Kangaroos on the Menu? It's Time

It's time for a change in the way Australia manages its kangaroos. For too long the roo has been hoisted up on a pedestal; elevated as a deity to be worshiped from afar.

Until they become an inconvenience that is.

Australians are quick to exchange that pedestal for the pyre though, the inevitable minute the kangaroo becomes a nuisance.

It really is quite entertaining to observe the switch in a community's attitude; the transformation from rabid crusaders of the roo, to judge jury and executioner is a fast one. In the blink of an eye the cries of "they're on our Coat of Arms, thou shalt not touch them!" are quickly replaced with "they're out of control, they are scary animals, someone is going to be killed, we need a cull!"

Surely as a nation we're mature enough to begin the conversation about following the path that much of the world has already trodden - and done so for hundreds of years - about using their native resources in a sustainable and responsible manner?

But wait, we already do.

And not only do we already do it, but we do it with animals that are in a far more precarious position than the common species of kangaroo - the greys and the reds.

Murray cod, golden perch, Australian bass, silver perch, catfish and Murray crayfish are all native animals, endemic to Australia, that may be targeted and harvested by recreational anglers in NSW. For the inland species, it is estimated that the current populations represents just 10% of the biomass that existed prior to European settlement.

Of course there are measures in place to ensure that the net impact on the populations are not negative - open seasons, bag limits, approved methods. The considerable funds raised by the sale of recreational fishing licenses is returned to the fishery through research, development, habitat restoration, angler access and education. Among the achievements has been the successful captive breeding and release of Macquarie perch, what was once a prevalent native but one that now finds itself on the endangered species list.

It isn't just fish though, if we look across the Murray we have an annual duck season where one can hunt native ducks, observing prescribed bag limits and an open season that is determined by the sustainability of the populations. In NSW however ducks are off-limits (that is, like kangaroos, until they become a pest).

If we look further afield, as I have already alluded to, this practice is as common as the proverbial across the globe. From red deer in the Scottish highlands to wild boar on the European continent to elk in North America and lions on the Serengeti, sustainable use of native species is a viable, responsible method of managing them in a landscape that is far removed from that in which they evolved.

And this point is absolutely pertinent in the discussion. If we look at the environment prior to European settlement, it is perhaps the most changed of any on the face of the planet for two very important reasons: predators and water.

Shortly after European settlement the landscape's apex predator, the Aborigines, were removed. Imagine the North American plains or the African savannah without their respective apex predators. Anyone who thinks the ecosystem could continue to function in a healthy manner is at best naive and at worst simply delusional.

This has been compounded with the enormous increase in the availability of water. If you've recently flown over the inland parts of eastern Australia, you would have no doubt noticed the sparkling strings of dams spread far and frequently across the landscape below. Prior to European settlement these would have been absent. Together with vastly improved pastures and crops, the modern landscape is one that is heavily in favour of the kangaroo. 

But what is even more ludicrous in this whole shameful situation is that even when kangaroos are permitted to be destroyed as pests, their nutritious, super-healthy meat is off limits to those undertaking the cull. Instead, those animals destroyed are either left to rot in the paddock or to feed the next generation of wild dogs or feral pigs. This shameful waste of high-quality protein in its own right needs to be addressed.

So let's have the conversation, let's work together to ensure that kangaroos are not propelled into the spotlight for the wrong reasons and relegated to the level of pest. Let's instead value our animals in every way we can, remove the hysterical, emotive and infantile drivel that has plagued the subject in the past and move forward with sensible, rational policy on managing our iconic species, ending the temporary hiatus of a 60,000 year tradition.

A Connection With Nature Should Go Beyond Observation

We are a part of nature. Unquestionably.

Whether you are reading this in the 20th story of a city apartment block, or from a bush shanty in a lost landscape, we consume. We consume food, we consume resources, we consume energy and we cannot escape that reality.

I recently watched a recording of Paul Maguire's presentation to TEDxDubbo. It was thought provoking and painted a pretty scary picture of what our children are up to these days, or to be more accurate what they're not up to; in his video he showed a graphic that painted the following picture:

A generation ago, it was reported that almost 75% of children played outdoors more often than they do in doors. Today, that number has evaporated to just 13%.

This is startling for a number of reasons, but most importantly because it paints a picture of a childhood, that coupled with unhealthy eating habits, is incredibly vulnerable to diet related dieseases and a childhood that has a total disconnect with nature and natural systems - including our food production.

In addressing the latter, I'm sure many would counter it with a "So what?". In this day and age of technology, both its breadth and accessibility, do we need to be connected with nature? Do we need to have an understanding, as the general public, of the way natural systems work?

I firmly believe the answer is yes, yes we do.

It will be these kids that will one day lead our country.

It is these kids that will one day shape policy as it relates to food production and threats to food production and food security generally.

It is these kids that will one day make decisions from their city office without being able to fully comprehend the consequences of those decisions for our environment.

