MEDIA RELEASE
Another Recreational Native Bird Shoot Announced Despite Rising Opposition
Premier Challenged:
“Come Experience The Carnage You Condone”
Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting inc.
In 2022, we didn't think we would have to use this picture, again.
Despite increasing numbers of Victorians demanding an end to it, another recreational native bird shoot has been approved in Victoria, causing outrage around the state.
Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting inc (RVOTDS) say the Saturday announcement seemed a “pretty gutless” attempt to keep the unpopular announcement under the radar.
The bird shoot will start March 16 and run for “three long months”, 25% of the year, at “so many thousands of public lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, waterways and reservoirs that no government authority has been able to estimate whether they number closer to 8000 or 15,000, let alone signpost or monitor them.” Many shooting areas are near family homes, and most are near other unsuspecting recreational users.
"The Andrews government has again shown it is more concerned with a minority group of bird shooters, than with regional communities."
- RVOTDS
No social / economic impact studies have ever been done on anyone other than a small group of shooters. No cost-benefit analysis has been done to account for the cost to Victorians of compliance monitoring, or lost tourism, of stock being sent through fences or the inability to work from home because of shooting. Most local businesses will tell you, duck shooting does not bring the bucks - if anything, it deters them.
To declare three months of gunfire, from before sunrise, in close proximity to residents, animals and other recreational users, with no risk assessment and ignoring community pleas for exclusion zones, shows no regard whatsoever to regional communities.
"We challenge Mr. Andrews to bring his family to stay by a waterway in regional Victoria between March 16 and June 13. It’s time he experienced the carnage he condones."
Ongoing polls* show most Victorians – particularly regional – want duck shooting banned. Less than half of one percent of the population take part in this pastime which other states banned long ago due to cruelty.
At least one in four of the tens of thousands of birds shot each season are wounded only, flapping off to die slow painful deaths elsewhere. "In fact, Game Management Authority put it at one in three – not that they’re doing much about it. If this cruelty happened in an abattoir it would be shut down”.
In an election year, questions hang in the community about whether the major parties are listening to constituents or favoring the whims of their financial donors.
Other quotes by Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting inc.
“This is a very disturbing decision made by our government during an age when we are better educated on the fragile status of our environment. All our efforts and resources should be put toward protecting our native wildlife and their habitats. We are dumbfounded at the ignorant short sightedness and “head in the sand” approach this government is taking.”
“When our rural communities are crying out for opportunities to benefit from the booming trend of nature-based tourism which is hampered by shooting, stuck in the fifties is where this government is leaving us. Victorians deserve better.”
*Recent polls include UComms January 2021 and RSPCA’s poll.
To our wonderful supporters:
We know how many letters you have written, how many calls you have made, how many requests to meet with your local Members of Parliament, re this issue.
Thank you.
For you, for our beautiful birds and the communities who love being home to them, we are stepping up the fight. And we know you are with us.
If you can help, please:
Unlike shooting clubs, RVOTDS receives no government funding. No matter how small an amount you can help us with, it all adds up to help us with FOI requests, our awareness campaigns, and even legal fights which we are keen to ramp up, so thank you!
Any spare time or special skill sets you have would be greatly appreciated. Please email us and thank you!
Protected Australian native Blue-billed duck - collateral damage in recreational duck shooting. Picture Nalini Scarfe