THE kangaroo industry has called for an immediate halt to the construction of exclusion fences in western... moreTHE kangaroo industry has called for an immediate halt to the construction of exclusion fences in western Queensland.
Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia chief executive officer John Kelly said while exclusion fences were being funded by governments on the basis on stopping wild dog attacks to enable the rebuilding the sheep industry, the greater impact of the fences was on the macropod population.
“No one can seriously argue these fences are being constructed just to stop wild dogs,” Mr Kelly said.
“These fences are stopping kangaroos from moving around the landscape and they are physically killing themselves when they encounter these barriers. Imagine a kangaroo that sees a storm five miles in the distance.
“It will literally exhaust itself to death trying to get through that fence trying to get to that storm. The animal welfare implications of treating animals like this are just not being recognised.”
Roo meat processor Ray Borda, Macro Meats, said fencing was also reducing the quality of kangaroo meat.
Stressed animals were suffering from post capture myopathy, resulting in dry, tough meat with a shortened shelf life. There was also a noticeable increase in the amount of shrapnel being detected in meat, he said.
“We fully understand why landholders are putting up fences but it is really only a medium term fix,” Mr Borda said.
“We need long term solutions. The industry is dependent on landholders for access to the resource. The problem with the kangaroo industry at present is that no one in the chain makes enough money, including landholders.
“The kangaroo is unique to Australia. We need to focus on getting the real value from this incredibly healthy and sustainable product.”
The furore over exclusion fencing was sparked when ABC News reported claims that state government-funded cluster fencing was being used to inhumanely destroy kangaroos.
Member for Gregory, Lachlan Millar said kangaroos were in plague proportions in western Queensland.
“Mitigation activities have been undertaken by landholders long before the cluster fencing program was established and will continue after the program has finished,” Mr Millar said.
“The state government recognises the need for kangaroo mitigation, which is why they issue damage mitigation permits to landholders each year to humanely manage local kangaroo populations.
“However if anyone has evidence of cruelty to animals, they should immediately report it to the proper authorities.”
Mr Millar said the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative was established to protect prime sheep grazing country from wild dogs.
“Wild dogs, coupled with five years of unprecedented drought conditions across western Queensland, have had the sheep and wool industry on its knees,” Mr Millar said.
“Cluster fencing has been a game-changer. Lambing rates have increased from 20 to 90pc and for the first time in years, we’re seeing wool prices at 1500c/kg clean.
“I will not accept accusations that western Queensland graziers are using the state government cluster fencing program to cruelly kill kangaroos. This program is about enabling landholders to manage total grazing pressure.” less
Three guns and four cans of capsicum spray have been stolen from a remote Northern Territory police station after thieves... moreThree guns and four cans of capsicum spray have been stolen from a remote Northern Territory police station after thieves broke into a weapons safe. Officers from the central Australian community of Finke, about 421 kilometres south of Alice Springs, were away this week working at Kulgera community, about 200km west of Finke, when robbers broke into the station, which police said is not always manned. "There weren't officers there at the time, they were outside of the community, and it appears the offenders have taken advantage of that," acting assistant Commissioner Danny Bacon said. It took several days for the officers to learn of the theft, after being told by a member of the public on Wednesday that the station had been robbed. Police believe the thieves broke into a storage container using bolt-cutters to get through the chain wire mesh. "They've actually forced through the door of the police station, from that they've stolen a safe which contained the keys, then they've broken into that particular safe and stolen the three firearms," acting assistant Commissioner Bacon said. "The three firearms do remain outstanding, so we're asking members of the public if they do see those firearms or hear any information to call police immediately." A .22 Bruno CZ Rifle, a .308 Remington 700, and a 12G Remington 12G are missing. On Friday afternoon, police arrested a 20-year-old man from Finke. Acting assistant Commissioner Bacon said police didn't make public the theft on Wednesday because they didn't want to jeopardise the arrest of the man, who is in custody and assisting them with their investigation. The incident was a "learning opportunity" for police, who are now reviewing the security of the Finke station and the circumstances of the theft, so they can improve standards at all NT police stations and armouries, acting assistant Commissioner Bacon said.
