Poaching Shearwaters

A Case Study of Government Inaction - Poaching on Bruny Island, March 2005

A woman and her sister, who visited Tasmania from Sydney in March 2005, have contacted AACT about an incident that happened at the penguin and short-tailed shearwater rookery on Bruny Island. What follows are her words about what occurred there:

My sister and I from Sydney went to Bruny for the sole purpose of viewing the penguins. We were only on the island for one night so made our way down to the neck to view the penguins. It would have been around 09:00ish that we arrived. Around 10:00pm we had heard voices coming from further up the boardwalk. We being "Tourists" naturally presumed other people were there to view the penguins, this was not to be the case. A bit uneasy about the voices we could hear but could not see, we deceided to leave.

Upon making our way back up we came across an extremley intoxicated man, who greeted us and then followed with the next line "Have you young ladies every tried mutton bird it's delicious", I being the nature lover replied "No, aren't the shearwaters protected?". "No No they're just muttonbirds"

Becoming extremley uncomfortable by this man capable of walking but carrying a sharp ended walking stick (or so it appeared at the time). We made our way quickly to the car, but parked near our car was theirs. It contained another two men, one trying to conceal something in the boot. Then I heard the other voices which were coming from the dunes themselves, I shone the torch I had on the dunes and higlighted a man who was in the dunes. It was extremely obvious now what was going on, he had his
arm down a burrow, I heard another voice and spotlighted another man in the dunes who had a hesian sack and was placing the shearwater he had just stabbed with the walking stick into the bag, all up there were five men.

The word horrified wouldn't do any justice to the sickening feeling that came over me. Because of me discovering what was going on the man near our car yelled out to the others I'm over this lets go, but it appeared the others just ignored him.
My sister and I becoming extremley uneasy, got in the car. I was not able to see the license plate so we drove past again in order to get it.

I contacted many many wildlife groups, National Parks and even Judy Jackson. Continuosly the matter was ignored, I had also provided them with the license plate, make, model and colour of the vehicle involved. I had by this time made contact with a lady on Bruny who operates a wildlife conservation tours who personally knew the local Bruny Ranger, and the Ranger in his own words had told her that his superior had told him to treat the issue as low priority.

I then wrote to his superior who basically said that the community on Bruny Island is small and I should basically avoid causing trouble for the local ranger and it being a small community word gets around and I should back off. From which direction I was not now sure what to take because every time I emailed Judy Jackson she would refer my emails back to this Senior Ranger of NPWS.

At this point the woman contacted AACT in late November 2005.

Killing of short-tailed shearwater chicks is illegal outside of the two week season, and always illegal on Bruny Island. The government, and its servants, must enforce their own laws. There is no room for small-town sentiment.

If you see what you suspect is illegal killing of shearwaters, or any wildlife, please report it immediately to a Parks & Wildlife Ranger or a DPIPWE Wildlife Ranger. Please also let us know so that we can follow up on reports and ensure that action is taken.