TAIJI DOLPHINS as seen in THE COVE

BLOOD DOLPHINS

A tiny seaside town in Taiji Japan is becoming famous for all of the wrong reasons. Taiji is renowned for the infamous dolphin killing cove, which turns red with the blood of 23, 000 dolphins slaughtered each year from September to March. Little is reported about this cruel practice here in Australia, and alarmingly our nation is connected to this town through a sister-city relationship with Broome Australia. Information on the annual dolphin hunt can be found below. We hope you can work with us to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

We encourage you to please help the Bob Irwin Wildlife Fund and the Sea Shepherd raise awareness of this incredibly brutal slaughter and protect the world’s whales and dolphins. They might look cute as they perform tricks in theme parks and Swim with Dolphin programs, but if you take some time to understand how they got there, you will realise that these dolphins have suffered a very unfornate fate. A fate worse than death that is conntected to the brutal slaughter at places like Taiji's famous killing cove. Dolphins should swim free- be observered in the wild, in their natural environment where they belong.

DOLPHIN SLAUGHTER IN TAIJI- No survivors, no mercey, no humanity.

Dolphin drive hunting is a method of hunting dolphins and occasionally other small cetaceans, such as pilot and minke whales. Hunters drive the animals into a bay or onto a beach with their boats, their escape is then prevented by closing off the route to the open sea or ocean with boats and nets. This method of hunting is highly controversial and has been criticised internationally. Dolphins are hunted this way in several places around the world, with the largest number of dolphins hunted using this method in Japan, where dolphins are mostly hunted for their meat.

Some are captured and end up in dolphinariums around the world, and many thousands of dolphins are barbarically murdered in drive hunts each year. Additionally, there are possible health risks due to the extremely high levels of mercury and cadmium in the meat. 

The Japanese town of Taiji on the Kii Peninsula is the largest scale drive hunting town in Japan with around 2,400 cetaceans being killed each year. 23,000 are killed annually throughout Japan - a permit to take this many dolphins is issued by the Japanese fisheries.  These figures are open to debate as Japan tends to greatly under-estimate their catch. For example, they were found under-estimating their Bluefin tuna catch by 170,000 tonnes in the last twenty years! 

Alarmingly dolphins are not protected by the agreement made by the International Whaling Commission as dolphins are not classified as whales. The whaling nations are free to hunt the world's oceans of dolphins as essentially they are not seen to belong to any nation. They are the world's dolphins and therefore protected by nobody.

THE COVE MOVIE - Uncovering the Truth

The story of the Taiji dolphins was made famous in 2009, with the release of the award-winning doco The Cove featuring renowned surfers from Australia, including Dave Rastovich and actress Isabelle Lucas who are strong campaigners against the dolphin hunt. The documentary brought to light the fact that 1. the dolphin meat is high in mercury and dangerous to the health of those who consume it and 2. the so called “tradition” of the hunt has actually only been going on for 40 years- a “tradition” that is believed to have commenced when there were no whales left in the oceans left to hunt, so they turned to dolphins.

The Japanese appear to be operating behind the term ‘tradition’- a cover-up for the economic benefits that the dolphin hunt brings where live dolphins are sold to aquariums and theme parks for around $130, 000 each animal and dolphin meat sells for a fraction of this price- often sold as “whale meat”.  At the beginning of the annual hunt in 2010, 4 of the dolphins captured in Taiji, (that were spared their life) were sold to a wealthy Egyptian man who now has them inhabiting a tiny swimming pool in his backyard- Save Japan Dolphins are working tirelessly to have them released- an organisation headed by Ric O'Barry (renowned as the dolphin trainer from the television show Flipper now dolphin conservationist). It seems anything is possible with money! Anything that is except buying the dolphins off the Taiji fisherman. A conservation group recently offered to purchase the dolphins off them for release- but because of their pride in their “tradition” they refused the offer. The dolphins were killed.

CRUEL HUNTING METHODS

In Japan, the hunting is done by a select group of fishermen. When a pod of dolphins has been spotted, they're driven into a bay by the fishermen who bang on metal rods in the water to scare and confuse them. When the dolphins are in the bay, it is quickly closed off with nets so the dolphins cannot escape. The dolphins are then systematically slaughtered. The method used in Taiji - the only place in Japan to currently do this - is called oikomi, where dolphins are rounded up into shallow water and harpooned one by one, swimming for days in their fellow pod-member's blood.

The release of 'The Cove' documentary in 2009 has had a direct affect on changing barbaric methods used by the fisherman in Taiji whereby the dolphins are now captured and put into cages to calm down over night. However, the following day the dolphins are caught one by one and killed, usually behind closed doors so that activists and the media can not see what is going on.

The Japanese government states that 'dolphins now may only be killed by driving a metal pin into their neck, which causes them to die within seconds'. This law is not enforced however and throat cutting and harpooning is still witnessed. The numbers of dolphins and other cetaceans that are being murdered in Taiji is rapidly decreasing due to international pressure. The hunting is no longer financially viable and the only reason fisherman can continue to hunt is because large dolphinariums around the world are buying wild dolphins for thousands of dollars. They buy them to perform at their parks and in so doing are not only sealing the fate of thousands of other dolphins to an inhumane death, but are also incarcerating wild animals and enslaving them to a fate dictated by the amusement of human beings. 