Source ABC http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-25/guns-stolen-from-remote-northern-territory-police-station/8843788 less
Bob Katter took part in a recent western shoot at the Mareeba SSAA range. He joked that this might be the best way to bring... moreBob Katter took part in a recent western shoot at the Mareeba SSAA range. He joked that this might be the best way to bring the banks into line. Bob says KAP is the only party in Queensland that wants to do away with firearms registration which has been a long-held policy. Bob spent some time shooting at the range with pistol, rifle and shotgun. His pistol ability did not go unnoticed by the club. They want him to come back for a day’s competition. The veteran politician warns that if the Labor Party gets re-elected in Queensland with a majority, the state’s 600,000 shooters will be faced with restrictions on ammunition sales and even tighter restrictions on gun ownership. He says the ALP and LNP simply hate guns. less
7 News Australia - Theunis Botha, 51, had just fatally wounded a female elephant before he and his hunting mates were... more7 News Australia - Theunis Botha, 51, had just fatally wounded a female elephant before he and his hunting mates were set upon in Gwai, Zimbabwe The dying female managed to pick up Botha with her trunk before collapsing and crushing the hunter to death. The group had been on a walk when they came across the herd of four breeding elephants, shooting at three, before the fourth stormed in from the side. While friends and family paid tribute to the father-of-five, critics of big-game hunting labelled his death as “pure karma”. “You should be crying for the innocent elephant that was senselessly murdered not this idiot hunter who deserved what he got,” One man wrote. "RIP the elephants... Only... Poetic justice for once in a cruel unjust world," another commented. Along with his wife, Botha ran a big-game hunting company called Theunis Botha's Big Game Safaris and Hounds The South African specialised in big-game safaris and often took wealthy foreigners on hunts for lions, leopards and other animals. less
Kangaroo processing is set to ramp up in south west Queensland as a new processor, armed with contracts to supply an... moreKangaroo processing is set to ramp up in south west Queensland as a new processor, armed with contracts to supply an Australian independent supermarket chain, opens for business. Barco Queensland, owned by Gold Coast-based pet food manufacturer Millennium Pet Foods, opened an inactive game meat abattoir at Charleville in March, after signing a three-year lease on the facility. General Manager Daniel McGettigan said the plant would begin processing 1,000 kangaroos this week, after starting out at a rate of 300 to 400 carcasses per week. He expected this number could quadruple within months. "The demand [for kangaroo meat] is very big, very big," Mr McGettigan said. "I really, personally think in a matter of a few months we could be killing 3,000 to 4,000 roos a week and not have any trouble dispersing of the product." Barco Queensland's kangaroo meat is destined for both human consumption and pet food markets. "We pull three or four cuts that go directly into food service in Sydney and then we also pull a bit of trim and that sort of stuff into small goods blokes and that goes into Brisbane and Sydney," Mr McGettigan said. He said the rest of the product was used in pet food with contracts secured with wholesale produce distributor Metcash, the owner of IGA supermarkets. "We started off with IGA in Western Australia and they're going to handle up to seven tonne a week of diced and minced roo into packets into that chain," Mr McGettigan said. "Once we get that rolling, they'll start up the east coast [of Australia]." The Real Petfood Company (formerly known as VIP Petfoods) is the largest independent pet food manufacturer in Australia — an industry which Mr McGettigan said was difficult to crack. But he said he was confident in developing his business. "I feel at the moment that VIP and the bigger pet food places have such a control on the market. "I think there's a spot there for an Australian-owned company to come in and take on the overseas companies," he said. Mr McGettigan said establishing Barco Queensland and acquiring the abattoir at Charleville was a natural step for Millennium Pet Foods. "We've been buying our by-products in to process and we just thought we'd cut the middle man out and go direct and harvest the roos ourselves," he said. Mr McGettigan said infrastructure upgrades and installing more chiller boxes around the region might also be on the cards to draw greater volume through the Charleville abattoir. He said there was also potential to run night shift at the plant — a move which would double staff requirements. Site manager and Charleville local Leroy Holley said Barco's entry was welcome in the region, particularly with the precarious state of the roo industry in recent years. "Out here I think it's been very touch and go," he said. "There's been quite a few