Economy
‘Discover the North East …’
This is an advertising program based on Tasmanian regions and run on the WIN network.
One part of the advert features a business that does not appear to be supporting the clean or green brand that Tasmanian Tourism is built on …
Now and again pest management is needed, as certain insect or rodent populations go out of balance in the disturbed ecosystems we have created by simplification of our residences and businesses, our living environment.
However, the examples of pests shown seem to lack an understanding of the inter-relationships between the pest and the prey and between plants and livestock and human animals.
To show a spider as a pest seems to forget that spiders eat [and are eaten] consuming insects, including flies, without the need for intervention by humans to control these insects.
Some spiders are venomous if one is bitten, but I don’t know of any in Tasmania that build webs, like that shown in the ad, and are a threat to the life of large animals [livestock or humans].
But to show what appear to be bees, an essential pollinator, in a second slide would indicate a degree of ignorance …
Was the North East quarantined from the news about global honey bee decline and the potential impact on crops? Did they not know how important pollinators for agricultural crops bees are, even if bee decline did not exist?
Do the makers of the ad live in a news free vacuum?.
I am willing to admit that the image shown may not be honey bees [Apis mellifera], although all bees play an important role in providing natural services, but in the short clip they appeared to be that key pollinator and producer of a delicious and beneficial nectar.
Firing people’s fears of insects, or anything else, seems to negate the message of David Attenborough [aka Atten-bro] about the interconnectedness of and supporting structure nature provides. It would also seem to fly in the face of the respect for life inherent in most religions.
I hope the ad will be reworked to show actual pests rather than a confusing message of fear about nature.
*phill Parsons has met the arachnophobe and also those allergic to insect bites and hopes they can overcome their fears. He has shared his house with spiders, skinks, the not so welcome rat and the more welcome bat. No fly survived for long inside and mosquitoes have found life difficult. Outside he has enjoyed the song of insect eating birds and of bird eating birds too. Sometimes he is nostalgic for that life, although he is not yet completely removed from it, the denatured hollow place, empty of real experience, the place where advertisers reside and from whence discoverers of the North east emanate.