Extraordinarily heavy rain across much of Australia’s east coast has created widespread flooding and ongoing devastation for communities in Queensland and New South Wales and as waters recede and rescue and clean-up teams go to work, the impact of the floods is shocking to see. A number of SSAA facilities and offices have been affected as a part of this widespread natural disaster and our thoughts are with those members and their communities.
As regions regenerate, the local ecosystem will likely bounce back with intensity and this will inevitably include non-desirable fauna which will require management, meaning for landowners this will add to their already heavy workload. Resources such as the SSAA’s Farmer Assist program were developed to provide landowners with a simple way of finding safe and qualified hunters to help them with wildlife management, so please make sure you help spread the word about this valuable tool and sign up as a member if you’re keen to lend a hand, not just along the east coast but Australia-wide.
Meanwhile research into goat meat as a commercial option for Australian markets has indicated consumer acceptance and opportunities for industry-adopted standard practices. Work by the University of New England in NSW has been restricted to researching farmed goat meat due to funding but researchers hope to replicate their work on wild-harvested rangeland goats. Australia exports goat meat around the world but there’s no large-scale domestic demand or commercial supply chain in place, though it’s a meat coveted by specialty butchers, restaurants and hunters alike.
The versatility of this game meat is showcased as a part of our international award-winning Field to Fork cookbook series and any efforts to diversify Australia’s meat markets is more than welcome in this current climate of uncertain markets, high meat prices and delayed supply chains. Game meat harvesting is a sustainable way of providing food for the table – just ask our hunters!
Finally, SSAA National’s work to further research in the areas of sustainable harvesting of duck and quail has gone global in recent weeks. The research, commissioned by SSAA National and conducted by wildlife biologist Dr Graham Hall, was introduced to the World Forum on Shooting Activities (WFSA) by SSAA National Wildlife Programs leader Matthew Godson, who presented the body of work to the annual WFSA conference of more than 44 hunting, shooting and industry associations. Exploring the current and future sustainability of duck and quail hunting in Australia will be released in the coming months via the SSAA website and we look forward to sharing it with members and relevant stakeholders at that time.
Attendance at the WFSA conference is just one of the many ways SSAA National advocates for the shooting sports and recreational hunting with a focus on relationship-building and lobbying. Through our SSAA Legislative Action (SSAA-LA) we specifically praise and publicise lawmakers and commentators who support us, while exposing the ignorance of those who wish to damage our sport.
To keep abreast of important political news, national and international perspectives on legislative and regulatory developments and other time-sensitive matters, subscribe to SSAA-LA news updates here.