It is on again (the Great Belconnen Roo Cull)

Duke: Would the pet food industry have run out of meat if this cull didn’t take place? If something happens to the meat then thats better than them just being buried but does not justify whats happening. The reason for this cull is not to get food for PAL. It is just going about the cheapest way of solving a problem, ethics and morals be damned.

“they are protesting against the culling of the roos in the defence site – and not about the meat (pet food) industry”

Problem solved FC! The government can promise to turn all the roos into PAL Meatiebites and the protesters will accept this as reasonable and all go home. Your argument is ridiculous.

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200803/r231877_926882.jpg

the roo in the abc story looks like it is making a run for it…

tap said :

It begins.

Damn, that’s quick. I guess I’ll have to grab the .22-250 and head down there before they get them all.

Gotta go!

It begins.

They didn’t even give protestors the chance to see if they could raise the money themselves.

Scumbags.

And for whatever its worth chiller boxes are there. Hopefully at least something will come from the meat. Although i still wouldn’t be surprised if they just bury them somewhere.

LOL.
Duke.
Please.
Did you not read my previous posts?
My first post was simply pointing out the idiocy in calling people hypocrites, and stating my reasons (that they are protesting against the culling of the roos in the defence site – and not about the meat (pet food) industry – and therfore what they feed there pets is irrelevant)

My second post was just answering your question.
I didn’t once make a statement about my position, or attempt to “defend” the kangaroos.

I do find interesting your attempt to deflect the attention from your own foolish comments, and avoid addressing them.

Sigh, then might I suggest FC that if you’re here to defend kangaroos you might at least offer a couple of sound reasons. We haven’t had one yet.

we all know the rspca cant count do any of you actually believe theres 400 roo’s there?
id say theres 80 to 90 max go look for your self.

Ok. Here is your answer.
No, I am not saying that.

FC – I can defend my position, but can you answer the very simple question I just put to you?

“FC, your logic is confused. Are you saying you’re against the culling of kangaroos when it comes to overpopulation, but it’s acceptable to cull kangaroos to be used in pet food? “

Umm.. where did you get that from?
I never said, or implied that. I think perhaps you are confused..maybe there are too many chemicals in your meat.

Im hoping you were sarcastic Headbonius… i think you were…

And what is with the kangaroo or starving millions argument? Does one somehow mean the other can’t be addressed? Why not a kangaroo and starving million argument?

VicePope: Well, lets see how that goes, it would be fairly awesome if we did pay for it. Shame on the government for not doing so though.

I was under the impression that the moving would move all of them, and the culling would kill a few of them so the others could survive… until they over populate again and we have to shoot them again.

Anyone against the culling of this population of kangaroos is obviously an idiot. That should be the end of this boring argument. Those who argue it is inhumane – bullsiht. Those who argue the roos have right to life – crap. They’ve got less of a right to life than the millions of people who are starving in the world today. If these morons feel so strongly about some stupid kangaroos being able to be re-located at some obscene cost that could be more appropriately spent providing humanitarian aid……….FFS. Everyone shut up about this pestilence that happens to be our national symbol.

Tap – in that case, the protesters can pay to move the beasts, whatever it costs above a well-managed cull. It still seems pretty silly to move a substantial number of kangaroos (not the most tractable animal) to somewhere else where there are already lots of kangaroos.

As a side issue, what is a viable minumum populations for the kangaroos – are all of the proposals (culling or moving) going to leave a population that is in effect isolated in a confined space and insufficiently large and diverse to remain healthy?

FC, your logic is confused. Are you saying you’re against the culling of kangaroos when it comes to overpopulation, but it’s acceptable to cull kangaroos to be used in pet food?

Tap, whether there is evidence the kangaroos are diseased i’m not sure, but I said it’s likely they will end up as pet food, not definately end up as pet food. If you see any type of refridgeration units out at the cull site, you know the meat will be processed.

Vicepope: The prefered option of the protestors isn’t to leave them there. Its to move them.