boxes open up and shut down and I mean there's only been two boxes out here that's been really consistent with the buying of roos. "Hopefully with us opening up we can increase numbers, which means more nights for shooters and more money for the town — and these little towns, they need the money." Mr Holley said Barco was paying shooters $0.75/kilogram for harvested whole kangaroo product. The abattoir's owner and former operator, Darren Pidgeon, previously had contracts to supply kangaroo meat for council-run coordinated wild dog baiting programs in the state's south-west. Barco Queensland has also attained some of these orders for the autumn baiting program. "Paroo [Shire Council] put in an order of 13 tonne for April and I think Charleville [Murweh Shire Council] will be around about the same volume," Mr McGettigan said. The abattoir is also processing 30 to 40 wild boars per week, which go direct into food service in Sydney. less
SKINS from tens of thousands of Victorian kangaroos are being wasted while processors wait for government permission to... moreSKINS from tens of thousands of Victorian kangaroos are being wasted while processors wait for government permission to export them, threatening the viability of a wildlife management trial farmers say is badly needed.One meat processor is estimated to have up to 10,000 kangaroo skins in a freezer, while another routinely destroys the skins, potentially worth $3 each, awaiting government approval to export. Lowan MP Emma Kealy said the approval process — which requires state and federal government agreement — could jeopardise jobs. “Victorian Petfood Processors now have a stockpile of kangaroo skins from the new harvest regions, which has significantly impacted on company cash flow and is putting 30 jobs at risk,” Ms Kealy said. That company, based at Hamilton and Casterton, is one of three Victorian processors involved in the state’s kangaroo pet food trial, which allows the wildlife to be processed, but not exported. While there is an overseas market for the skins to be used in football and shoe manufacture, there is no domestic market for the skins. “It’s like shearing a sheep and not being able to sell the wool,” VPP spokesman David Preece said. Mr Preece said his energy bill had risen 18 per cent in the past year, greatly adding to the cost of freezing the skins. At Countrywide Pet Foods at Stanhope, Michael Scales described the skins “as a wasted resource”. “I need the freezer space and I don’t hold out hope that they’ll be able to sell them,” he said. “We’re not making a huge amount of money … it makes the economics (of the trial) very marginal.” Established by the Coalition in 2014, the trial grants permits to destroy up to 25,000 kangaroos a year. It was designed so farmers in the Mitchell, Murrindindi, Mansfield, Strathbogie, Benalla, Wangaratta, Southern Grampians, Ararat, Pyrenees, Horsham, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shires could apply for permits to have kangaroos on their farms destroyed and sold for processing. Last September, Bendigo, Glenelg, Loddon and West Wimmera shires were added to the trial, which was extended to March next year. At the time, Mr Preece sought approval to export the additional skins — as was granted in the initial trial — but so far the permission has not been extended. A Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning spokesman said the trial was no longer considered small. The spokesman said an application to export the skins under a Wildlife Trade Operation had been submitted to the Federal Government and it was awaiting approval. But the processors feared it could be too late. “There’s no certainty the trial will extend beyond March,” Mr Preece said. “We’re in limbo land. We haven’t heard anything and we’re worried the trial will not go ahead (beyond March).” Mr Scales said. Casterton farmer Shane Foster said his property was experiencing one of its worst years for kangaroo numbers. “At the moment, they’re just thick and the last three months the numbers have really increased,” Mr Foster said. “There could be up to 1000 kangaroos (on farm),” he said. Under the trial Mr Foster was granted permits to cull 100 kangaroos for processing. A spokesman for Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said Victoria would assess the trial later this year, before deciding whether it would continue. Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke hoped “common sense would prevail”. “Surely the state and federal governments can sit down to make this work,” he said. A spokesman for the federal Environment Department said it was working with the state on a plan that would allow the commercial export of kangaroo products. The Victorian Greens oppose the trial, which leader Greg Barber referred to as a “cowboy operation”. less
MORE than 60 hand guns, along with ammunition, were stolen during a robbery of a commercial premises in Perth’s east... moreMORE than 60 hand guns, along with ammunition, were stolen during a robbery of a commercial premises in Perth’s east over the weekend.
