After twelve months Minister Matthew Groom has failed to act to stop young children obtaining licences to kill shearwaters

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust said today that the state government has failed to act to stop very young children being issued with licences to kill short-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds) despite being provided with evidence of the problem twelve months ago. The 2016 recreational season for shearwaters commences on 2 April and the licence application period opened on 1 February.

“It has been twelve months since the TCT released information from the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (too big for technol)) showing that two and three year old children had, in recent years, received licences to kill shearwaters but the government has done nothing about it” said TCT Director Peter McGlone.

“Last year the Minister for Environment Matthew Groom said he was concerned that this was occurring but he has failed to act to stop it.”

“Since 1 February 2016 DPIPWE has been receiving applications for this season and more young children have probably been issued with permits to kill shearwaters.”

The TCT has checked the 2016 shearwater recreational licence application form, the DPIPWE web site and the DPIPWE publication ‘Game Tracks 2016’ and there is no mention of any change to prevent young children getting licences.

The TCT has identified two distinct problems that Minister Groom needs to address:

– to prosecute people who apply for a licence under the name of another person; and

– to regulate to set a minimum age limit for people to be eligible to apply for a licence to take shearwaters (currently there is no legal minimum age limit).

The TCT concedes that two and three year olds have probably not been making applications, an older person has applied for a permit under a young relative’s name, presumably to allow them to take more than the allowable number of shearwaters.

“The DPIPWE web site states that it is an offence to make an application for a permit under someone else’s name but it seems like the government does nothing to enforce this rule.

“We expected the government to have prosecuted people who applied last year under the name of a three year old child, but we have heard nothing.

“This year the government should have committed to refuse all suspicious applications, i.e. where the date of birth indicates a very young age, and investigate if an offence has occurred.

“The minister should tell us if permits have been issued this year for two or three year olds? If not, what is the youngest person that has been issued with a permit?”

The second problem involves a larger number of older children, who may be capable of completing an application form, but that the TCT believes are too young to be killing shearwaters.

The information provided by DPIPWE last year showed that from 2011to 2015 there was an average of just under nine children each year aged 5 to 14 years old who received permits for shearwaters. DPIPWE did not give a break-down for each year of age.

“Many Tasmanians may agree with 14 year olds receiving a licence to kill a shearwater but I don’t believe anyone they would agree with a five year old doing so.

“We urge the government to commit to legislating to set minimum age limit for taking shearwaters before the 2017 season and to consult the community about what that age should be.”
Peter McGlone Director Tasmanian Conservation Trust