Changes in island biota - The Great Barrier Reef: An Environmental History - page 216

Changes in island fauna
Changes in island fauna since European settlement can be categorised in two
groups: changes relating to the destruction of animals - particularly birds - on
islands; and transformations of islands resulting from the introduction of exotic
species of animals. Many documentary accounts describe the destruction of birds on
islands, especially as a result of shooting and the collection of eggs. In January 1944,
Mr A. M. Lewis wrote to the QSPCA describing his observations of 'people blazing
away with a gun at sea-birds' at Heron Island; another report, written in 1950,
referred to parties destroying nesting birds at Wheeler Island, in the Family Group.
At Purtaboi Island, in the Family Group, G. S. Stynes of the Dunk Island Tropical
Tourist Board reported that 'shooting has been, and is still taking place on Purtaboi
Island [and] many terns have met an untimely death at the hands of shooters' . 53
In 1969, K. McArthur, the Honorary Secretary of the Caloundra Branch of the
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, stated: 'As is usual at this time of year,
we have had reports of pigeon shooting around Hinchinbrook Island National Park'.
Shooting of birds, including two nesting white-breasted sea eagles, was reported at
Fairfax Island in 1969 by Julie Booth, and A. S. Thorsborne provided evidence of
the shooting of 200 Torres Strait pigeons at North Brook Island in 1971. In 1974,
A. W. Carle, the Director of the Cape York Environmental Centre, acknowledged
that the shooting of large numbers of Torres Strait pigeons at North Brook Island
demonstrated that adequate protection of birds had not been enforced . 54
Other impacts resulted from the collection of birds' eggs from nesting sites by
visitors to several islands. Stynes claimed, in 1958, that visitors to Dunk Island
were camping, lighting fires and removing hundreds of tern eggs from nests . 55
Concern about the destruction of birds and their rookeries at Lady Musgrave
Island was expressed in 1966, and campers from Lady Musgrave also visited Fairfax
Island in 1969, where P. H. Anderson reported that 'they collected eggs of the
boobies that nested at both islands; another party disturbed the nests, with the
result that hundreds of eggs and chicks were taken by gulls' . 56 A t Purtaboi Island,
in 1972, A. Chisholm wrote that picnickers were disturbing birds by intruding
into their nesting sites . 57 I n addition to the disturbance of eggs and nesting sites,
however, some visitors inflicted deliberate cruelty on birds, as a report by Booth
in 1966 demonstrated for Fairfax and Heron Islands:
You may have noticed a slide or two of a gull's legs tightly bound with wire
and strong thread. Some monster goes to their main rookery each season
and performs this cruel act of tying the legs up, probably before they can fly.
Eventually the legs are so badly damaged that the feet drop off. I cared for six
of these birds two years ago at Heron Island (they do not breed there) and
another four last year. I have found more here this year . 58
In addition, at Heron Island in 1970, an observer reported that a 'member of the
staff of Heron Island Pty Ltd, Mr Pat Ryan, has over a period of weeks been killing
the small birds called White Eyes' . 59