Duke: Some protestors have dogs, dogs eat dog food. The diseased meat will end up dog food (evidence? also I thought dog food was primarily horse meat). Therefore all protestors are hypocrits for being against this particular killing.

That doesn’t work.

Duke –
Dogs are omnivores, so meat would be a part of their diet.
And the protest isn’t about the meat production industry – or kangaroo meat in dog food.
Its about culling kangaroos. So what they feed their pets is irrelevant.
And any responsible pet owner would certainly not be feeding their animal PAL food anyway

The ABC is reporting that Paul McCartney (said to be a musician of some kind) has been asked to contribute to the cost of his preferred option of moving the kangaroos. I look forward to a generous response from him and from the many who seemed to believe it better to leave the animals starving than to put them down humanely. It’s not as if kangaroos are endangered.

I see you have a troll on the line neandertalsis 🙂

The kangaroos will likely end up as dog food. It was interesting to note one of the protest spokesmen, Bernie Somethingorather, was pictured on Sky News hugging three enormous pooches – many protester dogs were also present at the cull site.

You reckon these are vegan dogs, or would they scoff down a big can of kangaroo Pal every evening? The hipocrisy of some protesters knows no bounds.

Just cause I don’t find you funny.

And you Sir, have no sense of humour.

You’re a real humanitarian, wanting to give the poor diseased meat. You truly are a great man of vision and integrity.

Could we just cut and paste the previous arguements over this issue? It would save all the wet behind the ears roo-hugging types waffling on incessantly about them being poor unfortunate endangered cute small furry critters that just need a good hug.

Shoot them and fly the carcasses to the Sudan/Burma/China/Tasmania or some other land ravaged by war & natural disatster, they’d appreciate the fresh meat even if it is high in nastiness.

Thumper, I think somebody may have already cut the fences. Driving home along Baldwin Drive last night, for the first time in the couple of years that I’ve lived there, I nearly hit a bloody great roo bounding along the road 😛 Almost made my own contribution to the cull.

damianheffernan’s comment about meat not being essential to brain functioning and development (“Tell that to the Millions of Vegetarians worldwide including Albert Einstein”) would be a lot more convincing if he hadn’t put too many capital letters in it…

I was under the impression they planned to cull 400 of them at least.

DMD: Are you sure they are planning on killing the whole mob? And yeah culling in this circumstance is unethical. The reason they are overpopulated is because they have been trapped in there.

Imhotep: Not too sure the government would go for that, but out of interest would you chuck in?

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!

If the cost of the cull has been exaggerated by us rednecks, and the true cost is “a couple of hundred thousand dollars” (damianheffernan), then all the protesters have to do is pass around the hat. One thousand dollars each should do it.

The money is nothing in the scheme of things. ALL life is sacred. I’m sure these people who feel so deeply about the issue won’t hesitate to dig deep.

After all, this is an ethical issue. Isn’t it?

Apparently, using them as food is a bad idea because they’re chock-a-block full of diseases.

I’m all for roo-culling in SMALL amounts. It’s essential to simulate at least some kind of predatory threat to kangaroos, since the grasses Europeans introduced have caused them to over breed and upset the eco-system. But to kill an entire mob purely because they happen to live where they’ve lived for a long time is just pure madness!

I will only support this if we can kill Adza and Fabforty, bulldoze their homes and use the land for Solar Panels.

Don’t be too upset, they are going to be killed.

Who proclaimed to speak on behalf of the world?

It is no surety that the kangaroos will be used for needy families. Will they even be used for food at all? If they do get used for food, they will be sold, that is sure.

Relocate them so they don’t get massacred, as its not ethical.

Kangaroos are not endangered, neither are humans when it comes down to it. Following your logic these people starving around the world should be culled too, it would be great for the environment, for water efficient supplies and malnutition, *and* the human population by freeing it from overpopulation stress.

Great argument though, ‘people are starving therefore we should cull a couple of kangaroos in Belconnen’.

