Stop The Magpie Culling

Dear decision maker,

We the undersigned feel strongly about the law of magpie culling included under the wildlife and countryside act 1981, which states "Certain pest birds can be killed on public health grounds, to prevent damage to livestock or to protect threatened wildlife".

The trapping and culling of theses birds is unnecessary. There is no excuse that will stand; for one, the protection of song birds; because research done showed that there was no link between rising magpie and sparrowhalk numbers and the decline of songbirds.

The following id proof that alternatives work and that the methods used today are cruel and unnecessary, and often do not work.

Magpies serve a very important purpose in nature, and whether farmers realize it, they are extremely important to their livestock. Magpies consume large amounts of ticks gleaned from the bodies of sheep, cows and other farm animals, WITHOUT, harming the animals themselves. Without the magpies playing this important role, animals would become infested and farmers would be paying hundreds and thousands in expense of tick repellent and treatment for their livestock. Magpies also clean up road kill and the remains of others animals %u201Ckill%u201D and %u201Ccatch%u201D this being an extremely common occurrence, and easier for magpies to obtain food this way, it is becoming less and less likely for them to kill sheep, lambs and other birds less and less.

However I do realize that magpies numbers may need controlled in some circumstances but there are humane alternatives in which to do this. Here are some examples-

Maremma Dogs- Maremma dogs are widely used in Europe and by farmers in Australia to guard flocks of sheep. They will scare the magpies away without harming them.

Bird Scarers- Bird Blasters and Buffers such as this is a humane way to scare birds away without harming them- The Bird Guard Mega Blaster PRO includes a 20-speaker tower, built-in 200 watt amplifier and is powered with a 40 watt solar panel and deep cycle battery. The device generates intermittent distress calls to create a %u201Cdanger zone%u201D that frighten birds away

Another example- The Bird Buffer Q2 controls flying birds in open spaces, indoors and outdoors, with a nearly invisible haze of safe and humane Fog Force bird repellent. Bird Buffers are programmable, electronic aerosol generator that repels flying birds by producing a nearly invisible repellent haze. Birds that fly through the haze soon associate the location with the repellent%u2019s effect and leave the area for good. Bird Buffers are quiet, safe and extremely efficient, using very little repellent to cover huge open areas. Included timers allow for unattended operation at times of peak bird activity. 

The methods currently being used are cruel and inhumane, causing unnecessary pain and death to magpies.

Larsen Traps- Theses traps simple cause a vacuum for magpies, magpies breed faster than these traps work. They also create pain to the bird used as a decoy.

Shooting- This is a vile was of controlling magpies, it is murder. No animal deserves to be murdered for the sake of them being labeled %u201Cpests%u201D.

Like many birds when magpies feel they are in danger of being killed or see other magpies dead or being killed they will increase there breeding rate. This would not happen if the alternatives mentioned above were used and the alternatives used today were banned.

Killing magpies may be legal, but that does not make it ethical or right! Magpies just as any other bird are part of nature%u2019s web. You should not kill them for the same reason as you would not kill a robin or a sparrow. Now that you know and see before your eyes the successful humane alternatives and the number of people in support of them and opposing the cruel method used today, I urge you, with the support of the undersigned, to stop the culling! Culling is killing, and killing is murder!

I had set the goal of this petition for 1,000 signatures, and succeeded in rising above this goal, by reaching 1,058. I would have gathered more signatures if I had have left this petition open. This petition goal and the comments left by people, of which I urge you to read, are proof that people oppose the cruelty that you allow. Please turn to cruelty free humane alternatives today!

If we are humane shouldn%u2019t we act humane?!?!?!

Thank you for your time and regards to our concern.

Sincerely,

Soodle Burke, The Second Magpie (sponsored) and The Undersigned.