Tel-Chai Nation

Oh dear. Now some are turning against ring-necked parakeets, while others still are arguing racism and/or eco-xenophobia against these colorful birds! From the UK Telegraph (Hat tip: Moonbattery):

This week Natural England officially deemed the ring-necked parakeet as a pest, making it possible to shoot the birds without a licence.

However Dr Ian Rotherham, Director of the Environmental Change Research Unit at Sheffield Hallam University, said there is a danger that labelling parakeets as a "nasty alien" just because they are from abroad could be seen as a form of "racism" towards a foreign species.

"If there is a problem - for example with the birds taking fruit - then we have to take steps to deal with it. If you start to label it as alien then that is some sort of racism. Eco-xenophobia is the label I would use.

"I suspect there is an underlying view it is because they are alien, but it should be because they are a problem."

Matthew Frith, Deputy Chief Executive of the London Wildlife Trust, said parakeets were "as British as curry" and agreed it was dangerous to label the birds as a pest just because they are foreign.

What's this? Eco-xenophobia? Well there's a new one for you from that isle of madness. But really, I don't think these parakeets are a problem at all. The Brits must be just annoyed at the all the caw-caws they make, so they've gone batty! Of course, this is all they can concern themselves with, and not say, the human rights of Israelis, Christians, and such.

Labels: londonistan, Moonbattery