RPRA

[DRIES]

I THINK THE RPRA SHOULD PUBLISH A PRESS RELEASE TO PRESS AGENACY'S TO PUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC MINDS AT EASE, TO PROVE TO THEM THAT PIGEONS ARE OF NO THREAT TO THEM OR THERE FAMILIES , BECAUSE THE GENERAL PUBLIC CLASS PIGEONS AS VERMIN. I CAN SEE MEMBERS GETTING A LOT OF GRIEF FROM THEIR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURS ETC. DO YOU AGREE

[pigeonpete]

Hi dries, yeah i agree with you and think they should have done it by now!! :X

[jimmy_bulger]

hi all.

we should all put a copy of the rpra press release into our local rag's.

yours in the sport.jimmy

[westy]

THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT LUCCALY I HAVE NO PROBLAMS WITH NEIGHBOURS YET ANYWAY BUT A FEW FANCIERS AROUND BY ME.

[Guest]

I think the main problem is being overlooked here. According to Peter Bryant (and I don't doubt his word) he is felling rain forests issuing press statements, which the PRESS simply don't publish. Our own forum members often complain about the same thing - write letters on hawks etc. ... simply 'rubber-eared' by the editor - and not published.

 

Needs a direct campaign. Full page Newspaper adverts, car and transporter stickers, TV adverts, and high octane representation in the right places. For example, in this weeks View from the Reddings (P3) in AI Update, Peter talks about Denmark's proposal that there's to be no pigeon racing accross another EU country's borders. And his (RPRA's) reaction? "So that puts paid to going to Belgium for the present".

 

Why? (1) We've no racing anywhere at the moment and haven't had for at least 6 months, yet Avian flu has continued to spread. So its not racing pigeons or pigeon racing that's spreading the disease.  (2) Haven't seen huge nets going up in the sky to stop the wild birds crossing borders - yet these are the ones that are the main suspects in spreading the disease. (3) Faced with these facts, SOMEONE should be going to the EU and putting the strongest case forward that curtailing pigeon racing won't make a blind bit of difference to the spread of avian flu, NOT shrugging their shoulders and accepting a further restriction, especially when that restriction is a piece of nonsense that will not stop the virus spreading.  

 

 

[BIGK]

The press wont want to post anything apart from sensationalist news, putting the truth isnt the way if you want sell papers. We as fanciers need to make sure we know the facts so that when questioned we have clear, direct and honest answers. Dont be fooled by what is reported in the press, make sure you now what you are telling people and wait till questioned, I live near a town centre and how do you think i feel when there are about 1000 skemmies flying about.

I do however feel that our unions and confederations are lacking in spreading the word to our members never mind the general public, we need to know the factsaswell as everyone else.

Take your time, think of your replies and good luck for the coming season.

[Guest]

The press wont want to post anything apart from sensationalist news.

 

This is the bit of your post that I'm replying to.

 

With respect ... missed my point ... write a letter to the paper and chances are it'll be binned. Write to the paper with an ADVERT, thats income to the paper, and they'll fall over themselves designing and printing it for you - no chance of it going in the bin: papers make their real money from advertising, not from actual sales.

 

And that's how a good Press Officer earns his / her money : gets 'adverts' done free as articles and gets good publicity for the organisation too.

[jimmy white]

agree with you bruno a BIG advert, explaining all the war pigeons all the charities etc and more??

[zetlandlad999]

Mr Bryant HAS sent out a number of Press realeses, however if the press dont want to print it, you cannot force them. And a Large Advertisment in a National Paper would cost thousands of pounds. The members would never stand for it.

[Pompey Mick]

I am afraid there's too much money to be made from the threat of an Avian Flu pandemic for it to go away. Just look how much money was spent by panicking governments when the spectre of a pandemic was raised. It's no coincidence that when the first human fatalities from this virus occurred over two and a half years ago it didn't merit any meaningful publicity in the Western world. Over half the total fatalities died in that initial outbreak but you hardly heard  a whisper. It wasn't until the disease started to encroach in Western Europe that all of a sudden it was the end of the world at nigh and Billions have been spent by governments on various antiviral drugs. This disease is and primarily will be an Avian killer, it can be controlled by basic hygiene precautions. If it ever mutates and I stress the word If, no scientist can tell us it what form it will take, it could reduce in severity, it could remain non-airborne but all the scientists stress are the worst case scenarios to panic populations and governments. It will be interesting to see next years profits from the major pharmacutical companies who make these drugs.

[peterpau]

You are so right Pompey Mick. This is all about money, like your 15 times more likely to win the lottery than catch bird flu. This virus has killed about 60 people, no cases of human to human infection. Then when it comes here it's gonna kill millions. Yea right, why? don't it like the British. I'm no doctor but my maths is pretty good. The problem is we are not gonna be able to raise a candle to the power of the press, or the gread of the pharmacuticle industry. The RPRA are doing the best they can. Then what?

