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Hope in sight for turtles and dugongs!

Hope in sight for turtles and dugongs!

14 March 2012 Have your say

Turtles and dugongs in far north Queensland are in deep water. Their numbers are dwindling and Queensland law is failing to protect them from brutal slaughter. But a recent pledge by the new QLD Liberal National Party Government may mean hope is in sight for these threatened animals.

Campaigning by Animals Australia and colleague groups recently led to two hard-hitting reports on ABC's 7.30. The reports included footage filmed by QLD environmental advocate, Rupert Imhoff, exposing the cruel slaughter of turtles and dugongs for 'traditional' hunting and a black market trade in their meat and body parts.

WARNING: This video contains graphic footage.

These 'traditional' hunts are not only exempt from laws to protect endangered species, but in Queensland are also exempt from laws protecting animals from cruelty — allowing turtles to be carved up whilst still conscious and dugongs to be dragged for many minutes by boat, with their head under water, until they drown.

Sea turtles and dugongs subjected to these cruel hunting methods, along with other animals that are traditionally hunted such as kangaroos and goannas, all feel pain, fear and distress — regardless of who the perpetrator is. Cultures the world over are now acknowledging that tradition is no excuse for cruelty.

Following the 7.30 exposé, the QLD LNP pledged that they would remove the animal cruelty exemptions that leave these animals unprotected by cruelty laws within their first 100 days in office. Indigenous elders have also expressed their support for this proposal.

We will continue to monitor the situation regarding this commitment and will provide more updates here when further developments arise. If you would like to provide encouragement to the LNP for their pledge, and encourage them to fulfill this commitment quickly, you can contact the offices of the following Ministers:

The Hon Campbell Newman, Premier

(07) 3224 4500

The Hon John McVeigh, Minister for Agriculture

(07) 3239 3000

The Hon Andrew Powell, Minister for Environment

(07) 3239 0844

Thank you as always for your overwhelming support for the animals!

Post a commentYour Say: 536 comments

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willeke: outrageous Thursday, 26 April 2012 at 4:29pm

since when did tradition allow immense cruelty,i always thought that the indiginous people respected mother Earth and all the living creatures who are living on it?/

Ivan Hockings: Is there another agenda? Friday, 6 April 2012 at 10:27pm

Something that concerns me is the way the dugong and turtle supporters had originallly begun their campaign by demanding a ban on traditional hunting. They felt that laws to do with wildlife must apply for all Australians with no exceptions. But they watered down their campaign somewhat in Queensland when they realized the LNP was only going to help prevent the cruelty and had no power to stop traditional hunting. The power to change laws to do with traditional hunting can only be done at a Federal Government level. So on rolled the State election and the LNP swept in with a promise to stop the cruelty. Now with the Federal election in thier sites, the dugong/turtle movement quickly shifted up a gear and are once again campaigning for a "moratorium". Yet reading messages by the leaders of the movement on facebook and elsewhere I can't help notice that many of the posts are in fact calling for a "total ban". It is not hard therefore to see that the ultimate agenda of these people is to stop traditional hunting of wildlife forever. They will not be satisfied with mere moratoriums, and in any case, if peer-reviewed scientific data supports a continuation of hunting, we can be certain they will reject it out of hand. Only a total ban will appease them. The Federal Government should be aware that an extreme Animal Rights agenda is actually the guiding force behind the anti-traditional hunting movement, despite occasional assurances to the contrary. I am in favour of ending the cruelty and for imposing limits, but as for a "total ban" I do not see that this is a wise move. It would also smack of hypocrisy, because it will mean that "if all people are equal under the law" then white people must also give up all forms of hunting as well, including the hunting of feral pigs, even cane toads, and the catching of fish. Self-righteous imposition is seldom wise.

Ziggy: Absolutley sickening. Wednesday, 4 April 2012 at 10:25pm

Heartless bastards. I am ashamed that those men are the same species as me.

J. Tan: Killing the turtle in a barbaric and inhumane way is totally unacceptable Tuesday, 3 April 2012 at 10:58pm

Killing the turtle in a barbaric and inhumane way is totally unacceptable. KARMA will enable those hunters responsible to suffer one day just as those poor turtles endured their painful death.

Stefanie Hoefgen: Stop slaughtering sea turtles! Saturday, 31 March 2012 at 12:04pm

We are all aware of the fact that animals have feelings just as humans have.
How can a tradition be of more value than a life?? On top of that the life of turtles and other sea creatures are taken away in a brutal manner which is absolutely unnecessary!!
Please help stop this cruel trade!

Best regards,
Stefanie Hoefgen and Boyan Penev

Lachy: 7.30 story unbalanced Friday, 30 March 2012 at 1:02pm

The 7.30 story was unbalanced, mixed issues, regions and people endlessly into a messy and less than accurate story. I agree that the treatment of that turtle was cruel as is leaving turtles flipped in the sun for days. However I beleive in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander right to hunt and feed themselves from the sea, just as I beleive in my own right. I also beleive that drowning dugong as they are done traditionally is the most humane was to treat them (consider the alternatives of a bullet or decapitation which are presumed the most humane destruction). If you shoot them they may sink, if you cut them in the water it will be a shark delight.

