With both waterfowl numbers and their habitat rapidly disappearing around the world, it’s no surprise to find Tasmania once again in the vanguard of perverse stupidity.

The Tas Govt will no doubt keep its faith until the end, as it did with the Thylacine.

John Hayward

RSPCA should not be turning a blind eye if animal cruelty is supposedly being justified just in the name of cultural traditions. We don’t allow polygamy out of respect for cultural traditions so why should muttonbirders be allowed to inhumanely slaughter baby short-tailed shearwaters? Those found to be inflicting unnecessary animal cruelty should be publicly named and charged.

I suppose the vegans and the vegetarians will take over the world!!!Omnivores and carnivores will disappear as no-one is allowed to kill anything (except of course ,other annimals who kill in such a humane way)

I’d like to hear a little more about this story particularly from an aboriginal perspective. Perhaps TT could seek out some other views and some more information on this for the readers.

I’d like to know if AACT is merely complaining about the aboriginal harvest of yolla which is, by the way the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters?

Or are we talking about gratuitous acts of cruelty and wastefulness?

AACT is a group of vegans who are against the killing and consumption of any animal.

This is what AACT say about fishing -“Fishing” Hurts Fish. “You reach for a tasty apple hanging on a tree when suddenly your hand gets snagged by a sharp hook. Your whole body weight is dragged by that hook through your hand, into an atmosphere in which you cannot breathe. This is what fish, with their sensitive pain receptors, experience…..”

Jesus Christ, we live in an animal kingdom. Animals kill each other. What, are AACT campaigning against Great Whites, Lions, Tigers etc because they kill and eat their prey alive? Thats pretty cruel isnt it?
I just dont get it.

So what if yolla is being caught and consumed.

I would be more concerned about the mass yolla deaths caused by lighthouses. I have seen astonishing numbers of dead yolla at the foot of the eddystone point lighthouse. Now that is a waste, though i’m not sure what can be done about it.

So, the Greens aligned folks want to have it both ways - pretend to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the indigenous community over the Brighton Bypass (gotta do somethin for votes) while kicking them over cultural practices!
I think the indigenous community will see through them. They are pretty sharp. They know crocodile tears when they see them, and they will not take kindly to this either.

Eddie - recently a new lower-intensity beacon replaced the Eddystone Point lighthouse in an effort to reduce the number of shearwater deaths there - see this link from the Examiner, April 3:
http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/news/environment/bird-deaths-prompt-light-trial/2097537.aspx
Somewhat ironic that on the one hand the authorities are seeking to protect these birds while on the other are condoning mass slaughter of them. According to the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, “anyone who wishes to harvest short-tailed shearwater (Muttonbird) can do so only during the period of open season for Muttonbird that is declared each year.”  So it’s obviously not just an aboriginal cultural issue we are dealing with here. While there are guidelines for the ‘ethical’ killing of these chicks (such as avoiding destroying burrows and killing the chicks by quickly breaking their necks), there is apparently no oversight or enforcement of these guidelines. Seems to be just another example of Tasmania’s 19th century mentality with respect to natural resources.

But Phoenix tell me this. Are you opposed to the killing of ALL animals? Its important to know this so we can see where you are coming from on this issue. If you are opposed to killing and human consumption of all animals then any response to you really requires a broader argument about animal killing.
I prefer to hunt and kill natural food using naturally methods than buying from woolies. Shouldn’t we encourage this?
p.s you do also need a licence to take yolla. Also, is it realistic that we police looking over the shoulder of every person who goes hunting?

Bet your bottom dollar AACT won’t be down at the wharf tommorrow protesting about the Macquarie Island expedition leaving to deposit 300 tonnes of Brodifacoum on Macquarie Island.
They know all about it…and they know last year when just eight per cent of the proposed 300 tonnes of Brodifacoum was aerial baited it killed over 1200 native ducks and seabirds.
I suppose it a little too hard to arrange the TV cameras on Macquarie Island so it’s of no interest to AACT.

Edward - I personally am not opposed to the killing of ALL animals - definitely not, and like you I prefer (and only) consume meat that has been hunted and killed naturally. While this is appropriate on a small scale, if everyone who currently eats farm-raised meat did this, we would have no native wildlife left at all. 
AACT, however IS opposed to the killing and suffering of all and any animals and while I don’t always agree with them (regarding feral animal control, for example), I do not condone the commercial slaughter of shearwater chicks, which is only permitted here in Tasmania.

Your use of the word ‘slaughter’ and ‘chicks’ in the case of yolla is interesting Phoenix.
Why do you regard the capture and kill of yolla in tassy as slaughter? Can you give me an example of an animal you eat which is not “slaughtered”?
When the commercial Tuna boats go out and catch millions of Tuna is that a slaughter? What about commercial free range chicken producers? At some point the chooks have to die en masse?
Phoenix is there anything the govt could do that would make the annual yolla kill acceptable to you?