Matthew Groom has failed 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 recent claims by DPIPWE that two and three year olds did not receive permits last year and that new procedures to vet children nine and under are in place.

The 2016 recreational season for shearwaters commences on 2 April and the licence application period opened on 1 February.

A DPIPWE spokesperson stated exclusively to the Mercury newspaper on 2 March 2016 (‘No kids given bird kill licence, says department’) that no permits were issued last year to two and three year olds (that the report was based on an incorrect data entry) and that applications for children listed as nine years or younger are now referred to the department’s wildlife management branch for assessment of competence.

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 changes to require children aged nine and under to be vetted nor any investigation into two and three year olds receiving permits.

“We are not at all convinced by the vague and incomplete response from DPIPWE, as far as we know nothing has changed since last year and the same number of children aged nine and under are probably receiving permits for this season” said TCT Director Peter McGlone.

“There is something very fishy about how DPIPWE is responding to this very sensitive issue.”

“DPIPWE claim to have investigated this problem and changed their policy regarding assessing applications from young children but has told no one, not even licence applicants, until the TCT issued a media release on 1 March 2016 and only then in response to a question from one newspaper?

“The Minister Matthew Groom should clear the air this week during the sitting of parliament by releasing details of the claimed DPIPWE investigation, the apparent new licence policy and answering key questions.

“Why did DPIPWE decide that ten year olds do not need any checking as to their competence for killing shearwaters but nine year olds do?
“Why has the government chosen to not consult the Tasmanian public on this important policy change?

“Why is there no explanation of how competence is determined for children and why should we believe that any child be refused?

“Why did the government not consider the need to legislate to set a minimum age limit for killing shearwaters?

“DPIPWE claims that no permits were issued last year for two or three year olds, but it does not say how young the youngest people were who received permits? Did four year olds or five year olds receive permits and did this involve adults committing offences by applying under the name of children?

“Why did it take twelve months for DPIPWE to check a few permit applications?

“DPIPWE has admitted that its record keeping on the legality of permits has been flawed for many years, so why should we believe their claim that it only involved a data entry error?

“For us to be convinced the applications from last year should be released for public scrutiny, showing the date of birth of every applicant but redacting the persons name and address?

The information provided by DPIPWE last year showed that (see attached), in addition to a few two and three year olds receiving permits, between 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.

“The TCT urges Minister Groom 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