Detectives are investigating the burglary of the premises on Clapham Street in Beckenham.
The offenders struck between 10.20pm on Saturday and 2.50am Sunday morning.
Police would like anyone with information about the incident or if they know someone who is in possession of a large number of hand guns to contact them immediately on 13 14 44.
Information can also be passed on to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperswa.com.au less
Have a read of this, this is how the government spends out tax dollars.
Another 54 have been vaccinated by dart shot... moreHave a read of this, this is how the government spends out tax dollars.
Another 54 have been vaccinated by dart shot by a government shooter, which is how it must be done if the method is to be used in the wild.
But the government has struggled to find a way to vaccinate and mark the kangaroos at the same time. In February last year, the senior ecologist in charge of fertility program, Claire Wimpenny, said the dart was too heavy when vaccine and dye were in one shot. With the contraceptive in one chamber and the marker dye in another, the vaccine had to be shot either at close range or at speed, and when shot at speed it hit with too much force.
So in mid 2016, 54 kangaroos were vaccinated by two shooters working together - synchronising their shots so one delivered the vaccine and the other the dye before the kangaroo was spooked and moved. But because the dart containing the vaccine and the dart containing the dye are different weights, they travel at different speeds, and Ms Wimpenny said the shooters had to work on "getting in sync".
"That did take a little bit of practice but by the end of it we had a pretty good system," she said. "We managed to have quite a high success rate."
Both darts had hit a single kangaroo in about 75 per cent of the 54 cases.
At one site, both shooters had hit the kangaroo in 80 per cent of cases.Senior government ecologist Claire Wimpenny in Weston Park, where the government has been conducting a kangaroo fertility trial. Photo: Rohan Thomson
With "further refinement and practice", that could be improved, making the two-dart method feasible for treating wild populations.
But Ms Wimpenny said delivering the vaccine and dye in separate darts was not ideal and the project still hoped to find a way of marking and vaccinating with one shot.
"Hopefully between now and next deployment we would have a single system," she said.
The next round of vaccination would be done mid-year, but meantime the budget for the fertility trial is coming to an end.
The trial was announced by then minister Shane Rattenbury in early 2014 as a two-year project to vaccinate 500 kangaroos. A year later, in early 2015, then minister Simon Corbell said field trials were about to begin on about 200 kangaroos, with a two-year budget of $530,000.
Ms Wimpenny said in mid-2016, funding had been extended for a year, for a total over three years of $612,000 "plus some in-kind support". It is unclear what happens after June this year.
In 2015, Mr Corbell said it was already well known that the contraceptive, GonaCon, was effective when administered by hand, rendering kangaroos infertile for up to six years.
"Everyone understands GonaCon works when you inject it by hand, but the problem with that is you've got to subdue the kangaroo first," he said. "No one else has demonstrated the capacity to deliver GonaCon by dart."
Nevertheless, 81 of the trial kangaroos have been hand-injected. Ms Wimpenny said results from the first breeding year had shown it to be highly effective.
Twenty-one of the hand-injected kangaroos hadn't reached breeding age when they were vaccinated, so the results from that cohort were not in.
