URGENT Stop blood sport Bill targeting kangaroos etc

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

This week may be a crucial week for the NSW Government in Australia in

deciding

whether it will adopt a cruel bloodsports Bill named the Game Bill 2001.

 

If you have not already written, please write to help protect Australian

native animals

and other species from being targeted by this Bill which will legitimise

blood sports including hunting with dogs, bows and arrows and other cruel

means.

 

Imagine being a kangaroo hopping around for weeks with an arrow through your

neck

(this recently happened in Victoria Australia) or a happless cat or fox

pursued for miles

and torn apart alive by hunt dogs as the the hunters laugh at your plight.

 

Scotland has banned fox hunting with dogs and NSW may be about to legalise

hunting

with dogs!

 

Please help stop the Game Bill 2001 being tabled and adopted in NSW.

 

At this stage, faxes to Premier Carr and Minister Amery will be very useful

but if you can't manage to send a fax, email will be fine.

 

A sample letter is provided below.

 

You can also learn more about the Game Bill 2001 and

the world campaign against blood sports at

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

 

Ministerial Office Address:

 

Premier Robert Carr,

Level 40,

Governor Macquarie Tower,

1 Farrer Place,

Sydney, NSW

Australia 2000

 

Email: bob.carr

Phone (International): 61 2 9228 5239

Phone Local (02) 9228 5239

 

Fax: ( International) 61 2 9228 3935

Fax (Local) (02) 9228 3935

 

********************************************************

 

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

 

The Hon. Richard Amery

Minister for Agriculture NSW

mountdruitt

 

The Hon. Robert Carr

Premier of NSW

bob.carr

 

 

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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