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The Forum > Article Comments > Aliens v Predators on a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean > Comments

Aliens v Predators on a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean : Comments

By Roger Kalla, published 31/12/2012

Sami herders from the Arctic circle are being sent half a globe away to combat introduced species in the Antarctic region.

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While I applaud your suggestion to get entrepreneurial Australians interested in importing "low fat nutritious meat and furs of the highest quality from free-range animals raised in a pristine Antarctic environment", I wonder if you will have any takers.
Those same entrepreneurs have so far failed to rise to the challenge of harvesting free-range, low-fat meat raised in a pristine central Australia environment. Instead, the Australian government spends millions of dollars culling the feral camel population by shooting the animals from helicopters and leaving the carcases to rot in the desert sun.
Even if the transport of fresh meat presents too large a problem logistically, jerky is an option I have never heard considered. There is a need for protein the world over, not least in the refugee camps growing by the day in Africa.
I fail to see why we can't combine the protection of our natural environment with helping feed the world's hungry. The time for just wasting our resources is well over.
Posted by halduell, Monday, 31 December 2012 2:14:27 PM
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Agree. Given the wasteful slaughter of camels in central Australia I imagine a similar fate for the reindeer. Surely better that than someone making money from the environment... ;-)
Thanks for an informative article.
Posted by Jennifer, Monday, 31 December 2012 5:55:50 PM
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The 5000 cruise tourists that step ashore historic Grytviken whaler station on South Georgia Island are in for a treat. The Commissioner of Sth Georgia and Sth Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) have decided that they are going to be offered the choice cuts of meat of the slaughtered, cleaned and freeze stored reindeer carcasses. I envy them that are going to feast on the fillets and hindquarters of the reindeer meat. It is not like any other meat I have tasted. Maybe the closest is venison but the diet of the reindeer must give it its special flavor.
It is good to see that the officials of the British External Territory of SSSGI will not let the prime meat from more than 3000 animals go to waste. They are investing quite a lot in importing Sami expert reindeer herders to minimize trauma for the reindeer as they are coralled. It would be a travesty if they then just threw away the meat. The Sami would not agree with that since the reindeer is held in such a high esteem among the Sami. If you are interested to read more about the plans for the reindeer of SGSSI see this link ....http://www.sgisland.gs/download/GSGSSI%20briefing%20IAATO%202012.pdf
Posted by sten, Wednesday, 2 January 2013 1:37:44 PM
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BTW I did some further research and found that there are reindeer on the doorstep of Australian territory.... The closest herd of reindeer are on Reindeer Island or Ile aux Rennes in French Kerguelen Islands. And that is only 450 kms from Heard Island. Not even as far as the distance between Melbourne and Devonport across Bass strait.

Now has any human swum across Bass strait yet? Reindeer are excellent swimmers and regularly cross the icy fjords in Norway when migrating between their summer and winter grazing lands.

It would be a long shot but maybe AQIS shoudl be getting worried of another introduced species to Australia....the Reindeer!
Posted by sten, Wednesday, 2 January 2013 2:32:57 PM
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Anyone that read the article and has got an iPOD or an iPAD might want to download this app to see some 360 views of some stunning vistas and some more information on the Aliens on South Georgia Islands. The whaling station of Grytviken looks suspiciously like the abandonded whaling station on the Island in the first Alien v Predator sci-fi movie.

Wonder if the manuscript writer viewed the same panorama before writing the scenes in the whaling station?

The apps is here:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-island-of-south-georgia/id492532701?mt=8
Posted by sten, Wednesday, 2 January 2013 3:09:04 PM
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