed membership and operating procedures of the Game Council

ensures that the hunting organisations are in total charge of the Council.

Their interests in a virtual open season on game and designated

pest animals will take precedence over both the suffering of sentient

target animals and over even any possible long-term reduction in

damage to the environment or agricultural interests.

 

It is interesting that those who drafted the Bill found it necessary to

also specifically exempt this clear bias under the Disclosure of pecuniary

interests (page 39) where being a member of a hunting club or

organisation is stated as not qualifying as a pecuniary interest

of Game Council members for the purposes of the Bill.

 

It is unethical and totally unacceptable to allow the hunting organisations

to manage a process which will cause great suffering to an even larger num

ber of animals, and it will be purely for their own amusement and

recreation.

 

3) The Bill indicates that the Game Council is to issue a Code of

Practice (page 19) and may make it a condition of license.

 

Again, notwithstanding my total opposition to the Game Bill, it seems

amazing that the Game Council, with no animal welfare representation

and total domination by the hunting organisations, is to be the arbiter

of a code of practice for the hunters own behaviour towards the

game and pest animals.

 

There are currently two reviews taking place in NSW - the Inquiry into

Feral Animals by the Legislative Council General Purpose Standing

Committee No.5; and the Inquiry into Vertebrate Pest Management in National

Parks in NSW being conducted by Assoc. Prof. Tony English at the

request of your colleague Bob Debus. Both reviews were seen as

necessary after the brutal killing of goats on Lord Howe Island and wild

horses

in the Guy Fawkes National Park, the later of which is still the subject

of cruelty charges brought by the RSPCA.

Neither review has been completed, and it seems

premature to propose the Game Bill at this time.

 

This Game Bill makes a mockery of the NSW Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals Act and to the established principles of

humane and effective management of mislocated and unwanted

introduced animals. The hunting organisations seem to be

trying desperately to hang on to practices that are outdated

and unacceptable to a caring and humane society.

 

It is regrettable that such a Bill could even be drafted, but I urge you to

now simply withdraw it before the NSW Parliament moves to debate

the issue . The Game Bill is based on flawed and outdated principles

and would cause the unnecessary and brutal suffering of many millions

of hapless animals in your State.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

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