Often babies are released, and their mother's slain. The fate of the babies released is very grim. It is unlikely that the babies will survive in the wild without the guidance of their mothers to find food and be nurtured. We hope to bring the slaughter to an end once and for all!

DOLPHIN MEANT- Not Fit for Human Consumption

In 2010, hair samples from 1,137 Taiji residents was tested for mercury by the National Institute for Minamata Disease. The average amount of methyl mercury found in the hair samples was 11.0 parts per million for men and 6.63 ppm for women, compared with an average of 2.47 ppm for men and 1.64 ppm for women in tests conducted in 14 other locations in Japan. From the total population, 182 Taiji residents who were found with extremely high mercury levels underwent further medical testing to check for symptoms of mercury poisoning. None of the Taiji residents displayed any of the traditional symptoms of mercury poisoning, according to the Institute. However, Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research reports that the mortality rate for Taiji and nearby Koazagawa, where dolphin meat is also consumed, is over 50% higher than the rate for similarly-sized villages throughout Japan, though no correlation between mortality rate and causal factor is implied in the report.

The chief of the NIMD, Misugisato Koji said, "We presume that the high mercury concentrations are due to the intake of dolphin and whale meat.”

COVE GUARDIANS- Giving a Voice to the Taiji Dolphins

The cove guardians are a group of dedicated, select volunteers from around the world.  They give up their time to ensure that the terrible atrocities being committed in Taiji (the cove) come to an end by photographing, filming and exposing the killings there twenty four hours a day seven days a week. None of the Cove Guardians are looking for conflict with the citizens of Taiji, but are there to observe and document a piece of history which, without them, would otherwise never be recorded. Especially with the censorship of the media in Japan.  On average around 23, 000 dolphins are brutally slain in Taiji each year, much of this takes place without the rest of the world knowing anything about it. These magnificent, intelligent animals need to be protected. The cove guardians make it their mission to expose the 'molesters' that brutally spear these animals to death. No animal is safe from the molesters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children are all their target.

One of the worst and most horrible truths to come out of 'the cove' is that the molesters are primarily funded by oceanariums and dolphinariums around the world. Trainers come from parks all over the world to select dolphins to train and perform at their parks. These men and women know what's going on in Taiji and yet still support it through paying thousands of dollars to keep these animals captive in their amusement parks. Without the support of these oceanariums the molesters would not be able to fund their murder.

By bringing these heart-wrenching events to the world media front and exposing these shameful men for what they are doing we hope to bring an end to this massacre once and for all!

For more information on how to become a Cove Guardian, head to www.seashepherd.org

Some eye-opening facts involving Australia’s support of the Taiji dolphin hunt:

·         Broome Australia is the official sister-city of Taiji

·         In 2009 Broome Shire Council made a public decision to disassociate from Taiji until the dolphin hunt ceased in light of international pressure placed on Broome

·         Only months later the Broome Shire Council apologised to the Japanese community and reconnected with Taiji to reform the sister-city relationship

·         To lessen the public reaction, Broome Shire Council have agreed to support Taiji by offering to facilitate alternative economic opportunities similar to those that have seen Broome flourish through tourism and promotion of its natural marine resources- to date nothing has been done

·         Taiji Japan, seemingly have no affiliation of the sister-city relationship with Broome Australia as seen in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-J2r3geOz8 

Bob Irwin Desperately Needs Your Help

October 28, 2010

Hi Everyone

I need your help.  I need to show the world the amazing biodiversity and beauty of the Great Sandy Strait and what we’ll be losing, should the [proposed] marinas go ahead; the mangroves and the sea grass beds and the dolphins, dugongs and turtles will all be gone.

I will fight as long and as hard as necessary to preserve this pristine environment for our future generations – BUT - I can’t do it alone.  

I’d like to present the opinions of one million people, (who also feel that the building of this proposed marina will wreck the biodiversity of this magnificent environment forever) to our state and federal governments.

I’m writing to our friends, wildlife groups and conservation organizations to ask you to please forward this LINK to ALL your members and contacts: CLICK AND SAVE TIN CAN BAY. 

Thank you for your support,

Bob Irwin

Bob's YOUTUBE Channel

April 25, 2010

Check out the BobIrwinWildlife Channel on YOUTUBE

I was honoured recently to be invited to attend  the Australian Society for Kangaroos, fundraiser.  This is such a great cause with its members, working tirelessly to bring the plight of the kangaroo to the attention of all Australians.  I wanted to lend my support to their efforts, as they need all the help they can get in their endeavours to stop the slaughter of our roos in the kangaroo industry.

Due to my medical hiccup, I was unable to attend their event, but instead, I was able, with the help of some IT friends, to put a message onto a video.  Here is the youtube link - 

This is their report on the extremely successful afternoon.

 

An Afternoon with Australian Icons Report, an event for the Australian Society for Kangaroos, May 23rd, 2010, at the Revesby Workers Club, Sydney.
  

I am so happy to announce that our Afternoon with Australian Icons was a roaring success!!! The Australian Society  for Kangaroos (ASK) made $6,850 in profit. Nikki Sutterby, President of ASK has stated that one third of the funds be distributed to the administrative side, such as printing, Freedom of Information Requests from the Government, and legal costs.The second third to be used for educational materials such as flyers about what is happening to the kangaroos, stickers and business cards, to reach the public further afield, The final third to be invested for future campaign costs.

