DISTRICT COUNCIL of PETERBOROUGH

Code Of Practice For The Humane Destruction Of And Little Corellas By Shooting

Adopted:- 6th May 2002 Resolution 43/02

Reviewed : 2/08/04 Res.No. 209/04 Reviewed : 17/10/05 Res.No. 279/05 Reviewed : 15/10/07 Res.No. 212/10 Reviewed : 17/08/15 Res.No : 96/15 Reviewed : 18/04/17 Res.No : 30/17

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DISTRICT COUNCIL of PETERBOROUGH

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE HUMANE DESTRUCTION OF GALAHS AND LITTLE CORELLAS BY SHOOTING

INTRODUCTION This Code of Practice sets a standard of humane conduct for persons involved in the destruction of galahs ( rosiecapilla) and little corellas (Cacatua sanguinea) by shooting.

The Code applies to shooting undertaken in a built up area or a metropolitan area.

It has been produced to ensure that all persons involved in the destruction of galahs and/or little corellas by shooting are aware of the welfare aspects and legislative requirements involved in this activity.

When shooting, a principal objective must be to achieve rapid loss of consciousness and death of the or involved. Shooting as a mechanism of killing will inevitably result in some birds failing to be killed outright, necessitating rapid and appropriate action as outlined in this Code to ensure that these birds are dispatched as soon as possible.

BACKGROUND Shooting is one technique used to destroy an individual bird or scare a flock of birds. Any other method such as trap and destroy, drugging or poisoning requires specific approval under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

LEGISLATION The and little are unprotected under the provisions of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and Regulations and the Prevention of Cruelty to Act 1985 and Regulations.

The shooter must be licensed under the provisions of the Firearms Act 1977 and comply with the provisions of that Act.

A hunting permit and written permission from the landowner is normally required by a person hunting (shooting) galahs or little corellas. Where shooters are acting on behalf of the owner of any land, a hunting permit is not required when hunting on that land. Shooters acting on behalf of a Corporation or local Council do not require hunting permits where the activity is authorised by, and confined to, the Corporation or Council area.

A shooter intending to use firearms in a built up area should notify their local Police Station.

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Section 51(1) of the Summary Offences Act 1953 states that ..

“a person who discharges a firearm or throws a stone or other missile, without reasonable cause and so as to injure, annoy or frighten, or be likely to injure, annoy or frighten, any person or so as to damage, or be likely to damage, any property, is guilty of an offence.”

PUBLIC RISK Center fire rifles or rim fire rifles may present a serious risk to other members of the public when firing at an individual bird or flocks of birds without regard to the background. These firearms must not be used in a built up area.

Any shooting activity must be planned and undertaken in a manner that avoids the possibility of injury to the public.

FIREARMS Persons involved in the shooting of galahs and little corellas pursuant to this Code must :-

 use only a 12 Gauge shotgun  use a high velocity 23/4” cartridge with a field load of 32 grams (1 1/8”oz) of shot. Shot size No 4 is recommended. Shot size smaller than No. 4 (e.g. No. 6 or No. 8) must not be used.  use an appropriate choke pattern for a given situation to ensure that a dense pattern of shot is delivered to maximize the chance of the targeted bird being killed outright.

SHOOTING PLATFORM The shooter must adequately prepare for the shot by ensuring stable footing and clear vision of the targeted birds.

Galahs and little corellas must not be shot from a moving vehicle or other moving platform.

TARGET ANIMALS FOR DESTRUCTION The target bird must be clearly visible to the shooter.

Only one bird must be targeted at any one time. Flock shooting (shooting birds in flocks) is not accepted practice.

The shooter must ensure that the background to the target area is free of property or persons to eliminate any risk of collateral damage from spent shot.

POINT OF AIM The shooter must aim to hit the center of mass of each target bird.

Shooting target birds that are at a range greater than 35 metres must not be attempted.

INJURED BIRDS No matter how carefully the shooter aims, some will not be killed outright. Wounded birds must be dispatched as quickly and humanely as possible.

Under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1985, a person ill-treats an animal if that person :-

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 having injured an animal fails to take reasonable steps to alleviate any pain suffered by the animal: or

 kills the animal in a manner which causes the animal unnecessary pain.

The shooter must take all reasonable steps to ensure that each bird is dead before another is targeted.

The shooter must ensure, prior to shooting, that he has the necessary equipment to kill any bird, which is injured but not killed on the first shot.

Wounded birds must be killed without delay, using a method that will cause rapid and humane death. This may be done with a shot to the brain, or a blow with a heavy instrument to the rear of the skull to destroy the brain. In the latter method the bird must be either restrained or immobile.

OTHER CONDITIONS The shooter must consider the sensibilities of any onlookers. Often humane methods of killing are aesthetically disturbing. Onlookers should be discouraged whenever possible.

TIMING OF SHOOTING Shooting should only take place during daylight hours.

If possible, shooting should be avoided at times when birds are nesting.

DISPOSAL OF CULLED BIRDS Killed birds must be gathered immediately and stored out of sight in an appropriate container for later disposal. Dead birds must be finally disposed of by burial in an approved waste disposal depot or other authorized location.

HUMAN HEALTH ISSUES The transmission of avian diseases to humans is possible from the inhalation of dust particles. Shooters should wear appropriate protective clothing and face-masks.

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