Latest news with #AnimalJusticeParty
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Animal activists slam NSW plan to pay bounty hunters for feral animal kills
A controversial plan to introduce bounty killings for feral animals and expand hunting rights would 'turn NSW into a South African game park', opponents have claimed. The NSW government came under fire this week after Premier Chris Minns floated the idea of paying shooters for bounties for feral animals, including cats and pigs. The proposal forms part of sweeping reforms proposed by the NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party to hunting rights, including a new minister for hunting. NSW Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst said the Bill would 'take us backward' and bounty killings as a means of population control did not work. 'We know even just from research that these bounty programs don't work, but of course it also allows for extreme animal cruelty,' Ms Hurst said. 'There's no proper sort of oversight or accountability into these programs. It's encouraging a bloodbath for animals. 'The argument that's put forward by the Shooters (party) is that these animals are introduced. 'Therefore, we can do whatever we sort of want to them and we should ignore what animal cruelty is happening to them. 'They have the ability to feel pain and fear and we shouldn't be encouraging some kind of extreme Rambo-style killing spree on these animals within the communities.' Ms Hurst said the Bill, which seeks to open up Crown land to hunting, would 'essentially turn NSW into a South African game park' and waste taxpayer money. She urged for more species-specific control measure for feral animals in NSW, including the use of immunocontraceptive darting that is used overseas. Several feral and invasive species are active in the state, including feral pigs, deer, and camels as well as wild dogs and feral cats. Shooters MLC Rod Borsak said the Bill was about incorporating NSW's about 200,000 licensed hunters into 'the conservation hunting paradigm'. 'The whole idea is to try and develop a system of co-operation … something that brings the recreational hunting side of things into the conservation paradigm,' he said. He went on to add that bounties would 'increase the incentive to farmers and to conservation hunters to go out there and target the animals that we think are important'. Mr Borsak stressed the possibility of bounties to target feral cats that attack native fauna and are 'impossible' to control under the government's current 'instruments'. The long-term Legislative Council representative dismissed the notion that the bounty plan would result in a 'free for all', citing longstanding regulation and safety measures. 'There's a whole lot of rules around all this stuff that has been tried and true for the last 20 years,' Mr Borsak said, referencing concerns about firearms safety. 'Anyone trying to run a scare campaign is moaning in the face of the evidence of what's actually occurred in two or three million hectares of public land in the last 20 years.' Under the plan, a $1m 'pot' would be available for feral pig snouts, which Mr Borsak said could sell for $15-30, with another $1m pool for wild dogs, foxes, and cats. Mr Borsak described hunting as a 'mainstream' activity that 'really benefits rural and regional NSW primarily, and we really should be recognising that'. Under the Bill, spotlighting and the proposed use of thermal scopes would not be allowed on Crown land, including state forests. Nor would the hunting bounty scheme – or any hunting at all – be allowed within national parks in NSW. The proposal was panned by the Invasive Species Council, whose chief executive Jack Gough wrote to Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty. 'I am writing to urge you to reject the latest attempt by the NSW Shooters Party to undermine effective feral animal control in NSW,' Mr Gough said. 'This time through an attempt to secure government funding for bounties. 'Australia's long history of failed bounties has demonstrated they are expensive, ineffective and undermine genuine feral animal control programs.' The council raised concerns that the scheme could be abused by way of fraud, and feral animal control was 'very different from ad hoc killing'. While dismissing the plan, the council has lauded the successes of aerial culling into reducing the population of feral horses in the Snowy Mountains. While significantly different in purpose, planning, and practice, the shooting of brumbies in the Kosciuszko National Park has been equally divisive. A recent state government report found the population of brumbies in the park could be as low as 1500, down from 13,000 to 22,000 last year. Mr Gough welcomed the report as a 'turning point', with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service releasing images of ecological recovery in the park. Ms Hurst questioned the government's earlier numbers and suggested alternatives, like darting, were also available. 'The problem that we have is that there's always this messaging pushed out there that it has to be done urgently and it has to be done as quickly as possible,' she said. 'Of course what happens is when you kill a whole lot of animals in any one system they breed back up pretty quickly, so it's always going to be a Band-Aid solution. 'It is not going to work in the long term.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Aussie state wants bounty hunters
