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End the deliberate carnage of our Victorian waterbirds- called a “sport”

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810 birds, including 68 endangered freckled ducks, were shot and left to die on Victorian wetlands on the opening weekend of the duck shooting season. These dead birds were left outside Premier Daniel Andrew’s office.

Australia’s rarest waterfowl, the Freckled Duck breeds in swamps in inland Australia.  The Freckled Duck may be easily confused with the Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa, and the Hardhead, Aythya australis.

Just what is the purpose of giving the label “endangered” when they can be confused, or deliberately eliminated, for this blood sport?

Duck shooters themselves often don’t even realise that the birds they are shooting are native. On top of this, a recent ecological survey found waterbird numbers are the lowest they have been in 34 years.  The same State government department, DELWP, is responsible for administering our Wildlife Act, by default to protect our native bird/animals, so it’s an gross conflict of interest that they also remove their protected status to declare a DUCK SHOOTING SEASON.

shot-bird

Duck shooters don’t discriminate on what birds they kill, and every single season swans, avocets and rare freckled ducks become victims, too. Time and time again, duck shooters have proven that they can’t be trusted.

Victoria’s wetlands are rich in 50,000 years of indigenous heritage. A thriving, nature-based wetlands tourism industry is the way of the future. It will not only revitalise country towns, but will protect the financial future of regional Victorians. Many duck-shooters call themselves “conservationists” yet they leave behind rubbish and pollution, and their carnage!

Duck numbers are still recovering after low water levels in recent years and protected species and other waterbirds often fall victim to duck hunters. In addition to this our native water birds will be under attack from thousands of shooters, who are often inexperienced and reckless. Many birds will be shot but not killed outright and will be left to die slow torturous deaths or will drown, unable to swim or fly any further due to painful injuries.

Duck shooting has been banned in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales and that according to a Morgan Poll, 2007; an overwhelming 87% of Victorians support a ban on duck shooting, including many who live locally to wetlands where duck shooting takes place; it seems undeniable that the Victorian Government’s policies on this issue are lagging behind the current values and beliefs of our society.

Our native water birds have the right to live unharmed and in peace in their natural home. Please help to end this barbarism, tell our Premier the killing must end now!
This petition will be delivered to:

Premier of Victoria
Premier Daniel Andrews

Duck shooting is hideously cruel. But that’s not the only reason why we should ban the ‘sport’.

 

PETITION: Ban Duck Shooting

 

(featured image: Freckled duck- Wikipedia org)

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Petition: Protect our native waterbirds – Ban duck shooting!

Please help our native waterbirds by lobbying to put an end to this cruelty and ban recreational duck shooting once and for all.

US ballistics expert and duck shooter, Tom Roster, has shown that at least one in four birds targeted are not killed but wounded (this figure was recognised by Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment)

Shotguns spray hundreds of small pellets, resulting in ducks with fractured or broken legs, or legs shot off entirely, shattered bills, splintered wings, pellets through eyes and gunshot lodged in organs, muscles and tendons. This is grotesque cruelty and wounded birds face a slow, painful death. Rescuers have often seen birds stuffed into shooters’ bags while still alive.

Injured Eurasian Coot - Kerang -17.5 Kim Wormald

(image: This wounded protected Eurasian Coot was recovered by rescuers at Lake Murphy on May 17. It was treated by a wildlife carer and released at a sanctuary last weekend. Photo by Kim Wormald)

The opening weekend attracted 14,000 hunters across the state, with 26,000 people authorised to hunt ducks. The government says a survey of the state’s 47,000 licensed game hunters found the industry was worth almost $440 million a year. It seems that even the tiniest creature has economic value, equated in dollars!

Laurie Levy, the campaign director with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting, has been an outspoken critic of the industry. “We had rescuers out every weekend of the duck shooting season,” he said.

Again this year, as well as protected and threatened species, lots of so called ‘game’ birds were saved from the shooters’ guns or recovered by rescuers, either dead or wounded.

Despite the dry and quiet season, 10 illegally shot threatened Freckled Ducks, Blue-billed Ducks and Musk Ducks were recovered by rescuers, as well as Swans, Hoary-headed Grebes, over 20 Eurasian Coot and other protected species.

Previous Labor governments in WA, NSW and Queensland have banned the barbaric activity, yet the Victorian Labor party still supports this grotesque cruelty.

(featured image: Freckled duck, Victoria. During the season, rescuers recovered over 100 dead or wounded waterbirds, including illegally shot threatened species such as Freckled Ducks, Blue-billed Ducks and Musk Ducks, as well as protected Hoary-headed Grebes, Eurasian Coots and a Swan)


Petition: Protect our native waterbirds – Ban duck shooting!
Letter to: Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews, Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford

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