A few weeks ago I was hoofing my way to work when, through the window of a restaurant, I spotted a friend eating breakfast.
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 yet 8 a.m., so I popped in to join him for a coffee. As we caught up, an employee (I assume the chef) came over to check on the food and ended up chatting with us briefly. Somehow, though not surprisingly, conversation turned to the University of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 problematic rabbits B次元官网网址� a seemingly endless source of cud for Victorians to chew.
Turns out, this chef had recently been approached by a woman selling rabbit meat from the critters she caught locally. Of course, the chef declined the sales pitch, but I wondered if other restaurateurs would accept.
Now, IB次元官网网址檓 not squeamish about food. IB次元官网网址檝e earned my badge of culinary courage in a Laotian market stall, where my only clue about the type of meat in my bowl was the colour and texture of the hairs implanted in it. While I admit to pushing the hairy morsels to the side, the noodle soup was delicious and my experience was enhanced by nearby shoppers haggling over the price of lizards.
So, when I heard about the rabbit lady I couldnB次元官网网址檛 help but be impressed by her entrepreneurial spirit B次元官网网址� misguided as it is.
The reasons against underground commercial meat butchered from neighbourhood animals are obvious. But I do feel there are legitimate arguments to making good use of the urban wildlife we canB次元官网网址檛 seem to live alongside. The key is adequate regulations and oversight, to ensure any culling program is done safely and humanely.
This week the Capital Regional District launched a discussion about deer control, in response to mounting pressure from gardeners and drivers. Recently the provincial government floated the idea of reducing the population of non-native geese. These types of discussions inevitably stir up hysteria among some animal lovers. The fever pitch of their mantra seems disproportional to the few hundred critters typically involved.
It doesnB次元官网网址檛 make sense in a culture where much of our meat comes from factory farms that systematically enslave millions of animals in horrendous conditions. If weB次元官网网址檙e going to pour our energies into animal welfare, this is a much better place to focus.
The fact is, urban pests in Victoria are already being hunted. Years ago, university staff caught a student in residence trapping rabbits for food. More recently, several deer were spotted running loose with arrows in their necks.
These incidents only strengthen the argument for regulations rather than just condemnation. ItB次元官网网址檚 an idea already tested in the U.S.
In Helena, Mont., a B次元官网网址渄eer reductionB次元官网网址� program ran from Nov. 23, 2009, to March 8, 2010.
Interested land owners were given baited traps, and officers were assigned to check them before sunrise. B次元官网网址淎ny captured deer were shot in the head with a bolt gun and taken to Tizer Meat, which ground the venison into 6,363 pounds of burger,B次元官网网址� according to reporter Eve Byron, in an article published in the Independent Record. The meat was then B次元官网网址減icked up and distributed by Helena Food Share,B次元官网网址� she wrote.
Many people argue that animals shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be killed just because they pose a nuisance to us. I agree. But when these populations grow to the point where they pose dangers to the health of people, native ecosystems or local food supply, itB次元官网网址檚 reasonable to trap and kill them B次元官网网址� as long as they arenB次元官网网址檛 left to waste.
The line between nuisance and danger is a hard one to draw and IB次元官网网址檓 inclined to set the bar quite high. ItB次元官网网址檚 a debate, however, thatB次元官网网址檚 often derailed by the emotions of people who feel the lives of deer, geese and rabbits outweigh those of cows, pigs and chickens.
rholmen@vicnews.com
B次元官网网址擱oszan Holmen is a reporter for the Victoria B次元官网网址.
