Author: ABAAdmin1842

Kosciuszko Brumby Traps Sabotaged

  By ,

ABA Media Release – 10 March 2022 The ABA does not support behaviour, nor efforts to deny Brumbies, being trapped by National Parks andWildlife Services (NPWS), a chance to be rehomed to domestic life. The majority of Brumby supporters aresaddened by the high Brumby numbers being removed per the KNP management Plan, but we now have aKNP management plan that will retain a Brumby population of 3,000 in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP). Pictures of dismantled traps posted on social media recently by people will not result in further negation asthey wanted; instead, it just escalates emotive anti-brumby environmentalist’s calls to… Continue reading

ABA response to 4 Corner 21 Feb 2022 Program

  By ,

“The battle over Australia’s brumbies intensifies in a clash of culture, colonialism and conservation” airedby Four Corners late February 2022 contained beautiful scenery and majestic wild Horses, views from sidesof the Brumby debate, but their focus on aggression hijacked the program’s attempt at “balance”. A responsible approach is to lower aggression through calm, rational debate around the SAME TABLE hasresulted in workable solution, such as for New Zealand’s Kaimanawa Heritage Horses management. Victoria’s Deer Control Strategy (VDCS) Vic 2020 long term vision is that: Deer are no longer significantlyimpacting on priority environmental, agricultural and Aboriginal cultural heritage values and public… Continue reading

Introduced species are animals too: why the debate over compassionate conservation is worth having

  By

Wild horses roaming the Snowy Mountains have long been the subject of fierce debate. Some say they’re feral pests destroying Kosciuszko National Park’s fragile native ecosystem. Others argue they’re national icons and an important part of Australia’s colonial heritage. This issue was the subject of last night’s ABC Four Corners episode. But the current debate misses one crucial perspective: that of the wild horses, whose fate is being decided. This is a perfect example of why the new movement of compassionate conservation raises the question of the animals’ interests in debates about conservation. Compassionate conservationists ask whether it’s ethical to… Continue reading

More Calls for Oversight of Australian Research

  By ,

There is growing concern that Australia needs an independent watchdog for academic research. Many other countries have some form of oversight and now even researchers, themselves, are pushing for better standards. Bellow are excerpts from 2 articles in The Converstation. ABA supports this view as research underpinning the management of wild horses needs to be unbiased, rigorous and open to new thinking. Research fraud: the temptation to lie – and the challenges of regulation Most scientists and medical researchers behave ethically. However, in recent years, the number of high-profile scandals in which researchers have been exposed as having falsified their data… Continue reading

The Price of Bad Science

  By

An article by ABC Investigations has thrown a spotlight on a lack of quality control of academic research in Australia. The article focuses on engineering and medical research papers that have been retracted, and a whistleblower who goes under the name of Artemisia Stricta. But the article also points to the lack of a scientific watchdog in Australia and the broader dangers of allowing poor quality and fraudulent research to proliferate. We have seen this impact on Brumby management in Australia as the invasive species mantra has biased research before it even starts and proliferates the belief that Brumbies are… Continue reading