Every night in Victoria creatures as harmless as the common wombat are subjected to the vicious cruelty of having their limbs crushed between the jaws of steel traps. After many long hours of pain they then may be legally beaten to death. (Secton:4.2.2 P.O.C.T.A)
How can it be that 67 nations, many far poorer than Australia, like Chile, Gambia and Guyana are able to ban the steel-jawed trap and yet the state of Victoria is supposedly unable to cope without it? No reputable and ethical scientific groups claim traps are needed - only politically driven gov't dept's argue that this is the case.
The rabbit population has been brought under control by the controversial calicivirus, new methods of controlling the fox the feral dog population with abortifacients and analgesic baits are available in addition to shooting and live trapping.
There exists no justification for using steel-jawed traps at any point in history let alone at the end of the twentieth century. The steel-jawed trap is now banned in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Tasmania. Victoria continues to allow the mutilation and slow death of creatures - wallabies, lyrebirds, possums etc - in steel traps in spite of both public outcry and animal welfare condemnation.
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet maintains that the Act permitting the use of steel-jawed traps, `...reflects contemorary standards of animal welfare...'. (letter:17/3/98)
Yes, and so did the treatment of christians in the Roman Colosseum reflect contemporary standards of `welfare' but this does not make it right. The authorities were wrong as our are now in regard to trapping. To inflict extreme levels of pain and distress on any sentient being, irrespective of its species, is wrong in any age. Only the most exceptional circumstances could justify even occasional use of devices like steel-jawed traps. These `circumstances' simply do not exist in Victoria at the closing moments of the twentieth century. All other species have a right to be treated ethically!
WHAT CAN I DO???
CONTACT: ANTI-TRAP COORDINATOR :- c/o Animal Liberation 88a Smith st Collingwood, Melbourne 3066. Ph: 9419 5188; fax: 9419 5100
Request the anti-trap petition - circulate it among your friends and then return to animal Lib
WRITE/FAX TO:
| The Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment Patrick McNamara |
| PO BOX 500 East Melbourne |
| Victoria 3002. |
| FAX: 9637 8920 |
Also to his electoral address at:
| 20 Bridge stm |
| Benalla 3672 |
| 5762 4478 |
Please write also to Premier Jeffery Kennett at the Department of Premier and Cabinet: 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne Vic 3002
(Mr Kennett is a patron of the RSPCA who also want a ban on the steel-jawed trap. Please remind him of this)
SAMPLE LETTER:-
| The Hon. Patrick McNamara |
| Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment |
| PO BOX 500 |
| East Melbourne VIC 3002 |
(date)
Dear Minister,
I am writing to express my concern over the continued legality of steel-jawed traps in Victoria. Steel-Jawed traps cause great suffering and pain to all creatures caught in them. There can be no justification for their use in our society. I call on you to repeal section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that allows the use of these traps in Victoria; to repeal section 4.2.2 that permits the beating of creatures to death and I call upon you to enforce with much greater effort section 9 of the above said ACT.
Yours sincerely,
Name/address
Last updated 17 August 1998
Email: alib_vic@paradigm4.com.au
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