Duck massacre on the cards
12 March
It’s official — most of eastern Australia is in the grip of a serious drought. In a desperate bid to survive, thousands of ducks — including threatened Freckled Ducks — have flocked to Victoria’s rapidly drying wetlands seeking refuge.
However, Victoria’s wetlands will provide little refuge over the next 12 weeks as the Victorian Government has declared a full duck-hunting season, starting this weekend, with hunters allowed to kill up to 10 ducks a day for the entire season.
“A duck hunting season should not have been declared this year,” said Dr Jenny Lau, Conservation Manager at BirdLife Australia, Australia’s peak bird conservation organisation.
“BirdLife Australia calls on the Victorian Government to cancel this year’s duck season.”
“Waterfowl and other wetland birds have become concentrated on Victorian wetlands because there is simply nowhere else for them to go,” continued Dr Lau. “They have literally become sitting ducks.”
“Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh was well aware of the worsening drought in eastern Australia when he declared a full duck season last December. He was aware that wetlands in Queensland and NSW had dried out completely and ducks were moving into Victoria seeking refuge, and he knew that the seasonal outlook for Victoria was for a drier-than-average summer.”
One of the Government’s own criteria for closing wetlands to hunting is the need to provide refuge for waterbirds during periods of drought — and with nearly 80 per cent of Queensland now officially in drought and NSW having just endured its driest summer for decades, Victoria’s wetlands provide just such a refuge.
Ministers Walsh and Smith have now closed six wetlands due to the presence of threatened species, which is good news. However, the high concentration of birds on rapidly drying wetlands leaves plenty of potential for a repeat of last year’s Box Flat massacre when hundreds of Freckled Duck and other protected species were killed in a shooting spree on opening day.
“The Victorian Government must take proper measures to monitor the actions of shooters and prosecute those that break the law.”
Ironically, some of the wetlands which are still holding water, such as Lake Elizabeth in the north of the state, have received environmental water.
“Environmental water is used to maintain healthy wetlands and support the wildlife that needs them to survive,” said Dr Lau. “It’s perverse that the Victorian Government has encouraged ducks and other waterbirds to breed in these swamps and lakes, only to allow hunters to kill them!”
http://www.birdlife.org.au/media/duck-massacre-on-the-cards?ref=like
Disgusting. There should be no need of this in a country like Australia. I just can't understand how this is necessary or justified!
It seems to me that after a decade or so of increased environmental sensitivity in our great nation the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. Have we nature lovers been complacent? Or are the dark forces of environmental destruction proving too powerful at the moment. My impression is that the If it Grows Cut it Down, If it Moves Shoot it culture is back with a vengeance. Recent government decisions across Australia provide ample evidence to support this notion.
What to do about it? There are a number of environmental websites which run petitions on various environmental issues & to which nature lovers can contribute. Apart from making noises in appropriate places I believe actions speak louder than words which means that our behaviour, particularly in our backyards, parks, gardens, on our farms & along our creeks & rivers needs to reflect our environmental values. In my experience it's a waste of time & energy trying to debate with those in the anti-natural environment movement. It's time & energy which could be better used protecting & restoring our neighbourhood natural ecologies. Providing high quality environmental models as stark contrasts with the environmental destruction currently wreaking havoc in Australia is my preferred strategy for trying to protect what is left of nature in Australia.
I'm wondering what others feel about this critical issue & what strategies have been devised for responding to rampant environmental devastation.
On the NineMSN webpage, they are taking a poll on whether duck hunting should be allowed in Australia. Usually one can roughly predict the weighting of pros and cons on these types of polls (some of the questions can be pretty banal). But on this occasion I was surprised to see the result to date being Yes 332,000 and No 62,000. IF these polls can provide any kind of indicators at all, then indeed this is a poor attitude in our community to the protection of wildlife. I'm not sure if it is a result of a swing in the environmental pendulum that Woko refers to, or just an embedded culture. Either way, I despair. I'm not sure that the Greens can claim too much kudos for their efforts in advancement of conservation and the environment. They are spending too much time in fields way outside the green spectrum and losing community support and respect. I wish they would just stick to green issues and stop alienating the community. Without a community sympathetic to conservation and the environment, the "dark forces of environmental destruction" will ever be victorious.
I thought they mainly hunted Pacific Black Ducks and Teals, I was unaware 8 species total are considered fair game in Victoria:
http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fishing-and-hunting/game-hunting/australian-waterfowl/waterfowl-legal-game
:(
No to mention other species killed accidentally (or alas occasionally deliberately), as well as bird disturbed and stressed.
Indeed society seems to be going back to the dark ages, there are glimmers of hope, of recent alright numbers showed up to protest the WA govt's bizarre and barbaric approach to marine predator conservation.
I tend to agree Woko, and while I am loathe to air politics in a bird forum, I think it is tied strongly to conservative governments (at least federally and here in Qld). The economic growth argument seems to rule the roost over and above the valuing of anything that gets in the way of that.
Personally, I strongly believe the impact on the environment needs to be factored into the cost of doing business, rather than simply allowing business to use the environment as a free resource.