 

An attendance of around 200 people were impressed with the line up and programme, Lynda Stoner and Johnny Pace were fabulous with their introductions and auction skills.The vocalists from the Advance Talent Programme were sensational in singing the National Anthem to begin the show. Lucky Starr and  Frankie Davidson had everyone clapping, swaying with arms in the air, and singing to Australian songs, and the tap dancers "The Next Step" were brilliant with their enthusiastic performance. The bush poet Kevin Campbell, had the audiece laughing at his humerous emu and kangaroo poem.

 

The Speakers were dynamic, they produced much emotion and passion during  all of their speeches, the audience were wonderful, they listened intently to every word. Fiona Corke and Nikki Sutterby introduced the ASK with so much feeling and many descriptions of the lobbying and various work they have done over the years in helping kangaroos. Bob Irwin's DVD message was very deep and moving, spoken with true passion. Lee Rhiannon, Mark Pearson were mesmorizing giving much information, and John Lyle, the kangaroo carer from Oberon, was so impressive with 2 talks. Dr Howard Ralph also came up for a short but meaningful talk about wildlife.

 

Carol Maroun did a fantastic job of setting the stage up as an Australiana feel, which set the atmosphere ready for an afternoon full of entertainment, serious talks about the kangaroo's alarming situation, and heart felt reactions from both celebrities and the audience were both suprising and encouraging.

 

I'm sure everyone enjoyed the day as much as I, and took away a huge amount of information with them, to continue to do their best to help our Australian National Icon, the Kangaroo.

 

It was truly an inspiring afternoon with Australian Icons.

Australian Society for Kangaroos

Koalatracker.com.au Blog

April 25, 2010

This is such a brilliant piece of writing, I wanted to share it with you:

WHY BOTHER? by Alex Harris

Save the Daintree & Help the Cassowaries

March 3, 2010

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Rainforest Rescue is trying to buy their 12th Daintree Rainforest property to set aside for the cassowaries.  While working with Steve to catch and relocate crocodiles involved in human conflicts, Bob and Steve came across all kinds of wildlife.  Of particular interest to Bob was the Southern Cassowary. When Bob heard about Rainforest Rescue's latest endeavors, he sent this letter to Kelvin Davies who is spearheading the project:

Dear Kelvin,

I wanted to pass on an important message to your supporters as you embark on your campaign to buy back your twelfth property in the Daintree. Unfortunately, with the mindset in Australia at the moment, too many people seem to be more concerned with progress and greed than with our natural environment.

With only a thousand Cassowaries left in that part of Australia, I think that the Australian people must decide whether they really want to save the cassowary or not. Right now, Cassowaries are regarded as being endangered. I think that should be changed to critically endangered. Because when you get down to those low numbers it doesn’t take a great deal to tip them over the edge.

On my last trip to Far North Queensland, I was fortunate to see a female Cassowary feeding naturally in the rainforest, just near Mission Beach. It’s an amazing experience and I’d recommend it to any of your supporters who have the opportunity to see something so special.

Cassowaries are so important to our rainforest. They are the ones that spread the seeds and help to regenerate the rainforest after cyclones and fires and floods. If they disappear the rainforest will suffer the consequences and won’t regenerate the way it does at the moment. For me, that’s the role that the Cassowary plays.

We’ve got to give serious thought to further development and the destruction of Cassowary habitat and we’ve got to come to practical solutions for the animals that are getting hit and killed on the roads.

People have got to stop and think what they want to leave for their children.  Do they want to see this land devastated and somebody stick up some motel unit?  Or do we really want to leave them a future with all our beautiful native wildlife.

The wildlife we have here is unique to this country, you won’t find it anywhere else in the world, yet too many people seem to be losing respect for our environment.  That’s a real worry. 

You know, mate, that’s why I think that buying back the Daintree is our best option at the moment. Once that land is secured, then we give the Cassowaries and other animals corridors to go safely from one part of the forest to another. 
That’s why I think you, Kelvin, and your supporters at Rainforest Rescue are the answer to many of the problems up at the Daintree. So I'd encourage people to get one hundred per cent behind Rainforest Rescue because you’re doing so much great work.

And I think we've got to stay positive.  You know, that’s the answer.  It's no good throwing up your hands and saying, “Oh, I can't do this”. We've got to bite the bullet, get off our bums and actually get out there and do something ourselves.  And that's what Rainforest Rescue and your supporters are doing. Good on you.

All the best, mate, with your campaign to raise money to buy back Lot 10 Milky Pine Road. I look forward to visiting it one day, and hopefully seeing a Cassowary enjoying that special part of the rainforest.

Good luck,

Bob Irwin

Koalatracker.com.au

February 14, 2010

If you care about saving our koalas, as I do, you will be very interested in a new website – http://www.koalatracker.com.au.  Judy and I accepted an invitation to attend the launch in Noosa this week. 

Koalatracker.com.au is founded entirely on the premise of participation. It is a hub for koala carers and the community at large - to join in the conversation, to share photos and stories and, importantly, sightings.

Its initial member project, Project Location - Koala Sighting Census, is a first in terms of integrating technology with community engagement to record the occurrence of a single species in Queensland.  It introduces world-leading GIS technology from ESRI Australia to plot the points of koala sightings contributed by members of the public on a dynamic map.  It’s such a simple concept, I don’t know why it hadn’t been thought of earlier.    

I can see that the site will empower individuals and groups not already involved in koala conservation efforts, but want to be, and also validate the efforts and concerns of those who are.   As the site compiles more and more data the koala conservation community, in particular, will have at their disposal a very powerful presentation on what’s really going on with our koalas.

