h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That rings bells. It's sufficient space as well as sufficient time that's needed.
Waz

Helelou, you might be interested to know that the Dept of Conservation in NZ has now introduced a deer eradication programme. Much to the annoyance of the hunters. Not that DOC will be able to eradicate them totally (the deer I mean ), but things have gotten to the point that DOC feel the recreational and commercial hunters aren't keeping the deer population enough in check.

This brings me back to my point about farming animals that have an introduced feral population out of control. If deer farming had been banned, or at least regulated, then the market for feral deer would mean that the population was kept at low enough numbers to not be so seriously damaging the native ecosystems.

Ditto rabbits.

And the only way I can see that it will remain ethical to wear possum fur here is if possum farming is banned (no-one is seriously trying to farm possum here yet, but you can guarantee that if the prices stay so high they will try). Once people start farming possum, there will be no incentive to harvest from the bush, and so the wearing of the fur becomes an unnecessary consumerist activity that has direct negative consequences for the environment.



On the subject of native population increase and decline, I agree that the loss and/or change of the surrounding ecosystems is a crucial factor. There is a lot of talk here about the need to cull the native seal population. Seal populations are only now recovering from the seal hunting of the 1800s.

People are in favour of culling because the seals are eating fish stock that humans want for themselves (never mind that humans have been overfishing existing stocks themselves). Its complicated by the fact that there are introduced fish that the seals wouldn't have had in their natural diet, so they have access to a much larger source of food and their population is increasing more than it would otherwise.

Its hard to imagine culling being allowed here, but if it was it would be interesting to see how the dead seals were utilised.



I'd be interested to know if the kangaroo and koala problems in Australia are related to changes and depletion of the ecosytems (although I'm surprised that koalas are in abundance - I thought the populations were struggling because of syphilis, and their food sources being diminshed).

Hey kea
Its not syphilis, it's clamidia, and it affects the eyesight and fertility,how ever in some areas koala's are only a problem because developers would like to do what they do.Koalas are fairly solitary and tend to fight over territory (very noisy),so no real problem,just people with a problem


Kangaroos on the other hand are a real problem,they do massive environmental damage by eating everything down to the ground (rather like sheep)leaving a vast dust bowl behind, This problem though was actually started by man clearing land for pasture.This meant there was more food for the roos so they have bred out of propotion,also with a greatly diminished dingo population (killed by men, to protect their cattle!), there is no natural predator, to keep the numbers in check,So in answer to your question... yes IT is all caused by man not working in harmony with nature


What to do now.....I would be all for culling if the carcesses were to be used,but the usual method of disposal is just a big fire,or sold cheap as pet food,which is a shame as roo meat,is low in fat and high in iron. They tried to introduce roo meat on to the domestic market a few years ago. This would have been a big help in not only controlling numbers, but would have kept meatworks open and provided jobs
However
Some english lady got very upset that we were going to eat our national symbol, and campaigned so heavily the idea was dropped, and now over the past three years many roos have starved to death in the drought, when the drought is over though the numbers will explode again, and the cycle will start again.



That's interesting about the deer population,I used to do a lot of hunting over there
Do they still pay a bounty for possum tails?
When I was there,we got a bounty of $ 5 a tail and the bodies were often just dumped in pits,. - are they at least using the pelts now?

Wow big post for me...Hope it makes sense

Hel2

Thanks Helelou. Interesting about the Koalas. And the kangaroos - its strange how that dichotomy between greenie and redneck affects things. Sometimes i just want to bang their heads together.

I have a greenie, long term vegetarian type of background. But I've also spent a lot of time in the bush and half my family background is in farming, so I see both sides. There are always so many conflicting interests in situations like the one with the kangaroos.

Are kangaroos protected, or can anyone get a licence and go hunt them?


No bounty for possums now. DOC do pay contracters to go in and trap. They also poison alot, especially with 1080 (don't get me started!). The regional councils do the same with non-conservation estate.

As for the commercial possum hunting - winter possum fur (plucked) is reaching about $50 a kg, often cash, so there are people making some pretty good money right now. Skins are still being used too, I don't remember the price - maybe $8 for a green one?

I think especially because of the whole fur ethic thing there may be problems down the line, as possums killed for the plucked fur often have a relatively inhumane death.

Unfortunately pretty much all carcasses are being left in the bush, which is free food for the stoats . They can't use the meat, even for pet food as there is so much poison being used in killing possums. What they could do is nominate certain areas as trapping only (trapping is the preferred method for the pluckers), and then they could use the meat as well.

Of course because its still seen as primarily as a way of making money, this isn't even really on the agenda. We are such a wasteful culture, its unbelieveable at times.

I agree that often it is just human greed that causes a lot of problems...some people are just want...want...want...and want it now, they give no thought to tomorrow



As to 1080, I think it should be banned, a friend of mine's Dad, lost 2 pure bred champion alsations because some farmer decided to bait and couldn't be bothered posting notices, also 1080 kills a lot more than just what it is intended for


I don't mind greenies at all, they do a lot of good at keeping things balanced (not the word I'm looking for),but some ill informed people can do more harm than good at times




Hel2