duck hunting - time to say no

Over the weekend saw the opening of Duck Hunting season in Victoria. Given the population of wild ducks in country Victoria and the ongoing drought it is difficult to fathom that the Brumby government has allowed another duck hunting season to continue.

The governments of the ACT, NSW, QLD and WA have seen fit to make it illegal to hunt ducks for sport, but the Brumby government lags well behind.

A Roy Morgan poll conducted in 2007 indicated that 87% of Victorians support a ban on duck hunting.

Research has shown for every 10 ducks bagged, 6 are crippled. Many of the birds are left to suffer a terrible prolonged death as shooters injure the birds.

The impact of the drought over the last 13 years has had a severe impact on Victoria’s wetlands and consequently on the habitat available to sustain duck populations. Although there has been a slight increase in bird numbers this year, research shows an overall decline of 82% in the population of water birds since 1982.

With climate change we won’t see a recovery of the wetlands which makes me question how the Brumby government can justify the continuation of this practice.

Duck hunting is inhumane and cruel practice and fortunately there are very few registered hunters.

It is time for the Brumby government to join with the other states and ban this outmoded and cruel practice.