Media release – BirdLife Tasmania, 11 July 2021

Tasmanian Golf Courses’ cull of native wildlife ‘indefensible practice’

BirdLife Tasmania today described the ongoing culling of native wildlife – both birds and mammals – on Tasmania’s golf courses as ‘indefensible practices in the 21st century’.

RTI documents show that 22 permits issued to Tasmanian golf courses have resulted in more than 400 Tasmanian native-hens and more than 400 wood duck shot and poisoned. Another 100 Eurasian coot, galahs and masked lapwings have also been shot.

“How can golf courses defend their poisoning and shooting native birds (and mammals) in the 21st century?” Dr Eric Woehler, Convenor of BirdLife Tasmania asked. “These practices may have been acceptable two generations ago, but community attitudes have changed.”

“How many golf course members would maintain their memberships if they knew their club was poisoning and shooting wildlife?”

“Golf courses provide excellent feeding habitat for Tasmanian native hens and wood duck, with plentiful fresh water and extensive grassy areas where they can feed on the vegetation and insects.”

“The birds are there because humans created ideal conditions for them, and the response by golf courses is simply to poison or shoot them – it’s indefensible,” Dr Woehler added.

“These birds are doing no harm, nor are they threatening anyone. How can anyone justify or defend shooting a native hen or a coot?”

The golf courses have been allowed to cull more than 4200 mammals and just under 1000 birds under DPIPWE Crop Protection Permits.

“These permits are for farmers to protect their livelihoods, and shouldn’t be used by golf courses to cull native wildlife looking for food and water during poor conditions.”

“It’s all about aesthetics – and that’s a pretty pathetic excuse for culling native birds,” Dr Woehler concluded.