You thought the kangaroo sterilization program was a farce?
The infamous trial to use dingos equipped with 18-month suicide collars to eliminate feral goats on Pelorus Island near Townsville has backfired. Colour us surprised.
The Courier Mail reports:
“Two killer dingoes released on to a pristine Whitsunday island to eradicate feral goats have been lost by authorities, who fear they are eating endangered birds.
Wait for it:
“Hinchinbrook Shire Council introduced the dingoes to Pelorus Island, off the coast of Townsville, last year to kill off the local wild goat population, but there are now concerns the dingoes are eating the rare beach-stone curlews instead.
The council say they have been unable to comply with a State Government order to remove the dingoes as they cannot spot them in dense vegetation and their tracking devices are not able to exactly pinpoint their location.”
So in true bureaucratic fashion, we’ve taken one problem and turned it into another. Not only are the dingoes are wreaking havoc on the local native species they now can’t locate them – and that’s not even getting started on the immense cruelty being inflicted on the dingoes via the poisoned collar “time bomb.”
The Beach Stone Curlew is currently listed as “Near Threatened” on the Endangered Species Protection List by the Queensland Government. In a twist of irony, it is already under threat from invasive species including dogs. So in essence, this experiment has just gone and thrown petrol on the fire.
What is the cost of this program? Well, there’s no publicly available information but one would guess six figures at least. This is yet another shining example of tax payer funds being squandered by political correct and unqualified bureaucrats, who remain ideologically opposed to the use of firearms in the ongoing Australian invasive species disaster.
This is all despite the Mayor of Hinchinbrook Shire Ramon Jayo and the ABC’s re-assurances six months ago that this program would be “the saviour of Pelorus island”.
From the article:
“We’ve also tried aerial shooting but the problem is there’s so much vegetation up on top that we can’t get a clear shot, so when the boys came up with this idea we just thought, ‘Well that’s perfect’,” he said.
Dr Lee Allen said: “The most amazing thing is to see the results of this. In a few years’ time you won’t recognise Pelorus Island.”
Is that right, Dr Allen? Well, obviously it wasn’t a good idea but you didn’t need us or most seasoned hunters to tell you that. A scenario like this is exactly the case for ground shooters.
That being said, some good points were raised by one of our readers. Pelorus Island isn’t exactly flat or forgiving terrain and not ideal for many hunters.
This is why when ground shooting teams are to be deployed for difficult jobs like this, the idea of a committee to select the best shooters for the job from relevant volunteer shooting organisations is a good one. Not just those who exhibit the best marksmanship and are available but also possess relevant local knowledge, fitness, experience and are the best fit for the specific job. It’s also a strong case for the deregulation of Category D semi-autos and suppressors being made available for recreational hunters when involved in mass culling operations. Not just by the ACT Government illegally.
As we’ve previously written about Australia’s invasive species problem is at crisis point and will only get worse if hunting laws aren’t relaxed. The current ideological bureaucrat opposition to firearms and recreational hunting, in favour of expensive and frankly hair brained schemes such as this, needs to end and a rational, inclusive approach needs to be implemented – if there is any chance to reverse the course our natives are currently headed in.
D ckheads