The Victorian LABOR PARTY always keen to pander to the recreational shooting lobby have made yet another outrageous decision to set recreational shooters loose on our wildliving Brumbies This decision is abhorrent and must not proceed for all of the reasons set out below.

Please, write to the Premier Jacinta Allan at jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au  and the Minister for Environment  Enver Ergoden enver.ergoden@parliament.vic.gov.au 

SUBJECT: For your Very Urgent ATTENTION - Breach of Masnagement Plan

Dear Minister
 
You should be aware that Victorian Brumbies in National Parks, are managed by Parks Victoria, pursuant to the “Feral Horse Action Plan 2021” with trapping and rehoming Brumbies to the public, a Priority.
 It is therefore entirely inappropriate that Wild living horses or Brumbies should be included in any Labor Party policy as “feral species” open to shooting by recreational shooters/hunters. This is an abhorrant plan and must b e set aside.
 
Not only is the inclusion cutting across an existing management plan, to which the Labor Party has made a commitment, of which the Minister should be aware, shooting free roaming horses has potential for gross cruelty, particularly shooting by recreational shooters.
 
Awareness by horses of shooters whether a simple sight, movement, first shot, horses will bolt in fear with mobs galloping to escape. Foals will be potentially crushed, fallen mares in foal involuntarily abort , a mass carnage.  Wounded horses known to gallop, many will be left to linger, drawn out deaths will eventuate with impractible follow up.
 
Pursuant to the National Code for wild horse management, published by Pestsmart, shooting free roaming horses is unsupported, because a single gun shot to the forehead, the humane dispatch, in a mob of galloping horses, is impossible.
 
The decision must be set aside, it will cut across the Labor Party commitment to comply with a Management Plan in force, and is encouraging acts of gross cruelty toward wild living horses, unsupported by the National Code,  and POCTA, by recreational shooters.
 
Please let me have your confirmation, any reference to Brumbies open to shooting by recreational shooters, will be removed from Victorian Labor Party policy
 
Yours faithfully

Photo: Anonymouse supporter - mare in foal with gut shots