Well.
What a wild time!
On behalf of rural communities around the state and our stunning native waterbirds who can't speak for themselves, THANK YOU to our wonderful supporters who help in so many different ways.
To the fabulously talented photographers who send us your truly stunning work, thank you.
To those who have shared with us your own personal stories of how duck shooting impacts your families and activities, thank you.
To those who add to the lively discussion on our Facebook page, thank you.
To the volunteers Victoria wide, including from places we'd never even heard of before, who all helped pound the pavement recently in the awareness campaign leading up to the election, thank you.
With blistered feet, cut hands (from postboxes that really should be outlawed) and aching limbs, we have a new found respect for posties!
With votes still bring counted, we are tentatively pleased that of the two major parties, in our view, the one showing most promise of doing the right thing by rural communities and by our struggling native waterbirds, is back in. Indeed our campaign may have helped them.
We hope the Andrews Government will follow the lead of other states who have banned the unpopular practise of duck shooting due to cruelty and a preference for the proven benefits of nature based tourism.
We truly hope progressiveness and a commitment to all Victorians can now be demonstrated.
Whilst we are mildly optimistic, we are also ready with BIG plans to fight should the right decision not be made.
Stay tuned.
Recreational duck shooting is banned in QLD, ACT, WA and NSW due to cruelty and a preference for ecotourism. In Victoria, less than 0.4% of the population shoot our native waterbirds (GMA license statistics), whilst over 87% want it banned (Morgan Poll).
Picture Australian Wood Duck juvenile. Monogamous and unique to Australia.
Of the Australian Wood Ducks surveyed in shooters' bags by authorities last year, sadly, 30% were juvenile. Unbelievably, despite the Pegasus report, we have been advised there were no surveys performed this year for wounded or unretrieved birds, or at least not a level worth reporting.