In his address Maguire advocates for a reconnection with nature through zoos. In visiting zoos kids can observe animals in a replica natural environment. And I think this is incredibly important, but at the same time it can only ever be a connection through observation; a connection that is weak, delicate and subject to being lost easily on the long trip back home through the city congestion. In making a connection via observation only, one cannot truly appreciate, nor understand the complex systems at work.

Further, it does nothing to dispel the disconnect between stock in paddocks and dinner on the plate.

I have had first hand accounts of children believing that products such as mince, eggs, chicken drumsticks etc are a product of industry, that they are manufactured in a large factory and freighted to the supermarket. This is not healthy.

I suggest that we should go beyond simply observing at zoos and instead immerse ourselves in those systems that support us as a species.

Opponents of hunting especially have often decried those that take their children hunting and pass on the skills and knowledge needed to hunt successfully; their arguments often revolving around morals and safety. They often talk of love and care for an animals and that hunting erodes these.

What is often absent though is a key word: respect.

To this end hunting and fishing provide children with the opportunity to learn about this, about respect. Hunting and fishing teach respect. It teaches one to respect the individual animal, the particular species and the environment that supports them.

If we are to be successful in hunting or fishing, we must develop an understanding of our quarry and I challenge anyone to develop this understanding without respect for the animal developing hand in hand. If you fail to treat the animal with respect you will fail. If it's a dangerous animal (in Australia our most dangerous game are pigs and buffalo) a lack of respect can ultimately lead to you losing your own life.

But it does more than this, it teaches children about just how delicate life is, how easily it can end, that there are direct consequences to their actions and that once it is taken away there is no reset button to bring it back. We very quickly see the direct impact of our existence: an animal dead on the ground. And we learn that this animal's life means that we can continue to live ours; video games don't teach you that.

But most of all, it teaches us that our existence is inextricably linked to the natural world, that our ongoing survival has far reaching consequences and we cannot think of ourselves as isolated from the health and well-being of the environment. We are unquestionably a part of it and in today's political climate, appreciating this could not be more important.

NPA: Plain Ignorant or Deliberately Misleading?

On Friday, 30 August 2013, the National Parks Association of NSW's (NPA) Campaign Coordinator, Justin McKee released the latest salvo in his association's unrelenting attack on hunters and our culture: Call for an end to recreational hunting on all public land.

In this release, in what can only be described as a hysterical attempt to underpin a flawed argument, McKee's spurious assertions about feral animal control, hunter behaviour and our effectiveness are simply incorrect.

"Amateurs are ineffective in fighting the feral animal problem on public land in NSW; report after report tells us that" - McKee

Right from the outset McKee oversteps the mark by misleading his readers. In an address to the General Purpose Standing Committee No 5 - Inquiry Into Public Land Management, Mr John Tracey - Manager, Invasive Species, Biosecurity NSW, explicitly  stated that there were no studies in existence that had examined the impact of recreation hunters on feral animal numbers in State Forests.

So one must ask the question of McKee, where are these reports? And further, if none are forthcoming, will he retract that derogatory critique of recreational hunters?

Further to this, since recreational hunting was introduced to State Forests, Forestry Corporation, the state owned corporation charged with overseeing the business activities and management of State Forests has relied on recreational hunters for the vast majority of their vertebrate pest control. In fact, since the introduction of recreational hunting in State Forests, that particular corporation now, or used to, quote the annual Game Council report for pest animals destroyed on land under their tenure. In doing this, recreational hunters not only destroyed many thousands of feral animals, but in doing so delivered a $2.4m benefit to Forestry Corporation and contributed some $34m to regional economies annually. 

 Again the gentlemen of Biosecurity NSW appear to be at odds with another of McKee's flailing, hysterical attempts at grabbing the public's attention.

McKee goes on to say that "The door on recreational hunting in State Forests should be kept shut".

Following a question posed by The Green's MLC Cate Faehrmann, Mr Tracey offered this:

"We advocate, and it is something that we support quite strongly, an integrated approach to pest management. We want to take advantage of as many tools as we can to reduce pest impact."

And further Mr Bruce Christie, Executive Director, Biosecurity NSW had this to say:

"we need to do more wherever we possibly can to try and control feral animals, including shooting."

But the hysterics do not end there.

Further on in his fantastical piece of fiction, McKee cites the recent spate of animals suffering at the hands of criminals as reason enough to prohibit hunting on public land. In these instances it is usually the case that a kangaroo or other common marsupial is found with a target arrow lodged in it somewhere.

The truth of the matter is this: to attempt to draw a link between this sort of behaviour and legitimate, law-abiding hunters is as irresponsible and deceitful as using the behaviour of back-yard drug cooks to justify controls on pharmacists. The persons carrying out these acts are not hunters, in name or spirit and their actions are no more relevant to the debate than said drug cook is to pharmacology.

In throwing their weight into the argument over hunting in State Forests - a state owned corporation and land manager in their own right - one can't help but to question the motives of the NPA. I fear that they are following the well trodden path of many environmental groups, and most famously walked by The Greens, of using the conservation cause to catapult their organisation to prominence, only to abandon sensible discussion on conservation matters in the interest of satisfying some unknown agenda.

On this matter they have shown their hand and the environment is a noticeable absentee.