The information gathered is available to all members - including government agencies and other stakeholders - to assist with policy making, programs and activities such as scientific research. 

The site sets a great precedent – I am hopeful that we might be able to follow its lead with similar efforts for cassowaries and the southern hairy-nosed wombat too.

Please join so that you too can participate.  If you are a carer, note that there is a national koala carers’ forum on http://www.koalatracker.com.au, and we recommend that too.

Traveston NO DAM VICTORY PARTY

December 12, 2009

Did you miss the Traveston NO DAM VICTORY PARTY?  No worries - you can read my speech below!

I wanted to come here today to thank every one of you for the campaign that you have waged over the last 3 years to save your beautiful Mary River Valley.  I know that you have all lived through terrible trauma imposed by the  State Labor Govt and no one should have to endure the stress and heartache that the Labor government has put you all through.

My heart goes out to those of you who have already given up your land, to make way for this proposed environmental disaster.   I can't imagine what you people have gone through in recent years.

I also wanted to thank you for your dedication and passion that has resulted in a positive outcome.  Because now you have managed to save the Mary River System and its flora and fauna for future generations to enjoy.

I could never understand how this debate eventuated in the first place.  How could anyone even consider contemplating this proposed dam, knowing that it was going to mean the end of at least 3 endangered species.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving the species of animals that call the Mary River home!!  Because, as you know, this dam would have been the last straw for the River's wildlife.

And I want to thank you for saving the fauna of the Mary River...especially those magnificent ancient fig trees.  Gabrielle and Craig took me to see some of these majestic trees in my last visit here.

I would also again like to thank Peter Garrett and the Commonwealth Government for making the right decision here. Garrett showed courage and true leadership in preserving this beautiful environment and protecting its endangered animals.

Now there's one other thing I'd like to mention here!  You know our koalas are just about extinct in the Southeast due to land clearing, and disease caused by the stress of having their trees cleared, by dog attacks, and by car accidents.

You have a beautiful valley here!  How about keeping this group going now?  Turn it into a Mary River Lets Bring the Tourists in Group or the Mary River Koala Reestablishment Group.

Let's plant the habitat for the koalas!  They'll come back, providing the planting is not left too late.

Let's re-establish a healthy population of our beautiful koalas here.  And I think you should consider bringing the world here to visit the koalas.  At the rate the Labour Government is going, it will be the only wild population of koalas in the Southeast.  

I know some of you won't want to do the tourist thing!!  And that's fine with me!  But I'd really like you to consider the re-establishment of a healthy koala population here in the Mary River Valley.

These koalas of ours, the few that are left in the Southeast now, are running out of room.  Their habitat has been all but destroyed by land clearing.  Our koalas desperately need areas like the Mary River Valley if they are to have any chance of survival in the Southeast.

And who knows?  The Mary River Valley might be the only habitat left relatively untouched, for the survival of our koalas in the Southeast.

Research is showing that koalas in parts of the SE will be extinct in 2 years. 

We unfortunately cannot count on the Labour government to "save" our koalas.  The survival of our koalas, I believe, is dependent on private land holders, re-establishing suitable koala habitat.

You only have to look at the Bligh Government's take on our kangaroos (a resource to be killed and sold to foreign markets) to realize that we can't afford to leave our wildlife's future in the hands of our governments. 

And speaking of kangaroos I would ask you to join me in a total boycott of all kangaroo products.  The kangaroo industry is cruel and inhumane and is not only destroying our most famous tourist symbol, but is also damaging Australia's image around the world.

If we all work together, we can stop this cruelty.

May I also make a suggestion and that is that you form a small group whose duty it would be to keep an eye on development of any sort along the Mary or its tributaries.  Stay vigilant.  The Mary River cod, turtles, lung fish and frogs will only survive in this system if it stays clean...free of pollutants!!

And please do keep in touch with me on your progress via my website: BobIrwinWildlife.com.  I'd only be too happy to help save koalas and other animals in your beautiful valley.

So I would like to leave you with that thought!!

And once again thank you for your monumental efforts in saving all of my little friends and the Mary River Valley from destruction!! 

I envy you all for being able to live in peace now in this most beautiful part of the world!

Goomeri State School Visits Camp Chilli

December 8, 2009

This September, the Year 2/3 Class of Goomeri State School paid a visit to Camp Chilli.  Click HERE to see the pictures.  Here is their report:

OUR VISIT TO CAMP CHILLI

On Tuesday 15 September 2009, we (the Year 2/3 Class of Goomeri State School) went to Camp Chilli. We saw lots of amazing Australian Animals like a goanna camouflaged on a tree and very cute baby koalas. When we got to Camp Chilli we saw a kangaroo called Skippy, a koala called Hayley and her baby. There was also another koala in the tree. We met Steve Irwin’s parents and lots of other special people.

Bob spoke to us first and introduced us to the following special people.

Ellie from the RSPCA spoke to us about all the great work the RSPCA does for the animals. Ellie also spoke to us about the “5 Freedoms”. These are: Freedom from hunger and thirst, Freedom from discomfort, Freedom from pain, distress and disease, Freedom to exercise, Freedom from being frightened and worried. If you ever see an injured animal, call 1300animal.

Gabrielle showed us some very rare turtles, like the Mary River Turtle (his name is Travis), the Irwin Turtle and turtles that weren’t rare like the long neck and snake necked turtle.

