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Duck shooting

The issue

Duck shooting is a senseless sport where hunters use scatter guns to target native waterbirds. These guns spray pellets over a wide area and as admitted by shooting groups, one in four ducks that are shot do not die instantly. Tragically they attempt to fly away, suffering a lingering and painful death, either from their wounds or from starvation. This suffering is made worse with poorly skilled shooters taking up to ten shots to end the suffering of wounded birds.

For nine months of the year, Victorian native waterbirds fall under statewide environmental protection. Sadly, from March to June however, this law does not apply and native ducks are permitted to be shot from the skies in the name of sport. During this time, only 15 government appointed Wildlife Officers are responsible for monitoring the 20,000 wetlands around Victoria to enforce the Wildlife Act.
Each year, Victoria’s duck shooting season opens in mid March for 12 weeks. During that time, Victoria’s 22,000 registered shooters are allowed to 'bag' 10 birds each per day.

Unfortunately the Government allows a full duck shooting season to go ahead. Year after year, shooting organisations and clubs are given the opportunity to plead their case in lengthy consultation periods with the government. However no such consultation is afforded to animal welfare organisations or the majority of the community who oppose this barbaric sport.

Once again, the decision to allow a duck shooting season is incredibly out of step with community views, and merely serves to appease a very small but vocal minority who care very little about the welfare of our native wildlife. Sadly, further news that duck shooting has moved from being handled by the Department of Sustainability and Environment to the Department of Primary Industries, demonstrates that the Victorian Coalition Government has not taken decisive action to protect our waterbirds.

Instead, the creation of a new body, Game Victoria, will operate within the Department of Primary Industries to “give Victoria's game hunting community a stronger voice and better enable the promotion and growth of the game sector”. The RSPCA had hoped that a new departmental approach to this issue would enable better outcomes for our wildlife under a new Minister, but sadly the opposite seems to be true.

The impact of duck shooting is nothing short of devastating. During the 2011 season, our animal welfare colleagues at the Coalition Against Duck Shooting recovered 630 birds that were shot and left to die in the water. Of these, 75 were protected or non-game species. The Coalition's dedicated rescuers are only a small group and they were unable to patrol all of Victoria’s wetlands. The impact on our native bird populations is devastating.

There is simply no future for duck shooting in Victoria. This violent sport has never been permitted in the Australian Capital Territory and three additional Australian states have now outlawed this cruel sport:

Western Australia in 1990.
New South Wales in 1995
Queensland in 2006.

The simple fact is that the majority of Victorians want the legalised shooting of native water birds to cease. Independent research conducted by Roy Morgan (2007) found that 87% of Victorians want duck shooting banned. In 2010, more than 31,000 people signed a joint petition from the RSPCA and the Coalition Against Duck Shooting to call for this cruel sport to be banned.

With such wide community support to ban duck shooting, why has the Victorian government so far ignored its constituents and turned its back on our native wildlife? The Field and Game Association and its shooting members are a very vocal group that in the past, has wielded considerable political influence.

The numbers of registered shooters are in steep decline however. There were approximately 95,000 duck hunters in Victoria in 1986.Today these numbers have dwindled to between 19,000 and 22,000, with many hunters registering their children to increase registrations (children as young as 12 are permitted to shoot ducks).
The RSPCA believes that shooters should divert their passion for duck hunting to clay target shooting. The Victorian Government is investing $13 million in a Multi-discipline Shooting Centre and there are 30 Clay Target Association-affiliated gun clubs in Victoria eager to welcome members.

The killing of native Australian wildlife for the enjoyment of a small portion of society must not continue.

Wood Duck image courtesy of Ashley Herrod, Birds Australia

Environment

Duck shooting interferes with the delicate ecosystems of Victoria's wetlands. Sadly, bird populations have not had an opportunity to replenish following many years of drought. Additionally, until lead shots were banned in the 1990's, duck shooting was responsible for leaching 350 tonnes of poisonous lead into Victorian waterways. These lead deposits will remain for 100 years, poisoning wildlife and damaging flora.

Duck shooters have also been found to pollute waterways, leaving behind spent cartridge shells and rubbish.

Population numbers

A 2008 aerial study of Victoria’s wetlands by University of NSW professor Richard Kingsford found that seasonal droughts had triggered a devastating 60% drop in duck populations between 2006 and 2007. Sadly, duck numbers had decreased by 80% in the past 25 years.

After years of drought, increased rainfall substantially improved the habitats of our native water birds. This has lead to a significant increase in breeding and populations of native birds across Victoria. These young birds are crucial to their species' survival but tragically, they are easy prey for hunters. Those not shot are often orphaned or simply suffer from the shock of exposure to gun fire.