Of the remaining 60 hand-injected kangaroos, 52 animals did not breed in the first year after vaccination. Of the eight which did, most had very large pouch young when treated so were ready to breed again very soon and might have given birth before the vaccine had become fully effective, she said.
All but one of the 10 placebo-injected animals had bred in the first year.
The effectiveness of the first year of dart-delivered vaccine would not be known until later in the year when any young were born.
Ms Wimpenny said there was "still a long way to go" before kangaroos could be vaccinated in the wild.
GonaCon was yet to be registered for use in Canberra, other than for research. To get it registered, the dart-injected animals would need to be followed for four to five years.
"If it works as well as hand injected, definitely we're on to a really good product, but it's too early to say," she said. "I believe that the delivery system is there and I think that we can get that side of it done, but whether or not the efficacy is there, I'm not willing to comment yet."
The trial is a collaboration with the CSIRO. less
Shooters Fishers and Farmers MLC Robert Borsak today welcomed Premier Mike Baird’s decision to step aside and retire... moreShooters Fishers and Farmers MLC Robert Borsak today welcomed Premier Mike Baird’s decision to step aside and retire from politics, citing a number of poor policy decisions as the reason for his departure. “Mike Baird’s retirement is welcomed by the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party,” Mr Borsak said. “While we have generally supported this Government’s mandate over the last few years, what we are now witnessing is the culmination of a number of very bad decisions. “Those decisions relating to the sale of poles and wires which could have been handled differently, forced council amalgamations, the banning of the greyhound racing industry, and now the theft of crown lands in New South Wales is what has ultimately cost Mike Baird his job. “We have always opposed these policies, and with the election of Philip Donato MP in Orange late last year, the Premier’s retirement is a continuation of a major change in New South Wales politics. “As promised, we will be campaigning right up till the March 2019 state election by fielding lower house candidates across New South Wales to guarantee that the ‘deplorables’ of this state get a chance to have their say in politics. “We commend Mr. Baird for his sentiments in encouraging younger people to get involved in the political process, and wish him the very best in his future career.” less
A hearing into the powers of the ACT Firearms Registry has been told government contractors "probably" used illegally... moreA hearing into the powers of the ACT Firearms Registry has been told government contractors "probably" used illegally modified weapons during recent kangaroo culls in Canberra. The acknowledgement came during the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) appeal of Canberra-based gun manufacturer Gareth Crook, who was blocked from building sniper rifle prototypes for interstate police. Mr Crook's company was approached to design, test and potentially supply the high-powered rifles for use by special operations groups in 2015. However, in January the ACT Firearms Registry rejected the company's request to fit the rifles with suppressors and collapsing stocks, both of which were required by the brief but are illegal in the ACT. During Mr Crook's appeal he argued that contractors engaged by the ACT Government during recent kangaroo culls had been allowed to use suppressors on their weapons, and that he should be allowed to as well. The argument prompted the registrar's lawyer to acknowledge "no-one appreciated at the time ... that the use [of suppressors] may not have been, and was probably not, in accordance with the law." The lawyer noted the registrar had reviewed the legislation and planned to recommend changes to allow for the use of suppressors for "proper and legitimate purposes". ACAT President Geoffrey McCarthy said while he sympathised with Mr Crook's position, the ACT Firearms Registry was right to reject his application. However he noted that under the changes the registrar would push for, it was likely Mr Crook's application would be permissible. Push for legislative changes Mr Crook said he had been in touch with the office of Minister for Police and Emergency Services Simon Corbell, and was pushing for legislation changes to allow both himself, and kangaroo cull contractors to use suppressors. "You've obviously got to ... try these things and actually work out whether its an administrative decision process or whether it is actually a legislative issue," he said "As far as suppressors go, the Minister's already issued a regulation to that effect until legislation is potentially changed. "It actually does give an interim solution to both culling contractors and firearms dealers and manufacturers." The ACT Government has been contacted for comment. less
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