Friends of Irwin condemn stingray killings

[janbo1960]

Friends of Steve Irwin say the Crocodile Hunter would be horrified by the recent slaughter of stingrays in south-east Queensland.

The Department of Fisheries is investigating the slaughter of at least 10 stingrays at Hervey Bay and Deception Bay, north of Brisbane.

Irwin was killed last week when a stingray barb pierced his heart.

Irwin's close friend and business manager John Stainton has condemned the attacks.

"I'm absolutely horrified to hear about the slaughter of these stingrays and I know that Steve would be absolutely disgusted," he said.

"This is something that he would never want to hear about.

"Any revenge on any animal, no matter whether it's croc that's taken somebody or a shark that might have taken somebody used to absolutely turn his stomach."

Mr Stainton says Irwin would not have wanted people to harm stingrays to avenge his death.

"He always said that is not the way to deal with the animals in the ocean," he said.

"They are doing what they do because that's what they're about and the fact that he was killed by a stingray is absolutely his fault.

"I mean he was in their territory and as he always said, 'if you're in their territory, you play by their rules', but it doesn't mean to say that people should be going out and taking revenge on stingrays."

Tourism operators also say they are disgusted by the slaughter.

Col MacKenzie from the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators says it was cruel and senseless.

"I'm really disgusted to find that people are doing this," he said.

"I'm absolutely positive that Steve Irwin would not have wanted anybody to take action against the stingrays.

"He would not want to see the senseless slaughter of the animals as some kind of stupid retribution of what had happened to him."

Mr Stainton says stingrays are quite placid animals and even in some parts of the world there is tourism that rotates around stingrays being fed.

"You can see tourists in the water feeding them and letting them nibble on their hands and stuff like that, so they are quite a placid creature and this is terrible to hear what they're doing - this is really, really disgusting."

Meanwhile, an announcement will be made later this morning on the date and venue for a public memorial service for Irwin.

It is expected to be held next Wednesday or Thursday, possibly at Brisbane's QEII Stadium.

[faceless]

I'd already posted this in the thread about Irwin, it's quite a legacy eh? Bloody bastards!

[janbo1960]

Sorry bout the double... yes some people are so thick!!!