Dugongs are large marine mammals that swim about northern Australian waters. Indigenous Australians are allowed to hunt dugongs even though their numbers are probably in serious decline.
There are two criteria that should be applied to the harvest of an animal species: 1. Are the numbers taken sustainable, and 2. Is the method of killing humane?
But these criteria do not apply to the slaughter of native animals under native title legislation in Queensland.
I’ve written on the issue before, but not much since 2008. [1]
There has been a campaign wagged out of Cairns to get this issue on the national agenda and finally tonight there was some reporting of the inhumane slaughter of dugongs in northern Australian waters by the ABC TV 7.30 Report.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3448943.htm
Well done to Sarah Dingle and Lesley Robinson for following up on a story documented by Ruphert Imhoff.
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Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.