while I would never endorse cruelty to animals one is more likely to go to jail for touching a whale than murdering the unborn in this 'civilised' nation.

The best way to preserve native animals is to eradicate all feral introduced species. Predators are the worst, but feral animals like pigs, camels and brumbies should be destroyed by trapping, poisoning or shooting as well. They trample on the nests and deatroy the vegetation. Of course there will bleeding hearts crying out; what is needed is a campaign showing how these ferals impact on out native animals. We even have the ludicrous spectacle of disposing of cane toads humanely, insread of killing them by any means handy.