A controversial plan to introduce bounty killings for feral animals and expand hunting rights would 'turn NSW into a South African game park', opponents have claimed. The NSW government came under fire this week after Premier Chris Minns floated the idea of paying shooters for bounties for feral animals, including cats and pigs. The proposal forms part of sweeping reforms proposed by the NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party to hunting rights, including a new minister for hunting. NSW Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst said the Bill would 'take us backward' and bounty killings as a means of population control did not work. 'We know even just from research that these bounty programs don't work, but of course it also allows for extreme animal cruelty,' Ms Hurst said. 'There's no proper sort of oversight or accountability into these programs. It's encouraging a bloodbath for animals. 'The argument that's put forward by the Shooters (party) is that these animals are introduced. 'Therefore, we can do whatever we sort of want to them and we should ignore what animal cruelty is happening to them. 'They have the ability to feel pain and fear and we shouldn't be encouraging some kind of extreme Rambo-style killing spree on these animals within the communities.' Ms Hurst said the Bill, which seeks to open up Crown land to hunting, would 'essentially turn NSW into a South African game park' and waste taxpayer money. She urged for more species-specific control measure for feral animals in NSW, including the use of immunocontraceptive darting that is used overseas. Several feral and invasive species are active in the state, including feral pigs, deer, and camels as well as wild dogs and feral cats. Shooters MLC Rod Borsak said the Bill was about incorporating NSW's about 200,000 licensed hunters into 'the conservation hunting paradigm'. 'The whole idea is to try and develop a system of co-operation … something that brings the recreational hunting side of things into the conservation paradigm,' he said. He went on to add that bounties would 'increase the incentive to farmers and to conservation hunters to go out there and target the animals that we think are important'. Mr Borsak stressed the possibility of bounties to target feral cats that attack native fauna and are 'impossible' to control under the government's current 'instruments'. The long-term Legislative Council representative dismissed the notion that the bounty plan would result in a 'free for all', citing longstanding regulation and safety measures. 'There's a whole lot of rules around all this stuff that has been tried and true for the last 20 years,' Mr Borsak said, referencing concerns about firearms safety. 'Anyone trying to run a scare campaign is moaning in the face of the evidence of what's actually occurred in two or three million hectares of public land in the last 20 years.' Under the plan, a $1m 'pot' would be available for feral pig snouts, which Mr Borsak said could sell for $15-30, with another $1m pool for wild dogs, foxes, and cats. Mr Borsak described hunting as a 'mainstream' activity that 'really benefits rural and regional NSW primarily, and we really should be recognising that'. Under the Bill, spotlighting and the proposed use of thermal scopes would not be allowed on Crown land, including state forests. Nor would the hunting bounty scheme – or any hunting at all – be allowed within national parks in NSW. The proposal was panned by the Invasive Species Council, whose chief executive Jack Gough wrote to Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty. 'I am writing to urge you to reject the latest attempt by the NSW Shooters Party to undermine effective feral animal control in NSW,' Mr Gough said. 'This time through an attempt to secure government funding for bounties. 'Australia's long history of failed bounties has demonstrated they are expensive, ineffective and undermine genuine feral animal control programs.' The council raised concerns that the scheme could be abused by way of fraud, and feral animal control was 'very different from ad hoc killing'. While dismissing the plan, the council has lauded the successes of aerial culling into reducing the population of feral horses in the Snowy Mountains. While significantly different in purpose, planning, and practice, the shooting of brumbies in the Kosciuszko National Park has been equally divisive. A recent state government report found the population of brumbies in the park could be as low as 1500, down from 13,000 to 22,000 last year. Mr Gough welcomed the report as a 'turning point', with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service releasing images of ecological recovery in the park. Ms Hurst questioned the government's earlier numbers and suggested alternatives, like darting, were also available. 'The problem that we have is that there's always this messaging pushed out there that it has to be done urgently and it has to be done as quickly as possible,' she said. 'Of course what happens is when you kill a whole lot of animals in any one system they breed back up pretty quickly, so it's always going to be a Band-Aid solution. 'It is not going to work in the long term.'
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Kosciuszko ‘Turning Point' as an Estimated 9,000 Hard-Hooved Horses Culled
A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1,579 and 5,639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3,000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. Related Stories 4/26/2024 11/7/2023 'The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1,500 horses left after the removal of 8,954 horses,' she told AAP. 'Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and—given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed—it should be taken off the table entirely.' The Australian Brumby Alliance (ABA) also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. 'The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years,' President Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6,000 have since been clipped to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, which said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. 'We're finally seeing a turning point,' Chief Executive Jack Gough said. 'Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks.' The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1,579 and 4,007 horses, and between 2,131 and 5,639 horses, each with a 95 percent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area, and it will maintain the 3,000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the 'heritage value' of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Gough pointed out that no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species, and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery.