Clare (a carer), showed us a Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat. It lives in South Australia. Clare went a long way to get the wombat. The wombats name is Wally. Clare fed the baby koalas and Wally. She fed them with tiny bottles with special milk. Wally was very shy. We saw a tiny koala that was an orphan, so it was in a small pillow case. There were also two other baby koalas. The baby koalas were so cute that when we saw them we all said “Ahhhhhhhh!!”  Clare had a basket for the baby koalas. In the basket were two big teddy bears to keep the baby koalas company.

We read our brochures on Australian Animals that we researched during Term 3. Everyone loved them. We sang our songs, “Home Among The Gum Trees” and “Old Man Emu”.

Thanks everyone who made this excursion possible.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

Bob and Judy,

Thank you for making Bob Irwin’s Environment Facility at Camp Chilli available to the Year 2 and Year 3 students of Goomeri State School on 15 September 2009.

The students thoroughly enjoyed their visit. They were rewarded with a fountain of knowledge and are our future Wildlife Ambassadors. Upon reflection, the students’ learning has been greatly enhanced with your contribution.

Your dedication to conservation and being an advocate for our environment and native wildlife is vital for our present and future generations.

I would also like to thank the following organisations and people for their contribution to the students learning on the day: 

• Ellie from the RSPCA – discussing and explaining about the “5 Freedoms”;Gabrielle for showing and explaining about the various turtles and their habitats;
•  Clare – a wildlife carer - for sharing her Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat and the koalas that were in her care;
• and Sergeant Lohmann – Adopt-a-Cop for Goomeri State School – for his time and assistance.

As Principal of Goomeri State School P-10, I look forward to having further contact with you.

Leon Doorackers, Principal
Goomeri State School, Queensland

Boycott All Kangaroo Products

December 3, 2009
Public Health at Risk 

Irrespective of moral, ethical and heritage values, the health risk to the public in the consumption of kangaroo meat is unacceptable.  Dangerous levels of salmonella and E.coli have been found in kangaroo meat destined for human consumption.

A former Senior Food Inspector  Dr Sibraa has stated that humans and pets also risk contracting toxoplasmosis, which can result in foetal death or birth defects in pregnant women.

An ecotoxicology expert Dr David Obendorf  recently said the kangaroo industry had been covering up problems for years and public health would continue to be put at risk.

Kangaroos are slaughtered  usually at night, dragged through the dirt and hung on a truck, quite often covered in blow flies.   Then transported to a ‘chiller box’ which may or may not have been hygienically cleaned.

Leaked memos and internal documents seen by the Herald Nov 18^th 2009, showed evidence that trucks were being ‘loaded hot’ exposing the carcasses to temperatures above 25 deg for extended periods.   Chiller boxes in remote areas regularly malfunction.

This is a disgusting cruel industry.

Do not poison yourselves or your pets.

Please, boycott all kangaroo products.

Damn To Worsen Our Terrible Legacy

November 2, 2009

Research shows that Australia is cited as having the worst rate of animal extinction in the world. We have the dubious honour of being accountable for almost 40 per cent of mammal extinctions globally in the last 200 years. This is a figure that we should be ashamed of.
If the proposed Traveston Dam is approved, our extinction rate may very well increase.

The area proposed for destruction on the Mary River has very significant ecological and environmental values.  Included amongst the rich biodiversity which can be found in the area are at least five endangered species including the Mary River Turtle and the Mary River Cod.

The Mary River turtle, has evolved over thousands of years to live only in the Mary River system. Due to its biology the turtle requires flowing, well-oxygenated streams and rivers for survival.  The stagnant, low quality water of dams cannot provide the required habitat for this specialist species.

Imagine if we knowingly completely destroy the turtles' remaining habitat by approving this dam proposal? If the Traveston Dam is approved, it will certainly push the Mary River turtle to extinction.

Another species of grave concern is the Queensland lungfish, one of the world’s most ancient species with individuals reaching an age in excess of 100 years.  Queensland lungfish only live naturally in one other river system - the Burnett, and are classified as vulnerable.  With the construction of the Paradise Dam, the survival of our incredibly unique lungfish is in more doubt than ever.

This species, together with the Mary River Turtle, has existed from the dinosaur times, with fossil records dating back 380 million years!  Can you imagine putting at risk one of the oldest living creatures on earth?

Another iconic Australian animal species which has been in the news recently is our koala.  It has been well documented that the koala which is critically endangered in South East Queensland will become extinct in certain areas of the south-east within a few years, without immediate and drastic intervention.   I cannot believe that any government would support a proposal that will destroy more koala habitat when this species is already at a grave risk of localized extinction.

I have only mentioned but a small part of the amazing biodiversity of this Mary River system.

I find it absolutely astonishing that in a time when our environment is in such jeopardy, that we should  be discussing again, the issue of building a dam in such an ecologically sensitive area, when this same proposal in the past has already been twice rejected as being unviable.

We have more than 1700 species under threat of extinction and the Federal Government has also identified 3000 ecosystems also facing extinction.
In the past, nature has been turned into a commodity for us to buy, sell, destroy or consume as we please.

We must change our attitude for the benefit of our future generations. We do not own this planet!  We are simply caretakers.

The approval of the Traveston Dam will destroy the Mary River Valley and create major environmental problems for the future. Please listen to the people Mr. Garrett, and oppose this ill-conceived dam.

