A parliamentary inquiry released on Thursday has concluded recreational native bird hunting in Victoria should end as of 2024, with the state government having six months to respond to the report. Interested parties on all sides of the debate have made their opinion known on the inquiry.
“We’re disappointed,” Sale Field & Game spokesman Gary Howard told the Gippsland Times.
“Waterbirds are in decline, that includes all waterbirds, not just ducks … and the scientists that spoke to the panel made it clear that hunting had little or no effect on bird numbers.”
Mr Howard noted that conservation biologist Richard Kingsford had said that duck hunting had a small effect on waterbird population, and that loss of habitat was a major reason for the decline.
One of the recommendations of the inquiry is to convert existing state game reserves into outdoor recreation reserves.
“Well, that’s what they are already,” Mr Howard said, who described most of the reserves as “poorly maintained.”
“Anyone can use them at any time if you can access them.
“And the other thing is, these state game reserves would not be there if not for the duck hunters.”
Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien echoed these statements.
“The inquiry heard very clear evidence that habitat is the key to sustaining duck populations and that hunting has a very minimal impact,” Mr O’Brien said.
“I am acutely aware of the efforts of hunters around the state to maintain and improve wetland habitat.
“Indeed, had it not been for hunters in the 1950s and 1960s pressuring the government to establish State Game Reserves, many of our wetlands and therefore breeding grounds for native waterbirds would have been lost.”
The Legislative Council Select Committee in its report urged the state government to end the activity on all public and private land ahead of the upcoming season opening.
“The Committee’s rationale is driven by the considerable environmental evidence of long-term decline in native bird populations, and a worsening outlook as our climate continues to change,” Committee Chair and Labor MP Ryan Batchelor said.
“The Committee was also acutely aware of the animal welfare issues associated with native bird hunting, as well as the amenity loss of large areas of public land to the overwhelming majority of the Victorian public during the hunting season.”
The Animal Justice Party welcomed the report, with Regional Group Leader for Gippsland Austin Cram saying the party had been calling for an end to duck shooting in Victoria since its formation, and its supporters even longer.
“We were gratified to hear that an end to Victoria’s yearly season of cruelty is one step closer with the tabling of the select committee’s report on Thursday 31st August,” Mr Cram said.
“The select committee, including Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell, toured Regional Victoria during the consultation and held a hearing day in Sale to hear from both shooters and rescuers alike.”
Mr Cram said he was pleased to see the committee had listened to community feedback, with the first recommendation being to end the yearly season from 2024.
“Even with committee members from the Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, the evidence on population decline and the poor welfare afforded to our native ducks could not be ignored,” he said.
“We also welcome the committee’s recommendation that state game reserves, including Heart Morass and many others on the Gippsland coast, be converted to outdoor recreation reserves, so they can be enjoyed by Gippsland families year-round.
“The next step is for the government to accept the recommendations and legislate a ban, and we’ll keep up the pressure until they do – because native animals can’t speak for themselves.”
In addition to advocating a ban on native bird hunting, the final report has made further recommendations including:
- Retaining existing exemptions for controlling native bird populations impacting agricultural and other land;
- Retaining traditional owner hunting rights under current legislation;
- Convert existing state games reserves into outdoor recreation reserves;
- Providing extra resources to better control invasive species, and;
- Extra protections for Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.
Campaign Director for the Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CAD) Laurie Levy said the report was “fantastic”, and that they’ve been fighting duck hunting for 38 years. He also said he believed there was a “very good chance” that the state government would implement a ban.
“There are so few duck shooters … it costs the government millions of dollars to keep duck shooting going,” he said.
“All of our wetlands in this state could be opened up for nature-based tourism. And that’s really where the money is. The Phillip Island (penguins) are the role model.”
Indigenous Australians would be exempt from a duck shooting ban if the government followed through with the recommendations, but traditional elder Ian Hunter expressed concern about this.
“If we are allowed to do it then everybody should be allowed to do it. Otherwise it will cause friction between the different groups”, Mr Hunter told the Herald Sun.
Asked if he objected to Traditional Owners retaining the right to hunt, Mr Laurie said he was surprised to see that recommendation in the report.
“The vast majority of the Dja Dja Warrung and the Yorta Yorta people … and other clans do not want shooting on their wetlands,” he said.
“We would support the Indigenous clans who didn’t want duck shooting on their wetlands.”
If it’s not banned, Mr Laurie said the CAD will return to the wetlands and continue their fight against duck hunting.
Premier Daniel Andrews has previously expressed support for duck hunting, but acknowledged not everyone agreed with him. He said the cabinet would consider the report.
One of the minority reports was written by Labor MP and Yorta Yorta woman, Sheena Watt, who opposes a ban. She said there were mental health benefits to duck hunting, and recommended more stringent regulations and oversight.
RSPCA Victoria chief executive Dr Liz Walker called on the state government to legislate a ban. The organisation had participated in the inquiry.
“This report is the next crucial step to end native bird hunting in Victoria,” Dr Walker said.
“The evidence is clear; the high wounding rates for ducks and quail highlight the inherent and inevitable pain and suffering experienced by hundreds of thousands of ducks and quail each year – and that is why it needs to be banned.”
Jeff Bourman of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party of Victoria, a member of the committee, and MP representing Eastern Victoria Region, slammed the report.
“The report was delivered on time and that’s the only positive thing I can say about it,” he said.
“It’s mind blowing that the government is giving in to a city-centric vocal minority that will just move on to something else they don’t like and try to get it banned, think horse and greyhound racing.”
The state Liberals and Nationals have called the report “biased”, with Gippsland East MP Tim Bull calling on the government to reject its findings.
“What we saw today was not surprising at all with the Greens, Animal Justice Party and Labor MPs opposed to duck hunting, coming up with a finding in the majority report we all knew was coming but, in my view, common sense findings are in the minority report,” Mr Bull said.
Mr Bull commended his colleague Melina Bath for the work she undertook as a member of the committee.
“The extensive Liberals and Nationals minority report recommends the continuation of bird harvesting in Victoria in a safe, responsible and sustainable way,” he said.
Ms Bath said: “This Inquiry has been driven by ideological and political purpose as payback for support for other issues in the Upper House.”
Electrical Trades Union boss Troy Gray said the union will campaign against a duck hunting ban.
The five-month inquiry accepted a record 10,402 public submissions and involved multiple site visits and six days of public hearings.
“I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who took the time to make a submission, to all witnesses who attended public hearings to provide evidence and other stakeholders who gave up their time to escort the Committee on site visits,” Mr Batchelor said.
“Your contribution has greatly helped the Committee in its deliberations and in formulating the report’s final findings and recommendations.”
On Monday, June 26 the committee came to Sale in order to gauge local insights into duck hunting, with supporters and opponents alike coming forward to have their say.
Wellington Shire Council had indicated its support for hunting to continue, noting Field & Game Australia’s preservation of Heart Morass, the economic benefits that hunters bring to the region, and how a high number of ducks can impact the agricultural sector.
