International letters of condemnation concerning the NSW Game Bill 2001.(Page 2)
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USA
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15th February 2002
Dear 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.
I object to this Game bill for the following reasons. Hunt is defined as to use any firearm, bow, animal or other hunting device to capture, kill or harm the animals. The problem is that many of these "methods" result in the slow, painful, agonizing deaths, and mutilation of many animals! 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. The other problem with this (Game bill 2001) is that hunters will have a very biased representation as far as their membership, in the way split votes are decided, and in other important matters. Consequently, 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. This type of representation, and an arbiter who has such bias will make it impossible for an objective appraisal of these important concerns. Individuals who are concerned with animal welfare would also have to be equally represented on this Council. This would be the only way to prevent this Council from becoming a travesty, and conflict of interest prevailing on important ecological matters. It is unethical and totally unacceptable to allow the hunting organizations to manage a process which will cause great suffering to an even larger number of animals, and their bias would prevent them from taking an objective stand!
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 is antithetical to 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 organizations 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. Please
reconsider before you give in to those who are so misinformed, and act
without a proper understanding of man's responsibility to act with a
conscience toward other living creatures with whom he shares this planet
with. If we are to consider ourselves truly civilized and "human" we must
act with fairness toward all living beings.
Many people from many countries will be watching to see that your Country
act with compassion and concern for the welfare of these animals. Please
don't disappoint them.
Sincerely Yours,
Loretta Hollings
Tucson, AZ, USA
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USA
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Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
Proposed game bill
To: bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au
Are you barbarians in Australia? It sounds like it. When other countries
are moving in a more humane direction you are regressing.
Man is not the only animal on the planet, he just acts like it.
The moral progress of a nation is judged by the way it treats its animals and
your way is to beat, bludgeon, slaughter them in any which way. This is
unconscionable. is it your purpose to cause as much suffering as possible to
as many sentient beings as possible. Why?
P.Volk
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Subject: PLEASE DO NOT PASS THE "GAME BILL" WHICH CONDONES TERRIBLE CRUELTY
TO WILDLIFE AND ANIMALS!
18th February 2002
Dear Sir,
Please withdraw the "Game Bill 2001" which legitimizes horrible cruelty to wildlife and animals!! There are too many problems with this Bill. The fact that hunters would have a majority representation on the Council, and that wildlife would be villified by such a "Bill" are prominent reasons as to why this "Bill" should be withdrawn, and not approved! This type of an "exterminator" mentality would give license to wantonly kill, and this should be avoided. This would be a harmful consequence to give people this incorrect assumption and such a negative outlook.
Please consider this: that mankind has a responsibility to act with a
conscience toward other living creatures with whom he shares this planet
with. If we are to consider ourselves truly civilized and "human" we must
act with fairness toward all living beings. Giving man license to harm
wildlife is also against the Animal Welfare Act and not in accordance with
humane standards of conduct. There are many who would exploit this, and this
would result in terrible cruelty to thousands of animals.
Many people from many countries will be watching to see that your Country
act with compassion and concern for the welfare of these animals. Please
don't disappoint them.
Sincerely Yours,
Mary Stein
Batavia,USA
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Australia
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Hon.Robert Carr
Premier
Parliament House
SYDNEY NSW
Mr. Carr,
Bill:
It pains me to have to write to you on this subject.
Recreational duck shooting has been banned in this State of WA for over 10 years and here you are in NSW stepping back to medieval England with a proposed Game Bill which would actively promote cruelty on a frightening scale.
I don't have to ask whether you have an RSPCA to actively police whatever is your equivalent to our Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Act 1920, ancient enough to be sure. Why negate their work, difficult as it is already?
Please do not support this Bill; the increase in cruelty which would follow is unthinkable.
Just pause and reflect on Australia's unenviable record of extinction of species in last 200 years; its record for the greatest mass transportation of live animals - the losses in the millions since it began; the year round slaughter of kangaroos.
We do not need another record for animal cruelty.
Yours sincerely,
Mary Regts (Mrs.)
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