News 
 Local News 
 News 
 General 
 Tourism boycott over roo cull 

Tourism boycott over roo cull

03 Jul, 2009 07:58 AM
An animal welfare group says it will lead an international tourism boycott of Canberra in response to two kangaroo culls being carried out in the ACT.

The National Kangaroo Protection Coalition says it has 33 animal welfare groups with thousands of members who will boycott Canberra in response to the culls of 7000 kangaroos at the Majura training site and 550 at the Canberra Nature Park.

The group's spokesman, Pat O'Brien, said his group planned to circulate information about the culls to fuel anger.

He said he hoped the tourism ban would pressure Canberra's tourism industry to lobby the ACT Government to change its policy.

''We've been talking about it the last couple of days and we think it's one of the options we've got and probably the strongest option we've got to get the ACT Government to stop killing these kangaroos,'' Mr O'Brien said.

He said he could not provide a list of the members in the group due to some of their relationships with the ACT Government.

He said he believed the Canberra culls were based on unproven science and were motivated by an ACT Government ''hatred with kangaroos''.

Tourism Minister Andrew Barr said the boycott was misguided.

''While I respect the right of those concerned with animal welfare to voice their concerns, it is not fair for them to jeopardise the livelihoods of our hard-working and environmentally sustainable ACT tourism operators and the thousands of Canberrans they employ,'' Mr Barr said.

More in today's Canberra Times

Print
Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size

comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Those guys who held the Kanga Banga Sanga BBQ in Belcooen should be called in.
Posted by JT, 3/07/2009 11:05:54 AM
If the kangaroos to be culled were indeed living "natural lives" in a sustainable and sustaining habitat the NKPC would have a case. The NKPC members should leave the city to find some kangaroos living "natural lives" in sustainable populations in less transformed habitats. Then some soul-searching may allow these misguided folks to see that culling is a better option than starvation. Please also spare us from the suggestion that the kangaroos should be relocated at a massive cost, as this would just end up distorting some truly natural kangaroo populations. There is no shortage of Eastern Greys!
Posted by Eric, 3/07/2009 11:10:10 AM
The animal liberationists & kangaroo coalition's scare campaign is not focussed on overseas tourists...it's focussed on local businesses that employ local people in local jobs and certainly NOT on kangaroo welfare...think carefully when & if you donate any money to any cause...you don't know where it will end up or how it will be used...
Posted by dusty, 3/07/2009 11:19:27 AM
The views of the Protection Coalition are infantile. While nobody likes to see animals killed, it is an unfortunate necessity. Starvation and road kill appears to be their preferred outcome. And why does this group single out the ACT for attention? There are in the order of 4 million kangaroos culled across Australia each year and, as we all know, kangaroo meat is sold in most supermarkets and included in many pet foods. The number of kangaroos culled in the ACT is miniscule in comparison. Could it be that this irrelevant, discredited and ridiculous organisation is trying to make a splash in a smaller pond? As for ACT tourism, this pathetic group have no credibility and no influence!!
Posted by Balanced view, 3/07/2009 11:28:22 AM
moon willow - enough said....
Posted by Al, 3/07/2009 11:52:41 AM
I am sure ACT Tourism are shaking in there boots!!!!---NOT. I am happy to run roo spotting tours for tourists. I can take them to multiple locations day or night and show them the roos eating the grass down to the roots.
Posted by huntalot, 3/07/2009 1:21:37 PM
I grew up in Sydney and over 40 years ago remember my father travelling to Canowindra twice a year to stay on a friends property and help with a 'shoot'. Some of the skins were made into mats. This was the only way to keep the numbers down so they could survive on the land along with the cattle, sheep etc. This is better than seeing them dead on the side of the road every morning when driving to work.
Posted by margaret meekin, 3/07/2009 1:22:46 PM
There is even no need for a "formal" boycott. When potential tourists see news of the slaughter ("culls") in international media, they will stay away from Canberra in droves. Seeing kangaroos close-up, in the wild, is one of Canberra's best attractions for overseas tourists, often more appreciated than a visit to Parliament House, museum or galleries and not readily available in Sydney or Melbourne. The species causing most over-population of the Planet is Homo "Sapiens" (?). So why do we not cull ourselves, e.g. by giving swine or some other flu free rein?
Posted by Meta, 3/07/2009 1:42:25 PM
It's unfortunate but the numbers are too big in not enough space with not enough food. So what do the animal libbers want? I haven't heard them complain about killing off rabbits, which are also cute and furry and harmless ... until there's too many for a given area.
Posted by DB, 3/07/2009 2:09:32 PM
What a load of rubbish, it would be worse for tourists to see them splattered all over the road, take a drive down majura drive the evidence is on the side of the road.
Posted by acomment, 3/07/2009 2:12:42 PM
< previous |  1 | 2 | 3  |  next >

post a comment


Screen name  *
Email address  *
Remember me?
Comment  *
 
We invite and encourage our readers to post comments. Comments are moderated and will appear as soon as our editor has approved them. When posting comments you agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.

MOST POPULAR

Yourguide to Your Toyota
Red Hot Deals at Eurobodalla! click now
 
University of Canberra - click here
 
James Bond Happy Hour at Flint - click now
 
 
Click here to read See Canberra online!
 
Ready, Set. Drive!
 
Classifieds
 SEND...
 SAVE...
 SHARE...