MEDIA STATEMENT: 7th MAY 2020

DECISION TO ALLOW HUNTERS BACK INTO STATE FORESTS FROM FRIDAY SLAMMED BY ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY MP

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst has slammed the NSW Minister for Agriculture’s decision to allow hunters to recommence animal slaughter in State Forests. The Minister announced yesterday that NSW State Forests would not only be open for hunting from Friday, but that hunters will have their licenses extended by an extra four weeks free of charge.

Please see statement below from Emma Hurst MLC:

While millions of Australians remain out of work, and businesses are collapsing and desperate for a reprieve from COVID-19 restrictions, the Agriculture Minister has decided that the priority area for an ease on restrictions is the bloodlust-filled coward’s past time activity of hunting. In light of the current pandemic and ongoing bushfire recovery operations, this barbaric decision is both short-sighted and extremely dangerous.

With strict restrictions still in place to protect our communities from COVID-19, it makes no sense to allow people back into our State Forests to stalk, shoot, slaughter and gut defenceless animals. Given experts believe that the coronavirus originated from the wildlife trade, the Minister’s decision to re-open our own backyard slaughter and consumption of wildlife should not be a priority.

Very few people accept the violent pastime of killing  animals, and the Minister should be forced to explain why a hunting minority group have been given priority for eased restrictions. 

Following the summer bushfires – which burned 5.5 million hectares of NSW land and left over a billion wild animals dead – what NSW needs is an urgent moratorium on all activities putting wild animals at risk, not more killing. Wildlife carers are still working day and night to rehabilitate and release animals injured in the bushfires. This decision means that all their hard work could be undone by a single bullet.

The Government should be protecting animals and the health of our communities by ending wildlife slaughter, not encouraging it to go ahead.

MEDIA CONTACT: ROSINA RAYNS, 0401 991 792