Endangered species

Although Waterfowl Identification Tests have been introduced in Victoria, these tests don’t go far enough in protecting endangered species. Hunters are only required to sit this once, the pass rate is not 100% and evidence shows, despite this 'test', many hunters fire at birds before they have sufficiently identified the species. Hunters fire into flocks and the spray of pellets can easily wound birds flying with the target. Many non-game species such as swans, ibis and spoonbills are often fatally injured.

Chestnut Teal Duck image courtesy of Ashley Herrod, Birds Australia

Pro-Duck Shooting Arguments

Shooters often claim that their 'sport' helps regional communities and the environment. The RSPCA disputes these claims and maintains that duck shooting is a cruel, outdated 'sport' that has no place in the Victorian community.

Skip to:
Shooters invest in the environment
Ducks are pest
Duck shooting supports regional tourism
Duck shooting is tradition

The argument 'we invest in the environment'

Shooting organisations argue that they undertake environmental work to protect the wetlands. The lead shot problem in Victoria ’s waterways and the decimation of protected species negates any benefit provided by shooting organisations' environmental work. Duck shooting has a devastating impact on water bird populations.

A Field and Game Australia telephone survey of hunters after the 2006 Victorian duck season indicated that approximately 350,000 game species were shot. Yet a waterfowl count conducted before that season by the Department of Sustainability and Environment recorded only 182,487 game species of native ducks. Tragically that year and in many others, duck shooters hunted dangerously high numbers our native wildlife.

The argument 'ducks are pests'

Hunters suggest duck shooting is essential for ‘pest mitigation’. Native ducks are not pests or feral animals, they are integral elements of Victoria’s natural wetland ecosystems.

If some duck species have become pests for Victorian farmers, this does not justify open season hunting which allows hundreds of thousands of ducks to be slaughtered.

The argument 'we support regional tourism'

Some hunters argue that duck shooting brings tourism and commerce into small regional towns. An increase in visitation of shooters may indeed benefit the local economy but this would be a fraction of what would be earned if those same areas leveraged their local wetlands for bird watching.
Bird watching is big business - the international bird watching tourism industry is worth more than $23 billion every year.

Many regional Victorian communities have leverage their pristine environments and abundant wildlife to attract support via eco-tourism. Phillip Island attracts millions of tourists to its penguin parade. Warrnambool has developed a lucrative whale watching industry and bush walking tourism is a growing attraction in Victoria's high country. Eco-tourism could bring year-round international tourism to rural towns which would provide much more benefit that the 12 week shooting season.

The argument 'it's tradition'

Hunters argue that duck shooting is apart of Australian heritage. Although hunting ducks in early settlement may have been acceptable at one stage, there is no place for duck shooting in modern Australia.

Hunting ducks for food is unjustifiable. The ducks we eat are usually White Pekin ducks that are farmed and bred specifically for our tables. Like meat chickens, duck farmers selectively breed birds for consumption.

Pacific Black Duck image courtesy of Ashley Herrod, Birds Australia

Meet Penny, a dedicated duck rescuer

Victoria’s duck shooting season is a barbaric and senseless attack on our native waterbirds. For three months of the year, ducks are unprotected and shot from the skies, all in the name of ‘sport’. With research indicating that one in four ducks that are shot do not die instantly, but rather are left to suffer a slow and agonising death, these defenceless animals rely on dedicated rescuers who risk their own lives to protect our ducks.

“Along with all other animals ducks have no voice, so they need people to defend their rights”, says Penny, a passionate animal lover who dedicates her life to the welfare of animals. “They are peaceful creatures that deserve to be able to live an undisturbed life in their natural habitat. How would we like it if we were in our homes and an army of men with guns invaded?”

In 2011, after learning about the cruelty inflicted on native waterbirds, Penny became a rescuer with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting, determined to help wherever she could. ”When I first learned of this I thought it was a great thing that people were doing and left it at that. It wasn’t until I dug deeper and learned more about the surrounding issues and the plight of our wildlife really struck me; the combination of how the ducks and other native wildlife are left to suffer, the dependants of these animals who are left to either starve or be preyed upon, and the environmental issues that arose from these activities.”

During her two years as a duck rescuer, Penny has noticed some dramatic changes – the most notable being the decline in the number of hunters who are out on the wetlands. “From my first time out rescuing ducks to now, the most noticeable change I have seen are the numbers of hunters. There has been a dramatic fall in the number of hunters in comparison to last year. In my discussions with other rescuers who have been out on the wetlands since the 1990’s, there has been a steady fall in numbers of hunters.”