--Bob Irwin

Media Release: BOB IRWIN PLEADS WITH CHINA: DON’T EAT OUR KANGAROOS - COME AND SEE THEM

Bob Irwin, wildlife conservationist and father of the late Steve Irwin, is pleading with China and the world not to eat our kangaroos, but to come and see them. Bob Irwin claims that if China agrees to buy kangaroo meat it will push our kangaroos even closer to extinction, with Red Kangaroos, Wallaroos and Grey kangaroos already at critical minimum densities across most of Australia.

Alternatively, Bob says “We should be promoting our kangaroos for their touristic value. Kangaroos are worth billions of dollars to Australia annually in tourism. The kangaroo killing industry on the other hand is cruel, unhygenic, and unsustainable with kangaroo numbers now critical.”

Kangaroos are the second most recognised tourist icon in the world, and the second most popular attraction for international tourists. Research by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) showed that Australian wildlife, and in particular kangaroos are worth between $2.7 and $ 5 billion dollars annually to the Australian economy in tourism.

 

“The Chinese are one of our biggest visitors and kangaroos are one of their favourite attractions. If they were to start eating kangaroos, we predict that within a few years there wont be any left in the wild for them to see", says Bob.

Bob is pleading with China, Australia and the world to “Please consider how kangaroos are killed. If people could see what happens to baby joeys when their mother is killed by this industry, they would think twice about buying kangaroo meat and kangaroo leather shoes.”

“The current push to eat kangaroo meat is a fallacy. It takes 120 kangaroos to produce the same amount of meat you get from one cow. You would have to kill the entire kangaroo population many times over evey year to replace beef. Our kangaroos cannot even sustain the current level of killing by the industry”,  said Nikki Sutterby, Co-Ordinator, Australian Society for Kangaroos.
 

Bob makes his plea to China and the world, “Please stop and think before you purchase any kangaroo products (meat, leather etc), as you are not only supporting a disgusting industry but also contributing to the eventual extinction of an iconic species of Australian wildlife.”

Bobs final plea to China:  “We wouldn’t eat your pandas, so please don’t eat our kangaroos. Come and see them.”

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

NIKKI SUTTERBY
CO-ORDINATOR
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR KANGAROOS
PH 0417354408

FOR FOOTAGE OF BABY JOEYS BEING BASHED TO DEATH GO TO:
http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=Stop_Cruelty&wr_id=19&goto_url=

PLEASE VISIT THE SITES BELOW FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS MEDIA RELEASE:

http://www.rootourism.com/fback10.html

http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroo-tourism.html

http://www.australiansocietyforkangaroos.org/

Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009

July 31, 2009

Recently a state politician in New South Wales introduced a private member’s bill – the Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009 – that would, if adopted by the New South Wales Government, allow for the shooting of native animals in national parks and the creation of private game parks right here in Australia!  I join thousands of angered Australians in dismissing this proposal by the ‘Shooters Party’ as not only disastrous for both animal and public safety but also offensive! That a gun-toting minority would be allowed by an Australian state government to shoot defenceless native animals within the national parks where they seek sanctuary is appalling. 
 
Listed amongst the native animals that this bill would permit to be shot include:
 

·       Australian Shelduck (or Mountain Duck)

·         Australian Wood Duck (or Maned Duck)

·         Black Duck (or Pacific Black Duck)

·         Blue-winged Shoveler

·         Chestnut Teal

·         Grass Duck

·         Grey Teal

·         Hardhead Duck

·         Pink-eared Duck

·         Water Whistling Duck

·         Brown Quail

·         Stubble Quail

·         Australian White Ibis

·         Black Swan

·         Common Bronze-wing Pigeon

·         Galah

·         Little Corella

·         Purple Swamphen

·         Straw-necked ibis

·         Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

·         Topknot Pigeon

·         Eastern Grey Kangaroos

·         Euro

·         Red Kangaroo

·         Western Grey Kangaroo

 
The following is a letter that I sent to the NSWs environmental minister expressing my concerns regarding the proposal.  I hope you that are as angered by this bill as I am, and I urge you to express your concern by writing to the NSW and federal environmental ministers, in addition to signing the following petitions:
 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/8/Stop-Hunting-of-Australian-wildlife
 
http://www.gopetition.com/online/29233.html



The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment
Level 30,
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney  NSW     2000

          dpoffice@tebbutt.minister.nsw.gov.au

Dear Madam,

Re: Proposal to allow recreation shooting in New South Wales National Parks
 
I write in reference to the recent proposal by the NSWs Shooters Party to allow hunting by recreational shooters in New South Wales’ National Parks.  I find the proposal absolutely disgusting and join in supporting the thousands of outraged community members who believe the bill to be not only repulsive, but also ridiculous.

That the Shooters Party have attempted to pass off what is blatantly recreational hunting as ‘conservation’ and ‘wildlife management’ is absurd.  Slaughtering wildlife for sport is NOT conservation.  With increasing urbanisation and habitat encroachment, oftentimes National Parks are the only strongholds left for wildlife that have been otherwise displaced.  If the NSW government pass the bill amendments proposed by Shooters Party, what will be left for our wildlife?  Where will they have sanctuary??  Not to mention who is going to monitor the proposed ghastly destruction of our wildlife, and ensure that the hunting is carried out in a quick and humane manner so that the animals don’t suffer long and torturous deaths. 

