South Australia duck shooting inquiry – how to make your voice count!

UPDATE: The public submission period for this Inquiry has now closed.

Thank you to the caring South Australians who spoke out on behalf of the ducks and other birds who deserve to live safely on the wetlands they call home. The committee will now consider the submissions and present recommendations to the South Australian Government in the coming months. In the meantime, please continue to contact your state MP and if you live outside of South Australia, you will find more information and ways to help native waterbirds here.

The SA Government has established a Select Committee to inquire into the recreational shooting of native birds.

This is the result of almost four decades of advocacy by animal protection groups, wildlife rescuers and the broader community who have relentlessly called on the government to end the cruelty for good. This is the closest we have ever come to seeing an end to duck shooting for good.

If you live in South Australia and care about animals, the environment and our precious wildlife — then we need your voice for ducks once more – hopefully for the very last time!

Some tips on making your submission count for waterbirds

The Inquiry process is a relatively simple one. Your submission does not need to be complex or lengthy.  This is the time for you to recall every email you have ever sent to your MP in opposition to ‘recreational’ shooting or every conversation you have had with friends and family about why we need to end duck shooting, and send it in the form of a submission.

Key points you may consider raising are that duck shooting is:

• Inherently and unavoidably cruel
• Damaging to native waterbird and quail populations and the environment
• Dangerous and distressing for those living in regional communities.

This article is full of information about duck shooting, and may be helpful to guide you when making a submission. Please ensure that you put your submission in your own words so that it has maximum impact.

How does the Parliamentary Inquiry process work?

As part of this review process, the Select Committee of the Legislative Council has been tasked with looking into and reporting on sustainability, environmental and animal welfare aspects, as well as community values and perspective.

The committee will hear oral evidence and receive written submissions as part of this process from all key stakeholders – not just the animal protection sector, but also from shooting associations and regional communities.

Please help us channel our collective desire for a safer future for ducks right now, so that they are given the strongest possible representation during this historic process.

Submissions should be emailed to scnativebirds@parliament.sa.gov.au before the closing date of the 19th of May.

We are so close…

We know it feels like we have been pointing out the same cruelty and calling for an end to duck shooting for years – we have. But please help us channel our collective desire for a safer future for ducks right now, so that they are given the strongest possible representation during this historic process.