THE GOVERNMENT ‘EGG RORT’

The NSW Greens are a step closer to ending what they’ve labelled the “egg rort”, after their bill setting a standard definition for free-range eggs passed the state’s upper house.

The truth in labelling bill passed through the Legislative Council today without going to a vote, despite the government earlier saying it would not support the changes.

The legislation, which was amended by Labor, sets a free-range stocking density of 1500 birds per hectare.

Industry  Egg Corporation body wants a ratio of 20,000 birds per hectare.

The bill will now go to the lower house, with Greens MP John Kaye promising a “massive campaign” to persuade the Liberal and National parties to back the free-range standards.

“Premier Barry O’Farrell needs to stand up to the Egg Corporation and the industrial caged egg producers to stop them increasing free-range stocking densities to a massive 20,000 birds per hectare,” Dr Kaye said.

“If this legislation makes it through the lower house, egg consumers in NSW will have confidence that when they pay more for a free range egg, they’re really getting an egg that came from a chicken that lived a decent life.

“Ending the egg rorts, stopping the 16 per cent of eggs that are labelled as free range but really come from a caged hen, is not only about protecting consumers and chickens, it’s also about protecting small free range farmers who are struggling to survive in the face of unfair competition.”

AAP

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

More than 2000 birds have died on Macquarie Island since the federal government began a scheme to cull rabbits, cats, rats and mice.

The Federal Environment Department’s heritage and wildlife division told a Senate estimates hearing today that 2190 birds had died since the eradication program began last year.

Department officials said the birds had died after feeding off the corpses of poisoned animals and not from eating the pellets themselves.

Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz asked if the 110 dead ducks had fed off corpses or whether it was more likely they had fed off the 305 tonnes of poison bait on the island, which lies between Tasmania and Antarctica in the Southern Ocean.

An assistant secretary for the division Theo Hooy agreed the ducks would not have fed off corpses.

“I can’t confirm whether or not that the ingestion by the ducks had been anticipated,” he said.

“I do know that there was concern about ingestion of bait by albatross chicks.”

However, Senator Abetz said no albatrosses were listed among the 2190 deaths.

“This is a complete debacle which just goes from bad to worse,” he said after the hearing.

“The collateral damage seems worse than the problem the government was seeking to eradicate.”

The real number of deaths was much higher because while 2190 bird carcasses had been discovered on Macquarie Island more had probably died at sea, Senator Abetz said.

Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings said the pest eradication effort was worthwhile.

“Nobody wants to see wildlife hurt or damaged by programs,” she told reporters in Hobart.

“However, what is Eric Abetz’s alternative? Those same birds were being threatened by destruction of the natural habitat on Macquarie Island because of rabbits grazing.”

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that the bird deaths were inevitable.

“When you do baiting, the fact is you will lose some of the birds you are wanting to protect,” he said.

“But if you don’t do baiting, feral animals like rabbits and rodents will keep wiping everything out.”

On the plus side, rabbit numbers are believed to have dropped from a whopping 150,000 to less than 30 since the program was implemented.

Mr Burke said the impact on fauna were continually monitored, adding he had moved to tighten the program’s regulations in November.

He said up to 24 bird species ultimately stood to benefit from the eradication program.

AAP