The 7.30 story based all of its criticism on Torres Strait and Islanders, yet not one islander was interviewed. The story said all the rangers employed to support their communities land and sea management are the key hunters, yet not one ranger was interviewed, nor were the views of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) sought, who help coordinate the ranger program. The story also failed to mention that 16 islands have community-based management plans for dugong and turtle to support sustainable management and harvest, monitoring habitats, nesting and foraging populations. Some plans also include animal welfare issues such as limits on tethering and keeping turtles in the shade prior to butcher.

The issue about the mix of regions is that Torres Strait has the largest population of dugong and green turtle in the WORLD. These animals are not at risk of extiction there. The major issues affecting them worldwide are development, habitat distruction, and for green turtles climatic changes at places like Raine Island. Years of aeiral dugong surveys have not detected any signifcant changes in population size, and in fact recent research has shown these have been under-estimates.

Focus on the cruelty angle, because dugong and turtle hunting is here to stay, particularly in areas where populations are strong and their is support to look after them. Indigenous people have a lot more than our community to lose from localised extinctions of dugong and turtle, noted by the moratorium self imposed at Yarrabah. Islanders would probably do the same if they needed.

Hunting is a tradition of Islanders and Aboriginal people. The methods sometimes are very similar to those used before colonisation,whilst others have diverged a lot. To tell people they need to go back to before the days of Capt Cook if they want to hunt is ludicrous and hypocritcal. If the hunting is sustainable, and the best science in the world in Torres Strait has shown it to be over 2-3 decades, then it should continue. Islanders are being painted into a corner by debates about them not hunting traditionally (e.g. dug out canoe etc), when the actual traditions they are maintaining are the ones people are trying to get rid of with the proposed animal welfare law changes (use of wap, drowning dugong by lifting their tail). Traditions change and others should give space for this. Our 'sofisticated' society that live in this 1st world country are responsible for massive swathes of extinction from our farming practices and each of us have large ecolgical footprints. The violence to animals and people in other countries is at arms length as we type into our computers, yet Islander and Aboriginal people don't demand that if we want our traditional agricultural production we need to go back to harvesting without machines etc. This part of this debate has turned so grubby and clearly racist that it is just as sad as the cruelty dealt to that turtle.

Also the suggestion that changing laws will support change on the issue of cruelty and black market trade is simplistic. Legislation and enforcement may work in highly populated areas but has no chance in places like Torres Strait. The only way for change is by working with the very people in these places, with the rangers and the coordinating authorities in the regions. This animal activists strategy to secretly film, plaster all media and blame isldners for the extinciton of turtle and dugong has only resulted in the broader community elliciting racism towards them.

Abi Day: Nightmares Friday, 30 March 2012 at 12:31pm

Years ago I saw a program where a turtle was being roasted alive in the "traditional" way, the suffering of that animal haunts me to this day. There is nothing traditional about cruelty. We all know better than to cause needless suffering to a sentient being. Please put a stop to this needless pain for all animals.

heather cooke: tradition! Friday, 30 March 2012 at 10:07am

This is torture not tradition.

Ann Baylis/Canada: Animal Cruelty Friday, 30 March 2012 at 6:07am

Thank God there are people around who care enough about animals to try and do something about it. I have been so upset about what goes on in abattoirs and the terrible ordeals the livestock go through with the live export that I've become a vegetarian and only buy eggs off of local farmers that I know let their chickens live a normal life. I would have become a vegetarian years ago if I had known what these poor animals go through, I guess I was brought up in an era when cows lived in the fields and chickens ran around the farmyard, no such thing as steroids and all the other crap they feed them now. I think Paul McCartney of the Beatles said it all "If abattoirs had glass walls there would be a lot more vegetarians in this world". I have been unable to watch most of the videos because I get too upset. The last one I watched was about the turtles and dugongs, how can these people live with themselves after inflicting such cruelty? We have cruelty issues in Canada, mainly the seal hunt on the east coast. What is wrong with the human race?????

DH: Great Barrier Reef disgrace Thursday, 29 March 2012 at 8:03pm

Guys this is not about the horror of Turtle and Dugong hunting sorry but is about endangering our marine life. I will post on other sites but as more people come to this one thought I would also make the info available here for more people to see.

