During ‘shooting season’, Victoria’s picturesque wetlands — usually peaceful havens for our unique wildlife — are transformed into government-sanctioned killing fields.
The result is decimated wetlands, and animals left to suffer with shattered bills and broken wings.
During the recent Inquiry into the hunting of native waterbirds in the state, evidence of this deeply concerning long-term decline of waterbird populations was brought to light.
The Aerial Surveys of Waterbirds in Eastern Australia reveal most “game” populations are in dire decline. In fact, five of the eight ‘game’ species of ducks continue to show significant long-term declines in abundance. In spite of this, the Victorian Government decided to allow the slaughter to continue.
Previously hunted, the Blue-winged Shoveler and Hardhead are now on Victoria’s threatened species list… The Victorian Government cannot afford to wait for more species to be pushed to the brink as others have.
In just the first week of the 2023 shooting season, 73 native waterbirds who were shot and left to die were assessed by Wildlife Victoria’s vet triage team – sadly, all had to be euthanised due to the severity of their gunshot wounds, including eight threatened species illegally shot. It’s estimated over 350,000 ducks were killed in the state in that season alone – not including those wounded and left to die on the wetlands.
Native ducks and sometimes even endangered and ‘protected’ birds are gunned down by shooters, their fragile bodies shattered by pellets.
The ‘lucky’ ones are killed instantly. The unlucky ones — an estimated one out of every four birds shot — will suffer for days or even weeks before finally succumbing to their injuries. Perhaps most awful of all? This cruelty is inflicted upon defenceless animals in the name of a ‘sport’ that the majority of caring Australians oppose.
This image contains content which some may find confronting.
To make an awful situation worse, according to the government’s own survey, shockingly few Victorian shooters understand the ‘rules’ when it comes to killing waterbirds. In light of the survey findings, the Victorian Government is knowingly letting shooters onto the wetlands who don’t have the necessary animal welfare knowledge, don’t know which ducks they can legally shoot and which species are ‘protected’, and on top of this, don’t understand close-range shooting safety risks.
Despite all the evidence, the Victorian Government is appeasing the minority (shooters), ignoring the majority of Victorians, and threatening the long-term survival of our native wildlife.
Lead ammunition is still being used by some shooters in the state, despite being banned for two decades – yet another example of the rules in place failing to protect wildlife. After causing an excruciating death for birds who are shot and escape, lead remains in the environment for years, posing a threat to protected animals like wedge-tailed eagles and scavenging wildlife.
The high levels of lead found in ducks at four Victorian waterways in the past four years indicate a potential risk to human health too. Uncovered in Freedom of Information documents, levels were “well above” food safety standards. The EPA was advised to investigate the potential risks to the environment and to humans before the commencement of the 2021 ‘shooting season’, however the government is still yet to issue any public health warnings.
Victoria is years behind the progress of other states. Duck shooting was banned in WA, NSW and QLD in the 90s and early 2000s on animal cruelty and environmental protection grounds. A ban in Victoria is long overdue.
Please continue to urge the government to acknowledge the scientifically validated survey findings as well as the irrefutable evidence of duck shooting cruelty, and properly protect Australia’s waterbirds for good.
Processing...
Education ends cruelty.
Hear from us when
it matters.
