Threat of Axis Deer on the Big Island

[seekir]

Originally posted by oink:

quote:

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There could be a large market for hunts targeted at that part of the middle class that still has steady incomes... I see lots of potential for an untapped market.

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I suppose what I find most disappointing about this dilemma is the selfishness and arrogance of the helicopter operator and his co-conspirators who apparently took it upon themselves to transport the breeding population of axis deer here to the island. You'd think we'd have established some very effective deterrents by now to discourage the sort of tunnel-vision which must have been at the heart of the decision these people made. A decision they undertook to serve their own interests and circumvent any kind of community participation in choices they felt empowered to make for us all, choices which could have such a monumental effect on the future of the island's ecology, farms, gardens, and general well-being. The rather random introduction of various species to the islands that has occurred since the polynesians and the rest of us have arrived here surely should be regarded as lessons we can learn from. The more glaring failures of species management which we can expect to continue to haunt us all for the foreseeable future such as the introduction of mosquitoes, mongoose, miconia, coqui frogs, waiawi, kudzu, banana poca, and various feral ungulates are introductions most would agree pose significant threats to the ecosystem and our quality of life. These most egregious examples seem to have made little impression on characters like the perpetrators of the Big Isle deer introduction. I wonder how it is that anyone can express support for the under-handed and furtive act that brought these animals to the island without the consent of the greater community.