Invasive species, what can even we do?

[Zed4711]

Okay, so here's my question. Is it wrong to kill invasive species? This is a very big problem in Australia where animals such as the European rabbit have bred from a pair of 2 200 years ago and over 600 million by 1950, feral cats killing native birds en mass and especially the cane toad in the north which is poisonous to the touch injuring and killing many native carnivores. Yet I do not like the current Myxoma virus method used on rabbits, however is this a necessary evil? As Lenin said, what is to be done? These animals cannot remain, they are too harmful.

[Volenta]

You have to evaluate both scenarios in which you do get rid of them and in which you don't. Which of the two causes the consequences to have a less harmful impact is the right decision. I don't know enough about the situation to decide. I do have heard about the problem, and was an enormous mistake of the people that introduced the rabbits (surely if you read what they did with them).

These are always hard questions, like having rats in your house or lots of hungry and pooping birds at sidewalk cafes. I always have the feeling that we (humans) think of ourselves as very important and everything we like to be our territory is our territory. But to let everything happen is also not a realistic option...

[Zed4711]

I do not at all think of humans as important. I cannot stand that kind of blatant speciesism. However I think that letting the invasive species to push the native species closer and closer to extinction because I think the question is how exactly to deal with them, while balancing humaneness and effectiveness.

[brimstoneSalad]

cane toad in the north which is poisonous to the touch injuring and killing many native carnivores.

You mean poisonous to the taste? You can touch almost anything, as long as you don't get it in your mouth, or through broken skin. Usually the only things that can seriously sting on a simple touch (without getting huge amounts of secretions on you) have little invisible barbs they shoot into you... do I ever know that from experience.

Anyway, as to invasive species, this is one of those gray areas where it's not really clear without more information. I try not to judge without adequate information, so I don't call people wrong or right to do or not do something about it; as long as they're acting with good intentions and the best knowledge they can access, I can respect that.

Reef.org has a campaign to encourage people to eat Lionfish to solve that problem. I'm not sure if it will work, but it may.
http://www.reef.org/lionfish/

I wouldn't be able to tell people that it's unethical to participate in that, since unlike normal fishing, this is meant to improve the environment, and while it harms the lionfish, it protects others and the ecosystem... so, it may ultimately be a wash.

I only stand, and feel comfortable making judgement of others' actions, on clearer black and white issues.

[Zed4711]

I know what you mean. Personally I don't support unnecessary violence against even invasive species, especially with diseases like Myxoma, but I can't say someone is bad for hunting & eating rabbits or carp in Australia. For instance I have a good friend who is the outdoors type, loves camping & doesn't really have much social media. He is a huge fisher, but her never kills if it's not necessary, however he does kill carp (he just stab the heart & cuts off the head. I don't like what he does but ultimately he is helping to save an entire species. But you're right, nothing is ever black& white (well almost nothing anyway).