Reply With Quote"The money gained will be used for infrastructure and other worthy projects."
From todays Courier Mail.
Cheers
Derek
Hunters want to target collectors
Jason Gregory
10jan05
ENDANGERED Australian species could be sold overseas to animal parks and private collectors under a proposal to commercialise traditional indigenous hunting.
North Queensland Lands Council chairman Terry O'Shane said licences allowing select members of tribal groups to harvest the flora and fauna in native title areas, National Parks and unprotected areas within traditional boundaries throughout the state would lead to improved living conditions for Aboriginal communities.
The creatures sold would be those normally targeted by smugglers cashing in on the underground demand for illegal species.
For example, the eggs of black cockatoos would be taken from nests after an order had been made, registered with a checking authority and incubated in universities or zoos.
When the birds were hatched they would then be sent to the overseas client.
Anything from cockatoos to numbats, frilled-neck lizards and rare snakes would be fair game under the proposal.
Stones, ochre, meat, bone, feathers, teeth, skins, trunks, branches, fruit and flowers would also be allowable under the plan.
"Care for country is paramount and it will only happen when it is rigorously proven the removal will not affect sustainability," Mr O'Shane said yesterday.
Mr O'Shane, who is also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission regional council chairman, said allowing the harvesting would help indigenous communities struggling below the poverty line.
"Some of these birds, in particular, and other species are worth thousands and thousands of dollars," he said.
"The money gained will be used for infrastructure and other worthy projects."
Mr O'Shane also said he did not believe the system would legitimise smuggling operations and, if all orders and removals were registered, it would be difficult for unauthorised people to get the items through Customs.
Traditional owners have enterprise agreements under most Native Title and land-use agreements to hunt native species, including some endangered species.
For the plan to proceed, clauses forbidding the use of endangered species for commercial profit would need to be amended.
A Native Title Tribunal spokesman said that, in theory, any change in land-use agreements would be negotiated between local indigenous groups and state governments.
A Queensland government spokesman said no specific comment could be made on the proposal until after interested parties had met. Traditional hunting of dugongs and turtles was limited late last year to four months of the year in some parts of the state after a report found the cultural icons were being hunted into extinction.
"The money gained will be used for infrastructure and other worthy projects."
Ok simple solution to this 'dilema'. Indiginous australians should be allowed the same fishing rights as non indiginous Australians. ie they are allowed to take there tiny out to the pin wearing clothes and catch keep up to 5 flathead per person between the lengths of 40 and 70cms and store it in the refrigerator when they get home. They can catch these fish however they deem fit (With a fishing rod or with a traditional hand spear). In addition they should be able to hunt and take using traditional methods only from a selected list of non endagered and non threatened group of animals again with size and bag limits applying. So not to waist any of the resource it can be stored using modern technology. Oh and wearing clothes should be allowed because its stupid to make someone choose between practicing there culture and being humiliated.
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