Saturday, 13 August 2016

Summary of meat collection

Humane Kill
Although all ways of killing animals can be seen as inhumane and unfair, it has to be done to save the environment and native animals from pests. Common ways of getting rid of pests are 1080 and trapping. Some traps even use the use of poisonous bait.
Both 1080 and trapping have similar negative effects, such as:
·         Both being a slow kill –although some traps vary death time
·         Both leaving animals to die and rot –again depending on time left
·         They both risk other animals -1080 poison risks birds, dogs, cats and other non-predators to eat the deceased animals and be killed from the poison. The traps are risky for other animals getting caught instead of the pests.
·         Animals that get captured in a trap not only die slowly but painfully, as well as being left for 24 hours or more before collected/found.
·         Animals killed by 1080 poison are left to rot, which is hazardous to the environment and other animals
If we are to use the meat from pests such as possums, we will need them to be poison-free, fresh, and free of diseases and bacteria. Trapping seems to be the best and only option, however we still face some issues around the criteria we aim for. Issues such as:
·         Collecting the meat quick enough before it loses its freshness
·         They might have already eaten poison before entering the trap
·         They might have diseases before entering traps
·         Pests don’t always stick to the same areas, so constant removal/relocation of traps might have to occur.
·         Something else other than a pest could be captured and killed instead
·         Terrain/weather may effect and reduce opportunities to collect and reset traps.
·         Individual and other companies already set their own traps, so taking away profits and sources of income from them.
·         Finding people that are interested in doing it for us
·         Demand for product –will need to constantly have a supply of pests

Rabbits:
There is a massive number of forever growing rabbit colonies of which are destroying companies, farms and orchards around New Zealand. As well as possums, these pests need to be eliminated. Rabbits would provide the same nutritional benefits as possums due to habitat would be an easier form of meat for our product. While there are benefits for possums, rabbits have the added bonus of the following advantages:
·         Terrain is easier –farms and flat hills, orchards
·         Mate like crazy –won’t have to worry about running out
·         Easier to get
·         More meat
·         Huge problem to orchards and farmers, they don’t always have the means to eliminate these pests fast enough.
·         Meat will be fresh –killed on site and not left in a trap for many hours
·         Could probably sell the fur


Ways to get the meat –rabbit:
1.    Orchardist or farmer shoots the rabbits and contacts Ethical Pet Food Co. We then pay per rabbit/gram
2.    Ethical Pet Food Co. has contractors who go to the orchards and shoot the rabbits for the farmer/orchardist. The contractor gets a base wage plus money per rabbit/gram of meat

Way to get meat –possum:
1.    Set possum traps on farms and orchards
o   Orchardist or farmer sets traps and collects possums, then contacts Ethical Pet Food Co. We then pay per possum/successful trap
o   Ethical Pet Food Co. has contractors who go to the orchards and sets the traps for the farmer/orchardist. The contractor gets a base wage plus money per possum/successful trap.

2.    We set traps in the bush, working alongside DOC and Forest and Bird.
o   Ethical Pet Food Co. contractors who go to the orchards and sets the traps for the farmer/orchardist. The contractor gets a base wage plus money per possum/successful trap.
o   We use the traps set by DOC and Forrest and Bird contractors – giving them the fur or some form of payment. We could have their logos on our products, giving them commercial benefits, showing their supporting ethical pet food as well as the environment.

No comments:

Post a Comment