Not only have national parks long been remnant strongholds for wildlife, but for generations the Australian public have enjoyed the peace and quiet of the escape that national parks provide.  If the amendments to the bill are passed then how do we guarantee safety for the visitors to our national parks?  National Park Rangers are already few and far between, and nationwide the department of environments are understaffed.  Surely National Park Employees cannot be expected to monitor the bleak activities of the shooters?  The National Parks of NSW and indeed Australia are for the enjoyment of all members of the general public; not just a minority of murderous hunters who wish to destroy our wildlife for recreation.

I trust that the NSW government will realise the magnitude of the ramifications of their decision in relation to these proposed amendments, and act to make conservation, biodiversity education and public safety their priority, and not be swayed by a gun toting minority!

Bob Irwin

Below are emails from concerned groups.  In the final email below, you'll notice the list of our beautiful native animals, whose lives will be lost or mamed, if this bill goes ahead.

Email 1 from Wildlife Protection Assoc. of Australia Inc,
 

From the NSW Nature Conservation Council

This is to inform you of a number of meetings that are taking place around the threats to our NSW National Parks and Wildlife, particularly the threats posed by the NSW Shooters Party's proposed changes to the Game and Feral Animal Control Act, not least of which is opening up National Parks to hunters.

If this of particular interest to you and your associates please consider whether your group has the capacity to hold a public meeting in your local area and if you would like assistance from the NCC to do this. We are being told that the threats are very real with the Shooters Party pushing hard for more access to parks and the establishment of game reserves.

The NCC is coordinating a big town hall meeting on the proposed Shooters Bill in Ku-ring-gai on Tuesday 25th August. I will send another email in the next couple of days with links to a webpage we're currently setting up with information on this meeting, the Bill and relevant downloads.

Email 2 from Melanie @ Ecoterrestrial (melanie@ecoterrestrial.com)

Rally to reject the Shooters Party Bill in NSW - before someone is killed‏.http://www.gopetition.com/online/29233.html

Email 3 from RSPCA Australia

National parks are for everyone, not just a select few.
If you enjoy the freedom of walking in a national park in (especially in NSW) then please sign this petition. Soon people who wander into national parks risk being shot by stray bullets from hunters.

Hunters in New South Wales could soon be allowed to go into national parks and kill native animals including black swans, sulphur crested cockatoos and kangaroos if the NSW Labor party supports a Bill currently before parliament.

RSPCA NSW has condemned the Shooters Party Bill saying it's a blatant attempt to disguise recreational hunting as conservation.

"There is no possible conservation benefit to be derived from letting untrained shooters loose in our national parks," said the RSPCA's Chief Scientist, Dr Bidda Jones.

PLEASE PASS ON.

 

Email 4 from Ozark:
 

Dear fellow OZARK members

I have only recently rejoined the OZARK forum so please accept my apologies if the following message has already been discussed at length in my absence.

For those of you who are not aware, the Hon. Robert Brown (Shooters Party) has introduced into the NSW parliament a private member's bill - the Game and Feral Control Amendment Bill 2009 - that would, if adopted, allow for the shooting of native animals in national parks and to allow the creation of private game parks.  Listed amongst the native animals this bill would permit to be shot include:

- Australian Shelduck (or Maountain Duck)
- Australian Wood Duck (or Maned Duck)
- Black Duck (or Pacific Black Duck)
- Blue-winged Shoveler
- Chestnut Teal
- Grass Duck
- Grey Teal
- Hardhead Duck
- Pink-eared Duck
- Water Whistling Duck
- Brown Quali
- Stubble Quali
- Australian White Ibis
- Black Swan
- Common Bronzewing Pidgeon
- Galah
- Little Corella
- Purple Swamphen
- Staw-necked ibis
- Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
- Topknot Pigeon
- Eastern Grey Kangaroos
- Euro
- Red Kangaroo
- Western Grey Kangaroo

Wildlife Advocate Inc, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to representing the needs of our Australian native wildlife, would like to work with like-minded organisations and individuals to oppose this bill.

To this end, Wildlife Advocate has established an on-line petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/8/Stop-Hunting-of-Australian-wildlife

We encourage you to visit that site and, if you so desire, register your opposition to the Hon Robert Brown's plans to amend the law to permit the hunting of native Australian wildlife in NSW national parks.

Yours sincerely



Guy Wilmington
President
Wildlife Advocate Inc.

Ph:    0413 591762
Email: wildlife@wildlifeadvocate.com
Web:   www.wildlifeadvocate.com

Yalata Visit

June 2009

I have long been an admirer of the RSPCA and the commendable work that they do and as such was honoured to recently be invited to visit a remote aboriginal community with the RSPCA of South Australia, to talk to the children about animal welfare.

Yalata is an indigenous community approximately two and a half hours from Ceduna, close to the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor desert in South Australia.  Whilst the population is always fluctuating as its members move between nearby communities, a core population of around 250 people live in the community, and most maintain many of the traditions of their ancestors.  The RSPCA attended the community to talk to the children about looking after their dogs and responsible pet ownership, and asked me to talk about respecting the local wildlife with which they share their land.  Being given the opportunity to enter the community and meet with the wonderful children and adults of the community was a fantastic experience and I feel very privileged to have had the attention of the children (and their school teachers) as I spoke about respecting all forms of life and appreciating its inherent value.  To be able to talk with the residents and be given the chance to understand the connection between the indigenous people and the wildlife with which they have co-existed over many generations was enlightening.  The community members’ perspectives and opinions of native wildlife were very different from the attitudes in our more western societies, but I appreciated the opportunity to understand the communities’ point of view and I have no doubt the experience was worthwhile for all concerned.

