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Mike and DV

Why does the Australian Federal (National) government have its head up its arses on this topic?

Both the Labor (ie left or socialist) and Liberal (ie conservative party in Australia) national governments have repeatedly said no to safari hunting of saltwater crocodiles in Australia. Four different Prime Ministers and probably more than that Ministers of the Environment.

Two State Gov'ts - Northern Territory and Queensland - have repeated asked for a safari hunting export quota.

Aboriginal landowners have supported the safari industry request. As it helps empower often poor communities with income from safari outfitters.

Good conservationists and environmentalists have supported it. Saltwater crocs were once endangered after the excesses of shooting fro hides. Now saltwater crocs are VERY numerous.

Many reasons to do it. All of them good.

Why not?

Australia has never had any real great sporting hunting culture. Most of it has been based around the killing for feral animals. Ducks and quail are one of the exceptions were hunting of native species is permitted other than as a control measure. I can not legally hunt a kangaroo for sport unless I shoot it using a cull/pest destruction permit or under some permit for meat shooting/permits.

Dingoes again are not a sporting animal per the gov't. Sometimes can be shot at will, in areas where sheep are present. Sometimes totally protected. Dingoes are considered native even though they were introduced by the Aboriginal settlers to Australia some 10,000 to 30,000 years ago.

Water buffalo, the "rare" banteng (ie rare elsewhere in the world), deer, pigs, goats, rabbits etc are all introduced and often the plan by the gov't is total eradication if it can be achieved. Even for banteng. Luckily the extremists have not pushed that one, as the herd is mostly on gov't land, but the Aboriginals don't want them shot out.

The URWINS.

Steve Urwin ie the self called "Crocodile Hunter" used to publicly denounce any attempt to introduce sporting hunting of crocodiles. Yet was happy to behind the scenes catch wild crocs for his "zoo" and I believe croc farm for hides export. IMO less wild crocs to be 'trapped' meant competition for people like him wanting to profit from the trapping.

Steve Urwin was the darling of the anti-gun Prime Minister John Howard who gave him a cattle station with gov't funds so it could be owned for "conservation". Allegedly only 200 acres was fenced off for "conservation" the rest continued for profit making cattle production. Not bad being given several millions dollars of taxpayer money for a private business ...

The other Urwins, also still shrilly squeal whenever safari crocodile hunting is proposed.

CITES

I believe there are at the moment 500 to 600 export permits of wild saltwater crocodiles/hides etc per year. These are "problem" crocs trapped, killed and hides exported.

The safari industry has probably seven times proposed either 25 and 50 of the EXISTING permits be used for safari hunting, meaning no additional crocs are taken from the wild. This is NEVER mentioned in mainstream media.

Our Liberals are just as much idiots as Labor when it comes to guns and hunting. Full of wankers and urban egotistical power hungry twits. Party solidarity - meaning every parliamentarian is meant to toe the party policy and decision in public - means our politicians do not speak out in favour of their own constituents regional needs as much as say in the USA. Voting with the opposite party often means the end of their career.

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NitroX ,That is a tough one ...I have a hard enough time figuring out our OWN politicians. We do have the NRA of which I am a life member of here and it wields a powerful punch keeping things in line. We here in the USA have a great hunting tradition which does help our cause. Even rural members of the Democratic party ,which has since the 60's have become very anti gun (especially in large cities ;read black crime) still have many who hunt .on the GOP and Independent party supporters over 90% are pro gun /pro hunt. Sportsman contributes billions of dollars to Conservation ;far more than the animal rights groups ...and we let them know about it with heavy advertising. Most states in the USA have fairly well organized game commissions .We have in most states massive areas of public and private land to hunt in. We do have our problems.... here in Montana with outside groups re introducing the wolf and unchecked is decimating Elk and Moose (what are left)herds. I think it comes down to money ,organization, education and advertising. We are always under assault here from anti gun and anti hunting factions . We have school shootings on a regular basis here ,sadly and the politicians who would disarm us and put all the animals in zoos and end hunting are many. But we are well organized and we vote .I say to Australians start a pro hunting campaign ,with revenues to elect politicians who support your cause .Advertise and educate to change people who have ben brainwashed over the years. I have never been to Australia but through my years in the Marines have trained with them and was always impressed by their character and independence.

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