This really upsets me – that people are starving around the world while these middle class latte socialists proclaim to speak on behalf of the world. Surely the kangaroos could be used as food for needy families? It is an ethical and nutritious food. Hooved animals and battery farmed chicken farming is clearly unethical and environmentally destructive. Here we are presented with a first class opportunity to do something good for the environment, for water efficient food supplies and malnutrition, *and* the kangaroon population by freeing it from overpopulation stress.

Relocate them for what?? Go where?? Are kangaroos endangered? I know food and the topsoil (ruined by hooved farming animals) is endangered.

damianheffernan said :

‘$3.5 million is an exaggeration and another example of the mis-information being distributed by compromised parties to this all.’

‘

If the $3.5 is ‘an exaggeration’ why is that figure so widely reported in the media, and even quoted by ACT Animal Liberation? (news.com).

Do you have any evidence that the figure is wrong?

Millions of animals die miserably every day from drought, predation and disease.

Spending millions of dollars to make a few hundred people feel better about themselves is ludicrous,
but oh so typically Canberra.

.

Oh well, im sure its best for the kangaroos, if they could talk they would certainly tell us that they would prefer death over being taken to a new home.

Plus it is way too costly, we never waste money on useless things like submarines that have a better chance of flying than floating. We are just being consistant.

There, thats enough justification, the animal rights fags won’t know that we are all in favour of this because the idea of killing gives us hard ons. Im gonna pop me a big un! pappa needs a new head impaled on his wall! My sheer maleness will be on show for all too see! Yeee ha!

Ummmm, Einstein’s dead. Could’ve been the lack of nutrients etc found in meat.
Kill ’em and eat ’em I say.

Wide Boy Jake said :

Kill the roos and sell the carcasses to the kangaroo meat industry. Roo meat is delicious and low in fat. Meat is vital in the diet for proper health as well as brain functioning and development.

Tell that to the Millions of Vegetarians worldwide including Albert Einstein

$3.5 million is an exaggeration and another example of the mis-information being distributed by compromised parties to this all. Even the couple of hundred thousand it would have cost (as quoted) included radio tracking collars for the entire 400 Roos which isn’t really required (I think they just thought that the Government would fork over the $’s so why not ask for enough for a really full on trial).

The relocation can be done, it’ll take a bit longer and maybe delay the developers from getting their houses built but so what? Defence screwed up many years ago by fencing in the Roos and so now they have to fix it; and killing the Roos will certainly be quick.

Johnathon: If you want to get video and an interview simply call up ACT animal liberation and ask. I went to the site yesterday and there were 8 cars there as well as the security guards.

Get a couple of those A10 tank busters and hit them with 20mm cannons give Canberra a cence of down town Baghdad

minime2 said :

Oh, that doesn’t mean that protesters are gay. Necessarily. But maybe some of ‘them’ could hold and hug a kanga during the shooting…. 🙂

I don’t know about gay as in homosexual but those protesters are definitely gay as in lame, pathetic, hopeless.

I went looking for the protesters yesterday to take some footage and get a statement from their spokesperson on video.

When I got out to Lawson/Kaleen all I could find was two cars parked behind the gate on the access road with private security personnel. If anyone is driving past and notices them there can you let me know please.

Ian said :

For 400 roos, thats more than $8k each. Or to look at it another way, that amount pays for something like 35,000 hours of work, or 20 people doing nothing but kangaroo location for a year. If these costs are true, Defence needs to sharpen its pencil and come up with a more reasonable proposal.

According to someone there are almost 600 roos.
So $3.5 million is about $5800/kangaroo (assuming there are a few more through natural increase by the time it gets done).
Lets say it costs at most, $150/hr, as herding kangaroos into a holding pen or truck can’t be rocket surgery (*).
Thats still almost 38 manhours of involvement PER KANGAROO from start to finish.

As in they find a single kangaroo at one end, chase it into the back of a truck\limo, sedate it, travel to their drop off site, wait for it to wake up, check that its okay, let it scamper off into the grassland, drive back to Belconnen, AND IT TAKES THEM ALL WEEK.

