Press Release
Duck Discrimination or "Racism".
Is Duck Hunting only for people with a darker skin tone?
Recently a campaign has been instituted by radical extremists
who have gained power within the normally benevolent RSPCA to ban the
tradition of seasonal self controlled Duck Hunting. Even on land or swamps
that have been maintained, bought and paid for by the Duck Hunters themselves.
The extremists are ignoring all relevant logical details, such as that unless
the ducks are culled and put to good use (eaten) that farmers would
increasingly be forced to resort to baiting and netting, which is unspecific
and totally wasteful of the resource.
It is an established principle of Australian/English Law that
every person in the nation is equal under the same Law. As the High Court made
the decision in the famous Yanner v Eaton Case where a person who claimed
descent from the people who used to inhabit parts of Australia prior to
Captain Cooks claim for the Crown, had a traditional right to hunt and to the
ownership of what he hunted, which then naturally gave him the right to eat
what he had succeeded to hunt. If this is the Law for one man it has to be the
law for all men. Either all men have a traditional right to hunt or they all
don’t. No matter what colour their skin is or the colour of the skin of their
Great Grandfathers. Black or White, all our ancestors had to hunt to survive
200 years ago or 3000 years ago.
Duck Hunting or any type of Hunting is a pursuit which is as
old as men have walked this earth, it is not a tradition for some and not for
others, as all our ancestors took part in this pursuit or starved themselves
into extinction.
The Hunting of feral animals has been established in Common
Law for centuries and this legal precedent was referred to in the Yanner High
Court Decision, by Lord Westbury in Blades v Higgs,
".........when it is said by writers on the Common Law of
England that there is a qualified or special right of property in game, that
is in animals Ferae Naturae which are fit for food of man, whilst they
continue in their wild state, I apprehend that the word ‘property’ can mean no
more than the exclusive right to catch, kill and appropriate such animals
which is sometimes called by law a reduction of them into
possession."
Our Association believes that all Australians are equal before
the Law irrespective of their skin colour and regardless of who their great
grandfathers were. This famous High Court decision enshrining Australians
right to hunt and eat game must stand for all Australians or none of them. If
just one Australian of a pale skin colour is charges under the RSPCA proposed
legislation, and the High Courts Yanner judgement is not applied by the
Magistrate in an equal manner, then a formal complaint will be issued to the
Anti Discrimination Commission that the defendant is being vilified by racists
who seek to discriminate between hunters on the grounds of skin
colour.
Executive of FOAA
For Further
Comment
Ron Owen National President 0754 824099
0754 825070
Ian Mc Niven Vice National President
0754 467540
