The Victorian state government has unequivocally shown that it does not represent the people of Victoria. Despite last year’s Parliamentary Inquiry recommending a permanent ban after receiving over 10,000 submissions that gave overwhelming evidence of the unsustainable brutality of duck shooting another season has been called – a full three month season, with a bag limit of 9 native birds a day, with shooting allowed to take place before sunrise and after sunset when it’s too dark to know what is being shot at. The length of the season, the bag limit and the shooting hours have all been increased. I am numb with despair and disgust.
I’m sorry blackies, sorry that as you are predominantly vegetarian shooters find you tastier than some other species.
I’m sorry Wood Ducks. I love seeing your little families tumble from the hollow in my huge Mahogany Gum, and I love seeing how brilliantly you nurture your ducklings and keep them as safe as you can.
I’m sorry tiny Pink-eared Ducks that are so often shot and abandoned.
I’m sorry Australian Shelduck. I’ve seen for myself how a lone member of a family group grieves when the others are shot. They were shot and abandoned without even being ‘breasted’. These ducks mate for life, pairing up even when they are too young to reproduce.
Despite dangerous levels of PFAS being found in several ‘game’ bird species that renders them unsafe for human consumption they can still be shot. Warnings for specific wetlands have included: “waterfowl should not be eaten” and “children should limit their consumption of waterfowl breast meat to one serve (one serve = 75g for children) per month and adults and children should not eat liver”. These birds can still be shot on those wetlands, and these birds can fly, so arguably should be considered dangerous in other areas too.
I can’t look at this photograph without thinking of the many Grey Teal that are shot and abandoned. They either die needlessly or needlessly and painfully. Wildlife Victoria and Vets for Compassion do a truly wonderful job of triaging, euthanising and treating the birds that are wounded during duck shooting seasons. The Coalition Against Duck Shooting rescuers led by Laurie Levy, and Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting are truly inspiring, please support them in any way you can.
The UNSW Annual Eastern Australia Waterbird Survey results indicated that waterbird numbers were down almost 50% in October 2024 from the previous year – “287,231 birds in this year’s survey, down from 579,641 birds in 2023”. Hundreds of thousands of native waterbirds are killed each duck shooting season – and yet Jacinta Allan called a full season, with increased days and higher bag limits.
The UNSW survey expressed concerns about how dry the wetlands are and how little breeding there was in 2023 and 2024 – and yet Jacinta Allan called a full season.
Our environment is suffering, bushfires are still burning in the Grampians and the Little Desert – and yet Jacinta Allan called a full season.
I have written many previous articles about duck shooting, including Season of Shame, and Hope amongst Horror. It’s not just game birds that are impacted but the many other birds that are killed and injured including raptors, swans, coot, Freckled Duck, Blue-billed Duck, cormorants, avocet and pelicans. As proclaimed on stickers on many of the shooters’ vehicles ‘If it flies it dies’.
I am devastated, Kim
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra – 8.5K followers
~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
~ Browse prints and gifts Lirralirra Shop or contact me directly
