Just logged onto the forum and the BLP website for the first time in many, many months. Happy to be corrected but it appears there is no progress or clarification from the President or his Committee on the subject of ethics......but I may have missed it.
1. Live Food Baits
The use of live food (and even sugar flavoured water) to attract birds to photograph, and BLP's apparent endorsement of a previous Tom Oliver Award winner as highlighted at the most recent Adelaide conference in the bush (but actually city) using this technique for his photography, just phases me out. I gave up fishing because I became appalled with live baiting etc.
2. BLP Current Policy re Call Play Back and Photographing Nesting Birds
When I look at current Birdlife Australian media, I cannot see that BLP has had any influence on either ethical considerations, or actually made an effort to change their habits/reporting in these two matters. I now won't hire guides that resort to call Play Back......but it's rife in the industry. Indeed if I look at some of the images displayed on BLP pages, one can tell that the birds portrayed are reacting to a call Play Back.
As stated, I personally will not use Call Play Back or employ guides that rely on it's use.
I will however continue to in my interpretation of ethics to photograph nesting birds, incl endangered and at risk species, to educate, promote and support their survival. I consider myself and intelligent and educated person and can make my own decisions. To this end I haven't posted any images on the BLP site in recent times.
If BLP have an issue with this then I'm happy and comfortable not to renew by BLP, and even my Birdlife Australia, subscription.
Cheers AB