13 ms·

> that shouldn't delegitimize the importance of strict biocontrol. What makes the current inhabitants of Australia the only rightful inhabitants of Australia?

• TheGallopedHigh 6y ago
  Because it could potentially lay waste to large portions of the ecosystem before that system again reaches equilibrium.
  • nanis 6y ago
    > ecosystem before that system again reaches equilibrium. How do you know that the system is at equilibrium ("at rest") now? Why is the current ecosystem the most right ecosystem since the birth of the universe? Why should there be no disturbance of the current equilibrium? And, if we value equilibrium so much, shouldn't we undo the previous disturbance and remove most of the current inhabitants of Australia?
• imglorp 6y ago
  I wonder if they're conflating import and immigration. AU has a history of species being imported by humans and then overtaking native species so it's understandable they'd be concerned. You do make a good point about animals naturally achieving this on their own. Is human vs animal transport an artificial distinction of its own?
• jpollock 6y ago
  The same reason they kill off mosquitoes, snakes and spiders that come in on boats. Zero tolerance is only effective if it is _zero_ tolerance. Invasive species have huge economic impacts, to the point of causing the extinction of local species, and acting as transmission vectors for disease in humans. For example, the Asian Tiger mosquito: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus#For_humans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus#For_humans This is as much about advertising the "zero tolerance" part, which hopefully results in less meat/fruit smuggled across the border by visitors.
  • nanis 6y ago
    > This is as much about advertising the "zero tolerance" part Yup. All the pigeons of the world will now know not to migrate to Australia.
    • jpollock 6y ago
      Humans are famous for being able to learn by example. People should learn from this that Australian border control is _serious_ about those $100k+ fines they advertise on signs in the airport, and they are perfectly willing to kill cute animals. For funsies, read up on African swine fever - it was imported into Portugal on infected airline food. Give these a read/listen: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/03/its-not-if-its-when-the-deadly-pig-disease-spreading-around-the-world https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/03/its-not-... https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/39h3xow/did-the-cia-plant-a-virus-in-cuba https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/39h3xow/did-the-cia... https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/emhd6j5/did-the-cia-do-it-part-ii https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/emhd6j5/did-the-cia...
      • nanis 6y ago
        > they are perfectly willing to kill cute animals. Believe you me I didn't doubt that ... I am pointing out that there is no moral argument for why it is right to kill a little intrepid bird and the practical dividends you think it will pay by being a warning sign are fantasy. This is just monstrous people being monstrous.
        • rstuart4133 6y ago
          It's possibly instructive at this point to ponder what sort of people it takes to ensure Australia & NZ are one of the very few who stopped COIVD. We had people prevented from attending their dying parents, and seen tears from mothers kept separated from children, millions of dollars in fines handed out for merely walking in the wrong place or not having a face mask. And now we are flying people out to remote mining camps to do their quarantine. But very, very few COVID deaths, and zero new local transmissions in the last few days - despite the UK strain being loose for a short while. In others areas, they took a scorched earth policy to citrus canker https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/citrus_canker/report/c02 https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Sen... ("the disease took 11 years to fully eradicate and resulted in the destruction of every citrus tree north of latitude 19 degrees south"), and completely shut down prawn farming in my area (sending everyone broke) in response to a white spot imported from Chinese pawns. So yeah, when it comes to quarantine we are monstrous. Pig headed and completely ruthless as well.