In a move sure to worry passive recreational forest users, State Forests NSW and the Game Council have pushed through hunting area declarations for many of our local forests. Benandarah, Bodalla, Boyne, Buckenbowra, Clyde, Dampier, Mogo, Moruya, Shallow Crossing and Wandella State Forests are all on the recently advertised list of forests which will soon see amateur hunters out prowling the forests and killing animals for fun.

A woefully inadequate consultation process, which involved the sending of form letters to some of the Forests NSW neighbours is all that has been used to justify turning our forests into dangerous places. The published results of that supposed consultation indicated that the majority of respondents did not support the introduction of recreational hunting and yet Forests NSW and the Game Council have gone ahead with their dangerous plans.

Coastwatchers spokesman, Martyn Phillips is concerned about the lack of consultation. "The first knowledge most members of the public will have is when they encounter the signs in the forests notifying the declarations of the hunting areas" he said.

"Forest users will not even know when or where hunters will be in the forest until they encounter the hunters or their bullets, arrows or savage hunting dogs."

No detailed research into feral animal populations has been used to justify the hunting area declarations. And no local data is available to support this form of hunting as an effective feral animal control tool. Even the Minister's office acknowledges that this amateur recreational killing of animals is not going to control the feral animals.

Coastwatchers supports the responsible moves by landholders and agencies to control feral animals but this dangerous opening of our forests to amateur hunters is a bad policy.

Farmers, landholders, forest neighbours, rural residents, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, experienced Departmental animal ecologists and pest animal authorities don't support recreational hunting as an effective way of controlling feral animals. "What is needed before we set the hunters loose in the forests is some scientific monitoring of feral animal populations and data of their impact on biodiversity. Maybe then we might be able to develop an effective strategy for feral animal control." Martyn Phillips commented.

Bushwalkers, hikers, cyclists, horseriders and campers will be put at risk by the hunters in the forests and any positive benefits for our community have yet to be explained. Coastwatchers encourages you to contact the office of the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian MacDonald to have this madness stopped. Your continued safe enjoyment of the forest is very much at risk.