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cin.ournet.co.ukducks.htmOpen ↗
DEFRA, the environment ministry, has just slaughtered
thousands more ruddy ducks in a so-called trial culls and is
now going to try and wipe out the entire UK population (c.
6,000) of these beautiful birds. Why? Because, after
escaping from a collection imported from North America in
the 1940's, the duck is now well established and flying to
Spain to mate with endangered white-headed ducks who had
been hunted to near extinction. The result is an 'impure'
hybrid, which won't be tolerated by top table conservation
groups such as the RSPB and DEFRA. The Ruddy Duck was
imported into the UK from its native North America, by the
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge in the 1930s and
then escaped confinement in the 1950s. The hypocrites at the
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust also want to now slaughter the
UK Ruddy Duck population.
However, instead of campaigning to kill Ruddy Ducks, the
RSPB should be campaigning to prevent Spain and other
European countries from killing (legally) the White-headed
duck. Otherwise, its numbers will still decline.
On the RSPB Website it says "For birds for people for ever"
which is hypocrisy when they want to slaughter a whole
population of ducks because of mistakes they made in the
1930s and 1950s, and because of human hunting. It is also
interesting that the RSPB hide the fact that they support
killing many thousands of ducks on their site, because they
know that most of the public would hate the RSPB if they
knew what they were doing, and the RSPB don't want to lose
their money. Therefore the RSPB hide what that money is
being used for.
Animal Aid has fought this carnage from the outset, both
challenging the programme from a moral standpoint, and also
showing that it is scientifically and logistically deeply
flawed. Ruddy ducks are beautiful birds, as the pictures on
this page (click to enlarge) show.
We want DEFRA to cancel this plan immediately, and let
nature take its course as a hybrid species naturally fills
in the gap created by human meddling, rather than
interfering even more.
Factfile
Ruddy Duck population in the UK: 6000 Ruddy Duck population
worldwide: 650,000 White-headed population world-wide:
10,000 Largest concentration of white-headed ducks: Spain,
c. 2500 ducks. In 1977, there were only 20 white headed
ducks in Spain. Habitat conservation and other (non-killing)
approaches have increased this figure.
Remember that £5 million of taxpayers' money, including
yours, will be financing this cruel killing.
Actions Withdraw all support for the RSPB and the Wildfowl
and Wetlands Trust until the two bodies change their
position and urge the government to do so too.
Go to the Animal Aid Ruddy Duck site for lots of background
and a campaign history. Animal Aid also have an online
petition which you can sign to oppose this mass slaughter.
Phone the RSPB (Royal Society for the PROTECTION of Birds)
ASAP and register your disapproval at their support for this
proposed massacre: Tel. 01767 681577. Note - CIN was not
originally going to campaign on this issue, but after a few
of our members spoke to the RSPB on Wednesday 5 March 2003
they were all so infuriated by the stubbornness of the RSPB,
and its inflexible insistence on killing all these birds
despite the cruelty and hypocrisy involved, that we decided
to cover the issue after all! Or email them at:
[email hidden] Write and object to: Elliot Morley,
DEFRA, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
Also to: Carwyn Jones, Environment Minister, National
Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA.
Comment: As is the case with the RSPCA (Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), it seems that any
organisation with the word 'Royal' in their name does the
opposite of what you'd expect! For example the RSPCA support
killing animals via their 'Freedom Foods' scheme, but
slitting a cow or pig's throat doesn't exactly sound like
they are preventing cruelty... It is the same with the RSPB
- they say that they protect birds, but then support a
slaughter of every Ruddy Duck in the UK!!! Hmm, doublespeak
there... Perhaps next will come the extinction of all
crossbreed dogs because they don't meet Kennel Club breed
specifications...