If by any chance, the price of killing a kangaroo is a saner say, $50/hour, it then takes them about three (3) weeks to dispose of a single kangaroo.
I imagine being a herd animal, you can probably get more than one into a truck at a time, so the translocators can go down the coast for an extra week.

(*) (my calculations based on the link assume $0.94 Au:US, a 40 hour work week, and use pretax dollars)

Oh, that doesn’t mean that protesters are gay. Necessarily. But maybe some of ‘them’ could hold and hug a kanga during the shooting…. 🙂

Surely we have all thought along the lines: military … kangaroo shoot … marksmen… sell tickets … would like to see the shooters come in by helicopter just to piss of the protesters. [not that protesting is a bad thing]. Similar (“not that its a bad thing”) line in Seinfeld…

Tell you what someone. I’ll go you halves.

Pay us the $3.5 million. I’ll shoot them for a couple of hundred dollars, give $3 MILLION to World Vision and you and I can go to the pub for a drink.

Everyone’s a winner.

They definitely should pay more attention to alternative ways to deal with such problems. Just like RAAF dudes from Katherine… Nuke them all !

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mtch/misc/KathTimes.jpg

Wow, that’s one hell of a relocation cost. I’m going into the roo transportation business. I reckon my trailer would hold half a dozen roos and my cocker spaniel can round ’em up. If anyone’s interested I’m prepared to go halfies if you’ll keep me company on the 60 odd drives I make to the relocation site…I tallied the petrol and its insignificant given the 3.5 mill contract price.

Kill the roos and sell the carcasses to the kangaroo meat industry. Roo meat is delicious and low in fat. Meat is vital in the diet for proper health as well as brain functioning and development.

Kill em all. let God sort them out

The $3.5 million relocation figure ($8,750.00 per ‘roo) is reported by the ABC and The Age.

What an obscene waste of money.

The same amount would easily provide health care or education for 400 children in Africa.

The protesters need to get some perspective.

At the end of the day its not going to matter there will still be more Roos now then there where before colonisation. Just get it over and done with and stop stuffing around.

I heard the cost of relocation quoted at $3.5m. For 400 roos, thats more than $8k each. Are they planning to have them stay at the Hyatt for a few weeks on their way to their new homes? Or to look at it another way, that amount pays for something like 35,000 hours of work, or 20 people doing nothing but kangaroo location for a year. If these costs are true, Defence needs to sharpen its pencil and come up with a more reasonable proposal.

PS – if they stuff around much more, the roos will die of old age.

To fabforty. Please educate yourself regarding the full details of the original planned relocation before coming out with statements such as “somewhere they are still likely to starve in is a waste of time”. They were not all going to one site, there were several individual sites owned by specialised wildlife carers, a total of around 10,000 acres, with ample feed for them, where they would not be over-populated, and where the land would not be allocated for housing, as is expected here in the ACT when the BNTS land is handed over to the ACT Government. The money the ACT Goverment will reap from the sale of blocks on this land would have paid for the re-location of the kangaroos twice over.

I agree with Adza. Just do it.

Listening to stupid people who think it is better to put these unfortunate animals through the stress of relocation to somewhere they are still likely to starve in is a waste of time. We are still in drought. There isn’t enough water or feed for this amount of roos anywhere.

Their arguments are baseless and emotive. They are clearly not worried about the roos. They just don’t want their delicate sensibilities offended by the thought of seeing the lovely fluffy roos shot.

It was federal Government funding that was pulled actually. And I think the Sun Moth and the grasses are going to have a much tougher time of it underneath the concrete the developers will lay down. Everyone knows (or should know) what this is really about, and that’s simply money.

The measure was knocked back in the Budget I reckon.

Gee this is on again, off again.

There’s no fanfare when farmers shoot roos on their properties… just do it already.

The endangered grasses (and what else was it?) could have done without the delay.