[Pompey Mick]

To be honest I think Joe Public is getting a bit fed up with the threat of Bird Flu, you can only cry wolf so many times. In my local press a woman asked in the letters page if there is a danger from feeding wild birds in her garden that she could catch Bird Flu. The only reply to date is the suggestion that she puts Night Nurse in the bird bath. Although the Press and their cronies try to keep the pot boiling unless we have deaths from Avian Flu I hope that this line of News reporting will slowly die a death. Remember the furore about Aids and Sars both diseases were the end of Mankind, Well they're still with us but who worries anymore? Hopefully Avian Flu will go the same way, it will always be there but the perceived danger will have vanished.

[BIGK]

Do you think the government is using bird flu to hide other more inportant issues current going through parliament ??? it seems strange whenever something regarding education is up for parliament time the bird flu appears in the press!!!

[jimmy white]

im finding that as well   the neighbours are getting fed up with this news now, and on second thoughts agree with your post, pompey and peter pau, but you can rest assure if theres one outbreak in brittain the press will be go berserk, its just a pity there was someway to get these facts in b4 any out break occurs [and if] or do you let sleeping dogs lie?? who knows ,maybe best

[sj irving jnr]

i think peter bryant and the rpra have done a great job,its a good thing they are there cause i havent heard the shu saying anything about it

[THE FIFER]

i agree there, peter bryant is doing all he can, so far the shu have done nothing, but i still say that all unions must get together, the more voice the better, and a chance they will be listened to,

[jimmy white]

i say that peter briant is doing his darndest , but to single out the shu seems a bit political, we have the whu the ihu , nehu  nothern ireland have a union, as fifer says

THE MORE VOICE THE BETTER

[THE FIFER]

UR RIGHT JIMMY ITS ALL UNIONS WHICH SHOULD BE SPEAKING OUT, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN MORE PRESS IN SCOTLAND IE COURIER, SUN POST TIMES ETC, BUT AS I SAY ONE VOICE IS NOT ENOUGH, NOT ONLY THAT WHEN U ARE GOING TO ARGUE THE TOSS WITH Dr SO AND SO AND VET SO AND SO, WE NEED PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE TO SPEAK FOR US, I AM SURE ALL THE UNIONS AS ONE COULD AFFORD WHAT IT WOULD COST,

[GREENGRASS]

agree with the posts regarding peter bryant and i think he has surpassed himself in his efforts to defend our birds and to protect our sport. we recently had a info pack arrive at our club premises on how to  organise racing and trainning tosses and the rules governing the application and gaining of a license. dont know if the shu have produced any info or help packs for their members  but at £4.50 per membership the rpra have excelled in our hour of need but what are shu members getting for their fees. seems the ostirich syndrome has been adopted again.

[THE FIFER]

AS JIMMY WHITE SAYS WHY JUST PICK ON THE SHU, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER UNIONS,

[rlez]

how about the rpra spending some of their vast amounts of money they have in the bank and put a advert in national newspaper,telling the public what we Do for the public ie charity sales and so on lets tell everybody the good thats done by our sport to help others.i dont think its members would mind spending their money this way to promote our sport.

lez

[sj irving jnr]

yes i can see what you are saying lads but it is my union thats the one i pay my fees to and i would like them to at least look bothered about it.

[zetlandlad999]

I know for a fact that the NEHU are regulalary talking to DEFRA, may be it would have been a good issue for the Confederation to work on.

[zetlandlad999]

how about the rpra spending some of their vast amounts of money they have in the bank and put a advert in national newspaper,telling the public what we Do for the public ie charity sales and so on lets tell everybody the good thats done by our sport to help others.i dont think its members would mind spending their money this way to promote our sport.

lez

 

This has been answered on page one rlez, cost would be astronomical.

[THE FIFER]

I AGREE THIS IS ONE FOR THE CONFEDERATION, A BIG VOICE, PETER BRYANT IS DOING A GREAT JOB KEEPING US INFORMED AND ANSWERING BACK TO THE CRITICS, BUT THEY ARE NOT LISTENING, HE IS FIGHTING AGAINST PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS VETS AND DOCTORS ETC, WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE IN WHO HAS POWER, WE COULD GO TO OUR MPS BUT U SAW THE FEEDBACK WE GOT REGARDING THE HAWKS, SO I THINK YES THE CONFEDERATION SHOULD TAKE UP OUR CASE, THIS WOULD BE A VIOCE TO BE HEARD AND SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM GETTING CASH. BUT YES I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO PETER BRYANT,