Dear Minister David Speirs,
Dear Minister Stephen Wade,
City of Adelaide,

Horrific lethal methods of culling feral pigeons must be banned

1) Trapping:

This method includes net traps such as walk-in cage traps, Modified
Australian Crow Trap, roost traps and nest box traps. There are exposures to hot or cold conditions depending on where trap is located. Captured birds are likely to experience fear and distress whilst in the cage and especially during handling. After capturing birds, they are using following methods,

CO2 (with handling and without handling): Placing animals in a pre-filled chamber causes pain, which is potentially severe. If animals are placed in a chamber containing a high concentration of CO2 (above 50%) they will experience at least 10-15 seconds of pain in the mucosa of the upper airways before they lose consciousness - The animals will find it aversive at a certain level and may experience distress, discomfort and dyspnoea (‘air hunger’). 
CO from petrol engine (with handling and without handling): Carbon monoxide sourced from the cooled exhaust of non-vehicular/vehicular/older vehicles petrol engines..., cause irritation to the eyes and airways and painful death.
Cervical dislocation: This method does not have a concussive effect and therefore insensibility may not be immediate. During this time the birds were gasping due to hypoxia and were likely to be distressed before death.

2) Poisoning:

The lethal poison that causes excruciating pain and death. It causes sustained and violent spasms, they can’t breathe and gasping for air till dying in massive pain. It is sentencing birds to agonizingly painful deaths that can last for hours.

The birds should, in theory, consume the narcotic and sit and wait to die and then be picked up; however, many birds feed and fly off, and as a result can die an inhumane death. The poison is not specific to pigeons, indiscriminate killer and consequently other non-target birds may be affected. Many of these pigeons collected by pest control operators and dumped while still alive.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pigeonslives.matter.5/videos/pcb.634392370541224/635053200475141/?type=3&amp;theater" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/pigeonslives.matter.5/videos/pcb.634392370541224/635053200475141/?type=3&amp;theater</a>

3) Shooting:

Shooting is not always accurate and cause number of birds may be wounded and will require follow-up, in many cases birds die due to bleeding or infection cause by injury.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=683711912275936&amp;set=pcb.623914191589042&amp;type=3&amp;theater" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=683711912275936&amp;set=pcb.623914191589042&amp;type=3&amp;theater</a>

In areas where culling is carried out, there will be an initial reduction in pigeon numbers. However, this effect is very short term as the population will almost certainly have returned to or even exceeded the previous level within a few weeks. This is because pigeons control their own numbers.

Many non-lethal strategies to limit pigeon populations are available such as: Proofing and sealing any gaps into buildings and under eaves with mesh or wooden panels, Nest removal, Scare devices, using Contraceptive corns, Establish designed area with dovecotes to replace pigeons eggs weekly. A public education campaign is then undertaken by the local council publicizing the facility and confirming to the public that the feeding of pigeons is allowed within the designated feeding area, but nowhere else.

For more info please check: https://pigeonslivesmatter.com.au/

There is no reason to sentence pigeons to such grizzly deaths with unnecessary pain and distress.