RUDDY DUCKS
Help urgently needed
 PLEASE
WRITE A LETTER NOW AND HELP SAVE RUDDY DUCKS
Having just slaughtered thousands more ruddy ducks in a so-called
trial cull, DEFRA, the environment ministry, is poised to attempt to wipe out
virtually the entire UK population of these beautiful birds. Why? Because, after
escaping from a collection imported from North America in the 1940's, the
duck is now well established and flying to Spain to mate with endangered white-headed
ducks who had been hunted to near extinction. The result is an 'impure'
hybrid, which won't be tolerated by top table conservation groups and DEFRA.
The most scandalous outcome of the completed trial, which was carried in Fife,
Anglesey and the Midlands, is that there has been no mention of the immense
suffering that birds have undoubtedly undergone. A previous killing spree -
the rehearsal for this latest three-year cull - resulted in one ruddy duck
being shot 13 times and retrieved from the water still alive; and another taking
two hours to die. Perhaps sensing that there would be popular revolt, no such
data has been made public this time, although DEFRA gave the assurance that
bird welfare would be taken into account.
The original objective of the cull was to assess the feasibility of total eradication.
Three years on, however, it is claimed that the intention was to assess the
feasibility of achieving a 95% reduction - could this already be an admission
of failure?
Apart from the cruelty and the madness of the project - the logistics are overwhelmingly
complicated. Ruddy ducks disperse and dive when under threat and are located
on as many as a 1,000 sites. DEFRA's report acknowledged that 50% of landowners
refused to let marksmen on to their land and so there is now talk of bringing
in draconian measures to gain compulsory access to land - all very reminiscent
of the misery and bloodshed of the foot and mouth disaster.
There have been no previous avian eradication schemes in the
UK or on mainland Europe. The ruddy duck programme will therefore serve as a
pilot study for future attempts to eradicate non-native bird species.
Shamefully, the keenest advocates of this project are the RSPB and the Wildfowl
and Wetlands Trust - the latter body having introduced ruddys, as an 'ornamental
species', in the first place. The cost to the taxpayer of exterminating
the surviving 3,000-plus ruddy ducks is predicted to run into several million
pounds - money that would have been better spent on clearing waterways and
preserving natural habitat.
Animal Aid has fought from the start to defend these hapless birds. We will
be approaching landowners - and to those who previously refused access to government
gunmen, we will be encouraging them to stand firm and will support them in protecting
their ducks. To landowners who are, as yet, undecided we will entreat them to
resist in the interests of sanity and compassion. It's not too late for
landowners who did allow shooting to take place to disassociate themselves from
this mindless scheme.
- Before making a final decision, the government will hear
outside views. Please write to your MP and the Environment Minister to demand
an environmental policy that does not resort to easy scapegoating. Depending
on where you live, addresses are as follows:
Michael Meacher, Minister for the Environment, Department for Environment,
Food & Rural Affairs, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
Ross Finnie, Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, The
Scottish Executive, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG.
Sue Essex, Minister for the Environment, National Assembly for Wales,
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA.
- Please also write to your local paper and suggest
that those who feel strongly should write to their MP and the Environment
Minister.
- Find out more about the ruddy
duck campaign.
- Support Animal Aid campaigns - get
active.
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