from Rosemary Lowe:
“At the NM Game Commission hearing on August 27th, Opponents of increased mountain lion and bear killing outnumbered the hunters, trappers, ranchers, at least 4 to 1. Yet, while some of the environmental/animal groups were allowed to speak, many of us individual citizens were not. It was obvious to many that the commission was changing the rules to fit their biased needs. Not only are numerous ranchers & hunters on this commission, but there are 2 Safari Club International members as well.
“Anyone surprised that the “vote” was unanimous in favor of more killing?
“We cannot help wildlife by changing these game department’s names, or funding structure, or by continuing to accept their barbaric “game management policies” as something worthy of support.
“Game agencies were started in the early 1900’s. Aldo Leopold (a long-time wolf killer), literally wrote the textbook on game management. Yes, he was “sorry” for killing one wolf too many, but he was responsible for the atrocious model of today’s “modern game management” which views wild animals as “commodities and resources.”
“Terms such as “harvest” and “game quotas” are designed to artificially maintain wild species for trophy/trapping–-keeping just enough of them for human exploitation/killing.
“The NM Game Dept comes up with pseudo-statistics to rationalize their use of wildlife. Some so-called wildlife groups are collaborating with the enemies of wildlife – the hunting, trapping and livestock industries– to establish a so-called sustainable level of wildlife killing. The wildlife of New Mexico have enough to contend with, without wildlife organizations joining the killing machine.
“The World Wildlife Living Planet Report says: “Populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles measured for the report have declined by 52 per cent since 1970; and freshwater species have suffered a 76 per cent decline – an average loss almost double that of land and marine species.”
“We are developing a campaign against trophy hunting, and the state game departments which support it, on our EARTH for Animals website.” Sourced through Scoop.it from: exposingthebiggame.wordpress.com
GR: Continuing to follow the old ways even after more than half of all the animals are gone is probably ignorance rather than some sort of animal hatred.