In 2012, Penny spent the opening weekend at the beautiful, and normally serene, Lake Buloke near Donald, where many hunters gather for the opening weekend of the duck shooting season.

“At the official opening time, hearing all the gun shots go off at the same time was nothing compared to last year; a true indication that hunter numbers were well down. I remember clearly the 2011 opening day - it sounded like a war. It almost brought me to tears watching the ducks fly up and then a number fall, followed by cheers from the shooters.”

As well as being a duck rescuer, Penny is also dedicated to teaching the younger generation about the importance of animal welfare, working as an Education Administration Officer at the RSPCA. Being such a passionate advocate for animals means that Penny will be out rescuing ducks and other waterbirds caught in the crossfire each and every year until this barbaric ‘sport’ is banned. “I have a passion for the wellbeing of all animals and believe they deserve the same respect we would expect to receive ourselves.”

Take action today and demand Premier Napthine protects our native waterbirds from the horrors of the duck shooting season.

If you would like to learn about becoming a duck rescuer with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting please visit their website.

Penny, duck rescuer

Media and resources

Below you will find links to articles, images and audio about duck shooting.
Please be aware that some of the images may be distressing.

Read our Media Releases

The Duck Shooting Season To Go Ahead 2013

The 2012 Duck Shooting Season Commences

Duck shooting in the media
2013
29 January	Public barred from Victorian wetlands during duck hunt

2012
26 March	Native birds suffer in a macho, shoot-em-up fantasy
22 March	Hunting a 'game' ducks can't win
29 March	Triple J Hack - Donald Duck Hunting (Please note the audio in this article contains language that may offend some listeners)
19 March	Duck hunt anger hits season
19 March	More protesters than ducks arrive for the shoot
18 March	Young, old and angry gather for the duck shoot
14 March	The duck hunting debate
16 February	Triple R Breakfasters with Sean ‘The Birdman’ Dooley (courtesy of Triple R)

Links

Coalition Against Duck Shooting

Photos


Wood Duck and Chestnut Teal Duck images courtesy of Ashley Herrod, Birds Australia.

Pacific Black Duck and Wood Duck family images courtesy of Ashley Herrod, Birds Australia.

The casualties of duck shooting (warning - distressing images below)


One in four ducks that are hit are not killed instantly and will fly away to suffer a lingering, painful death.		Duck shooting has a devastating impact on duck populations.

An independent survey found that 87% of Victorians want duck shooting banned.		Under current laws, duck shooters are allowed to kill up to 10 ducks per day over 12 weeks.

This Grey Teal duck was not retrieved and left to die from its wounds.

There are 4 important steps you can take today to end the violence against our native waterbirds.

Contact Premier Denis Napthine and Minister Peter Walsh

You can email the Premier at
denis.napthine@parliament.vic.gov.au or email the Minister at peter.walsh@parliament.vic.gov.au
(or, why not email them both!) and tell them you will not stand by and let this massacre continue.

Minister Walsh is responsible for once again launching a full 12 week duck shooting season for 2013.

Tell your local MP that you want action

Find your local MP by clicking here and let them know where you stand on duck shooting. Ask them to stand up for Victoria’s wildlife and be a voice for ducks.

Increase your impact

Make your voice even louder by writing a letter to the Premier and posting it to his office.

Premier Napthine might wish to ignore the fact that duck shooters make up less than half a percent of the community, but can he really ignore thousands of letters piling up on his desk demanding an end to this cruel and violent sport?

We have put together some information to help you get started. You may also wish to write to the Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh.

Stay informed and updated

You can email us at campaigns@rspcavic.org.au to be added to our campaign mailing list. We’ll keep you updated and share with you any progress we are making on this issue, including updates from fellow organisations such as the Coalition Against Duck Shooting.

You will also receive important updates on some of our other animal welfare campaigns.

Together we can make a real difference to ducks who need our protection and care.

Would you like to support our important campaign work?

If you have the time and want to help protect animals, you could register to become a campaign volunteer and help promote our important work throughout Victoria. Campaign volunteers will predominantly work from home and the time commitment can be flexible. Simply contact us at campaigns@rspcavic.org.au to register your interest and to find out more.

With no government funding supporting our campaign work, we rely solely on the generosity of the community to be able to spread our important animal welfare messages. Our work to ban duck shooting simply would not be possible without the help of those who are passionate about animal welfare. You can donate today to help support this vital aspect of our work.