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Kosciuszko 'turning point' as hard-hooved horses culled
A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery. A famed alpine national park appears to be on the mend after a brumby cull, but some still question the process taken to control the population. Surveys across the Kosciuszko National Park estimate the wild horse population has been slashed to between 1579 and 5639 in little more than a year. It puts park operators on track to hit a mandated target of 3000 feral horses over nearly one-third of the park by mid-2027. Before-and-after images from the park show reduced bare ground and increased vegetation coverage, along with less soil damage and trampling of stream banks. But Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the aerial shooting of brumbies, said the data supported previous claims the population had been overstated. "The last population estimate was between 17,000 and 21,700 horses, but now the park could have around 1500 horses left after the removal of 8954 horses," she told AAP. "Aerial shooting is extremely cruel and unjustified and - given there is now a recognition that the number of horses in the park were never anywhere near as high as the government claimed - it should be taken off the table entirely." The Australian Brumby Alliance also questioned the data and said it didn't correlate with what they had seen on the ground. Culling should stop if the population was so low. "The ABA calls on the government and Parks NSW to cease all trapping and shooting and work with the community to build a plan that is well-informed and involves experienced locals who have been working with the brumbies for many years," president Nikki Alberts told AAP. Aerial brumby shooting resumed in NSW under the state Labor government in November 2023. About 6000 have been clipped since to progress towards the population targets. The headway was welcomed by the Invasive Species Council, who said the declining population showed genuine momentum towards protecting the park. "We're finally seeing a turning point," chief executive Jack Gough said. "Fewer hard-hooved feral animals trampling the fragile alpine environment means more native species returning, more delicate wetlands recovering and more hope for one of Australia's most vulnerable national parks." The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's methods produced estimates of between 1579 and 4007 horses, and between 2131 and 5639 horses, each with a 95 per cent confidence rating. The wildlife service is not expected to shoot any more brumbies in the area and it will maintain the 3000-horse population from mid-2027. Last week, parliament debated repealing the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018, introduced by the Nationals to protect the "heritage value" of the brumby population and shape the current population targets. Mr Gough pointed out no MPs had spoken against the proposal. Water quality, threatened species and sensitive areas will all be monitored to track the park's continued recovery.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition Is No Conservation Effort — It's Cruelty Disguised
Article – Animal Justice Party If we were truly serious about protecting Aotearoas natural world, we would be confronting industrial farming, land degradation, climate pollution not scapegoating vulnerable animals because it's easier. The North Canterbury hunt is a competition that kills many animals. While public outrage rightly focuses on the inclusion of a cat-killing category in the North Canterbury Hunting Competition, we must not lose sight of the broader reality – this event inflicts immense suffering on many animals — and worse, it hides behind the false banner of 'conservation.' Let's be clear about the cat issue first. The competition's method of trapping cats and the incentivised killer making the judgment about whether they are 'feral' or 'companion' is deeply flawed. A trapped, terrified animal, whether companion or feral, behaves similarly when panicked. Without mandatory microchipping, accurate identification is impossible and therefore illegal when killing cats that aren't feral. The 'conservation' excuse used also lacks any real scientific credibility. Habitat loss, not cats, is the primary driver of native species decline. Studies show that culling can actually worsen ecological problems by triggering higher breeding and hunting rates among survivors. Organisers provide no local evidence to back their claims about cats harming the native bird population and their own website reveals the real motives – cats are included not based on scientific need, but because the controversy helped drive sponsorships, media coverage and turnout. This is about publicity, not conservation. Worse still, involving children in this violent event is very disturbing. Teaching young people to kill is normalising cruelty and dulling empathy — something consistently linked in research to higher risks of future interpersonal violence. A simple glance at Google Maps shows that Rotherham isn't surrounded by pristine wilderness, it's dominated by farmland. And here lies the real question: who is the pest? Compared to the massive, ongoing environmental destruction caused by agriculture, especially intensive dairying, the impact of wild animals like deer, pigs, possums, geese, rabbits, or feral cats is almost negligible. Are these animals seen as 'pests' simply because they are inconvenient for farmers? And if so, why are we allowing that narrative to hijack the language of conservation? New Zealand has long been trapped in a warlike mentality toward so-called 'pest' species. Predator Free 2050 is framed as a noble mission, but at its heart lies violence and mass killing, not care or restoration. We use military language 'invaders,' 'eradication,' 'weapons,' — to justify the widespread slaughter of animals who were, ironically, only here because of human colonisation. As Samah Seger and Philip McKibbin powerfully describe in War on Pests, 'So-called 'pests' are animals, like dogs and humans: they are sentient, they have interests, and they maintain relationships. And they are among the most mistreated animals in the world — especially those who live here in Aotearoa.' We demonise and destroy these animals while ignoring far greater harm: The real environmental destruction is not caused by possums, rabbits, or feral cats. It is caused by us. If we were truly serious about protecting Aotearoa's natural world, we would be confronting industrial farming, land degradation, climate pollution — not scapegoating vulnerable animals because it's easier. There are humane, sustainable alternatives to the violence we too often accept such as investing in widespread desexing initiatives, supporting Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, rewilding degraded farmland, reducing our reliance on animal agriculture and restoring native plant species that nurture native wildlife, just to name a few. Knowing this competition has started makes my heart hurt for the many animals that will suffer and die. We tell ourselves that the death of these animals is quick, that they don't suffer. But the truth is much darker. I've seen the bodies of the animals killed in this event. I've witnessed the brutality of it. And I've experienced extreme harassment from the organisers and attendees, even though I remained peaceful in my stance. Their attitude spoke volumes, a culture of cruelty masked as 'sport,' where empathy is an afterthought and violence is rewarded. Killing animals is never acceptable, under any circumstances. The cruelty is compounded when it is disguised – when lies and myths are used to justify it, and people are encouraged to believe it serves a noble cause. Killing animals for the sake of a competition devalues life, reduces sentient beings to mere prizes, and breeds a culture of cruelty where empathy is replaced by the thrill of violence. This is cruelty… for the animals, for the children and even harms those participating. And it needs to end.