Whilst in the community I also helped the RSPCA staff deliver an anti-parasite program to the dogs of the community which involved making ‘ivermectin sandwiches’ to feed to each dog that we came across.  These medicated sandwiches were highly appetizing (due to the anchovy spread in their centre) and were fed out to help reduce the incidence of intestinal worms and mange affecting many of the dogs.  Communities such as Yalata have no permanent vets or animal carers, and without regular visits from the likes of the RSPCA the animals in remote indigenous communities unfortunately often go without any veterinary treatment.  The residents of Yalata certainly appreciated the efforts of the RSPCA and their vet and I’m sure the RSPCA will continue to have thriving relationship with Yalata and the animals of the community.

Being given the opportunity to work with the RSPCA in the field was of great benefit to me – and hopefully also the RSPCA.  I certainly look forward to continuing to work with the RSPCA in the future.

--Bob Irwin

Photos courtesy of Nalika and Ben

"Steve Irwin Reserve" Article in Saturday's Courier Mail - Letter to Des Houghton regarding June 20th Article in the Courier Mail

June 19, 2009

Des,

I read with great interest your article on the 'Steve Irwin Reserve' in Saturday's Courier Mail.  

I would like you to correct a couple of very important errors.

(1)  I am not and never have been a director or part owner of 'Silverback Properties'.

(2)  I was never invited to be part of the negotiations in regards to 'Steve Irwin Reserve' in Cape York, and have no involvement with it.   To the best of my knowledge this property was given to Terri Irwin by the Australian Government.

(3)  Given the circumstances outlined above, I take exception to the term 'the Irwins' in your article.  The Bob Irwin Wildlife  Fund and Conservation Projects are managed with honesty and integrity. I do not wish to be associated with any conservation issues with which I have no involvement and about which I have no knowledge.

I would appreciate a correction of these errors as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Bob Irwin

CROCODILE TROPHY HUNTING - Letter to The Honorable Peter Garrett MP, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600

May 25, 2009

RE:  Crocodile Trophy Hunting

Dear Sir,

Predictably, the issue of trophy hunting of crocodiles has been raised in the context of recent attacks on humans and the release of the Northern Territory's Draft Croc Management Program.  The apparent increase in croc numbers in the NT and spate of attacks on people are provided as justifications for allowing "safari-style" hunting of crocodiles.  Just to make the notion even more socially and politically palatable, it's going to be a program "…that focuses on Indigenous participation, employment and enterprise….". Who's going to knock that – a lucrative, sustainable eco-venture that supports our indigenous brothers? 

But let's get the issue into its proper context before we go any further.  Trophy hunting is not seriously going to stop unfortunate souls from getting killed by crocs – that just needs better education and awareness campaigns.   Neither will it be the economic salvation of local indigenous communities; their opportunities for less violent forms of ecotourism are far more lucrative.  This type of hunting is going to appeal to the type of folk (a small, rich and vocal minority) who get their kicks out of shooting other large and potentially dangerous wildlife, like rhinos, elephants and lions;  great white hunters who often justify their blood-sport by arguing that they contribute to the conservation of the magnificent animals that they blow away.  If you want to get a taste for the industry get on to Google and search "trophy hunting", or try this one: www.africatrophyhunting.com/Trophies.asp?sf=8 for a list of all the animals in Africa you can hunt and kill.  Follow the links for some disturbing photos of giraffes, hippos, vervet monkeys and some endangered wildlife with the brave hunters who shot them. (By the way, there's not a single species of endangered animal that has ever been saved from extinction by virtue of its attraction for trophy hunters.) On the topic of whether shooting crocs is humane:  They've got a brain smaller than my pinkie finger, and I'm not a big bloke.   Imagine trying to hit that on a moving target submerged in water, encased in a big solid bone skull, and you get what I'm saying:  there are going to be a lot of maimed crocodiles dying slow deaths if this gets the green light. There's nothing humane about trophy hunting, particularly for animals like crocs.

There will be animal cruelty issues!

In my mind, the question of whether trophy hunting of crocodiles should be allowed is a question of morality.  For me, it it's just not right to hunt and kill something for fun. I thought in this country we had made enough moral progress to have put that one to bed years ago.  But here it is again, rearing its ugly head, under the guise of "sustainability" and helping indigenous communities, to boot. Too often now, the proponents of "sustainable wildlife use" seem to think that if they can argue that an activity is ecologically sustainable, then any ethical or moral concerns are irrelevant or redundant.  Developing an ecotourism venture with indigenous folk as the guides and beneficiaries is a great idea, but let the shooting be done with cameras, not guns.  Then it's humane, sustainable and morally right, and I reckon will make a lot more money than the small, loud, safari hunting elite would ever have brought us.

I believe that if this proposal were to proceed it would have a very negative impact on Australia's lucrative Tourism Industry and severely damage Australia's image world wide as a friendly, caring country.

Let us not go back to Medieval times.

Reject the Northern Territory Government's proposal.

 

--Bob Irwin

Click on the links below to see other articles written against the proposal.  If you would like to write the Government Minister regarding the croc proposal, click here. 
 

RSPCA Article

International Fund for Animal Welfare article

Humane Society International Article