Have just received this email from Get Up and I have also attached a second link for some further info if anyone is interested. It is just another example of the money making greed that seems to be consuming so many of Australia's industries. Greed at the cost of everything. I also find it disgraceful and humiliating that a team of investigators where sent from UNESCO to assess just how irresponsible and neglectful this nation has been about its natural wonder and the eco system it provides for so many unique marine life. As the scientist said it is not just a treasure for Australia but is also for the whole of human kind. Just how arrogant are we becoming certainly nothing to be proud of. Not putting this up to get people to donate to Get up just wanting to make people aware of what is going on.

http://www.care2.com/causes/great-barrier-reef-under-threat-video.html

https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/mining/stop-clive-palmer/dont-let-clive-get-his-way?t=dXNlcmlkPTY2MDEzMCxlbWFpbGlkPTY0OQ==

Heather Stone: TURTLE SLAUGHTER Wednesday, 28 March 2012 at 7:39pm

Please campaign againsit this terrible practise. We need to stoo it now, does anyone know the best way to do this?

boyd: stop cruelty Sunday, 25 March 2012 at 5:25pm

Australia is sinking to new lows on land we are doing our best to wipe out the poor old kangaroo , and now in the the water turtles and dugongs , and to kill these animals in the most barbaric way . All this is happening while our pollitians sit back and do nothing except give themselves BIG PAY RISES .

Asher Bowen-Saunders: This is not tradition! Sunday, 25 March 2012 at 12:09pm

Just because this WAS a traditional practice, it does not mean it is one so valuable that it needs to be kept. Traditions and rituals are lost in history and that is just the way of the human race. The inhumanity of this "tradition" outweighs the sentimentality it has to its people. You can see in the video that these men are not appreciating these creatures for what they are, only treating it as sport, showing no remorse for their actions. Traditions are created by a generation of people who establish a way to pay respects to a cause or believe that is meaningful to their culture. Well we are just another generation, just like them, and the cause to prolong and protect these animals' existence IS meaningful. Lets start a tradition of our own.

Glenville J Owen: Practice Love, not harm Sunday, 25 March 2012 at 8:47am

'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you', applies equally to our fellow creatures who share this planet with us also. Being kind costs nothing but the rewards for practicing kindness are great.

boyd: stop cruelty Sunday, 25 March 2012 at 8:37am

I hope this new queensland government can can show more care and responsibilty to our native animals marine and land and the enviroment .

Sally Selwood: Governments - Wake Up Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 10:47pm

As many others have stated, this is just not acceptable in any way, whichever way you spin it.
When will our governments listen to real Australians who are opposed to this behavior and want our native creatures to be protected at all costs before it is too late.
It makes Australia look hypocritical before the world. What moral ground have we got to tell the Japanese off about their whaling campaign.

Australia is a first world nation and needs to act as such.
Traditional rights just does not cut it and the persons at fault should stop hiding behind this "traditional rights" stuff as an excuse.
I am totally opposed to any form of hunting of any of these endangered and magnificent creatures.

I am sure most Australians think the same way.
Thanks to Animal Australia for making us more aware of what is going on.

It is about time governments started to legislate against such cruelty and issues concerning the Electorate that put them in office.

Debbi Curran: Since when has animal brutality and suffering been acceptable??? Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 4:45pm

I fully understand the need for tribal people to hunt for food - I understand the animal hunted is then used in its entirity. The animal DOES NOT SUFFER UNDUELY, the meat feeds the people, the skin ... everything is then used with nothing wasted. This barbaric senseless disgusting cutting off flippers of a live turtle and only the flippers are taken leaving the animal to slowly and painfully languish until death finally ends its unnecessary suffering. What era do we live in??? this is not the dark ages and these animals are beautiful innocent creatures that do not deserve this atrocity!!! STOP NOW!!!

Jacqueline Long: Traditional hunting of turtles and dugongs Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 8:08am

I condem these actions of just a few of our original owners and hope some of the more compassionate aboriginal people will join in pointing a more humane way of behaving. We all need to reaccess our actions sometimes. Lerts hope the law will help to enlighten and change the way of this traditional hunting.

Linda: This is not right Friday, 23 March 2012 at 5:01pm

Agree this is not traditional, bet they had a beer and a smoke with the BBQ. The recent land rights decision for North Stradbroke Island allows this to happen and that was approved only last year.

eardley ross-adjie: TURTLE HUNTING ! Friday, 23 March 2012 at 2:34pm

I viewed some of the program about hunting Turtles but switched off when the cruelty became too horrible to continue watching. The dear animal was turned on its back and was totally defenseless. I could not bear to see the dear animal in such a defenseles position. The look on its face was enough to elicit sympathy ! How do these people do it ? I would like to see these mongrels in the same position, and then tortured. I plead with these people, please do not continue with this barbaric form of hunting dear defenseless animals, who mean no harm to us human beings. If the "Tradional" excuse is used, that is "bullshit", we all live in a civilised country where this sort of " tradition" is out, gone, abandoned many years ago !
So please ! no more of this cruelty all of God's dear creatures, wherever they live in the air, on the ground, under the ground, in the waters, wherever ! PLEASE help bring it all to a speedy end AMEN !

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