Change will only happen if our Government makes it happen
They were elected to represent YOU
Write to the Ministers to
BAN DUCK & QUAIL SHOOTING IN VICTORIA
Copy & Add your own personal touch to the points below:
& Send to:
Jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au
Steve.dimopoulos@parliament.vic.gov.au
ros.spence@parliament.vic.gov.au
Dear Premier and Ministers,
The Andrews Government has always said it's committed to "doing the right thing", to animal welfare and public safety. It's time to follow the lead of other states and end bird shooting in our state.
Here’s why.
Economics. Studies show there would be an economic benefit in banning bird shooting as other states have done. With rural communities crying out for a financial lifeline and over a million domestic and international tourists engaging in birdwatching in Australia (spending over $3 billion*), it makes sense to protect our natural wildlife assets.
Cruelty. Expert ballistics reports show at least one in four of the hundreds of thousands of birds shot each year in Victoria will not be killed outright but flap away to die a slow painful death. Many others will live to suffer permanent injuries. According to the government’s own research in 2020, 3 out of 5 licenced duck shooters don’t know how to shoot to minimise wounding and 87% don’t know the appropriate way to kill ducks they have shot and injured.
Sustainability. Populations of our native waterbirds and quail– many species unique to our country – are in significant and alarming long-term decline. .
Biodiversity. Threatened and protected species are killed as collateral damage of duck shooting seasons including the Freckled Duck, Australia’s rarest native duck. Two of the eight native duck species legally shot for decades, are now on Victoria’s threatened species list. Quail resemble the critically endangered Plains Wanderer, and quail shooters are not required to sit any accuracy ID tests. The continued use of toxic lead ammunition (legal in quail shooting, illegal in duck shooting) is ludicrous in the knowledge of serious adverse impacts to people and wildlife.
Safety. As acknowledged by an independent review in 2017, it is not possible to effectively monitor the thousands of public water bodies where recreational waterbird shooting is allowed, placing our wildlife and the public at risk. Many regional Victorians have expressed fears about their personal health and safety during bird shooting. The Government ‘s 2020 survey found many shooters ignorant of safety risks.
Democracy. Less than half of one percent of the population shoot ducks and quail. Professional polls continue to show most Victorians – city and country – want the pastime shooting to end.
Yours faithfully,
*Tourism Research Australia