Certainly many of these decisions being made are about political appeasement or objectives rather than sound factual decision making (e.g. Tasmanian Forestry Agreement, sporting shooters in NSW national parks etc) and it appalls me.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/03/15/16/47/vic-duck-hunt-fight-to-continue-opponents
'...15,000 hunters expected to turn out for the 2014 season's opening weekend.
Hunters copped 23 infringement notices and one will face court for shooting a protected freckled duck, a penalty drawing up to a $35,000 fine or two years' jail, Department of Environment officials said.'
15,000 hunters; 10 ducks each... 150,000 ducks on the first day. So potentially, these hunters could legally kill 12.6 million ducks over the course of the season. Not counting any that don't turn up for the first day's shooting.
Of course the real numbers would be much lower, but still appalling!
Timmo said:
I tend to agree Woko, and while I am loathe to air politics in a bird forum,
,,,,so do I . But as this was published by "birdlife", I though it was safe for me to post here
( I have become a lot more careful in what I can or can't say on here now, without having one foot in you know where
)
But it can't escape me, or anybody else, how powerful the Shooters Lobby (shoot anything that moves because it's my given right as an Australian lobby) really is.
Well, I'm also an Australian, but I don't see it as my right, and no native Duck is killed in my name.
M-L
Very safe to post these thoughts here M.L, appropriate to the heading of General, and while some "don't like" to comment on politics, duck hunting is relevant here, and inevitably generates political discussion. I know (at least I think I do), that all here will be against the duck season in any form. I think timmo does not normally comment on political issues, on such sites, I see his thoughts as constructive to this discussion, and demonstrates his passion for the birds. We all need to be proactive in lobbying not only political parties, but also relatives, friends and colleagues to work toward a total and permanent ban of this barbaric practice. If it were a cull of feral/introduced species, then I would be more supportive, but as has been demonstrated, uncommon and rare species are not excluded from the shooter's sights.
We all know how difficult it can be to ID species (there a many experts here, but most would struggle), so what hope have we of the average shooter being able to accurately ID species at distance and on the move?
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Firstly let me say I don't shoot ducks nor do I condone the shooting of ducks ,that being said Im afraid the public has been miss informed about this, the states that have stopped duck season still have duck shooting its just done differently under things like crop protection a permit can be issued to protect crops like rice under these permits there is no bag limits no one looking over their shoulders to make them acountable if they shoot the wrong birds and they can shoot as many as they want and its all on private land so they can do as they please.
The animal libers called it a victory when the season in NSW was stopped ,more are shot there now than ever before ,dosen't sound like much of a victory to me !
If you want to lobby to stop duck season do so but don't think for one moment it will save any ducks it will just take it out of the public eye and make you feel a bit better, I would hate to see NSW style pemit here.
In Victoria we do look over their shoulders and make them accountable we set limits make them sit ID tests, close wetlands where endangered birds are in numbers we close the season when breeding numbers are down and we hound them as a result shooter numbers are down this is the way to do it if you stop duck season they will just change the way its done so you wont see it ,keep the season but restrict and regulate them until its just not worth it and they go rabbit shooting insted, in the long run this will save more ducks .
The Pink-eared Duck, an agricultural pest of grain crops to be culled in NSW? (despite feeding on aquatic invertebrates...)
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20130620005
'...The contention by the member for Sydney that the pink-eared duck has no effect on grain farmers is a fallacy. It is dependent on plankton, crustaceans, molluscs and insects. It also consumes soft fruit, berries, leaves and shrubs, small aquatic insects, cereals and grains, flowers, nectars, fish, snakes and lizards. It is well-known that if this duck finds itself in an area that does not have the food it traditionally eats it will start consuming other things. It is this adaptability to varying conditions that presents a problem. Although the pink-eared duck is widespread across Australia there were certain regions of Queensland where it was rarely seen. However, in recent times there have many sightings of the pink-eared duck in Queensland.
The pink-eared duck is an inquisitive animal that tends to congregate in water ponds and shrubs. The concaves it makes to nest in also become home to other birds. For example, it is similar to the Indian myna birds that are often at loggerheads with doves that are nesting in pine trees.'
Zosterrops ,this is the exact type of crap I was on about they don't call it an "open season" they call it a "cull" that way they can shoot as many as they want in the name of "pest control measures" some of the reasons they come up with for "culling" diferent speices are mind boggling they can call it what they like its a duck season ! only with out bag limits or any restrictions that would normally be in place so much for saving ducks.
Absurd indeed, sparrow.
I would be particularly interested in a peer-reviewed source for a Pink-eared Duck consuming a snake...
I looked it up and found this, I'm intrigued by the assertion by the Shooter's Party MP that 'Being on the target list will benefit the bird'...
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/duck-season-puts-ofarrell-in-crosshairs-20130621-2onxa.html
Let's dump Duck Season and introduce Indian Mynah season? A bounty of $2-00 for every carcass turned in...
Just look at the NSW State Government and how that dickhead from the bogan style Shooters Party has part of the balance of power and has manipulated the re-introduction of shooting feral animals in our state National Parks...
Sure, we need to remove introduced feral animals from our parks, but let it be done by professionals and not weekend gun toting trigger itchy yobbo's from the suburbs!
M-L,
Personally, I think it is totally fine and appropriate that you raised this - general political comment in relation to actions of the government of the day that impact birds seems totally relevant to the forum.
My comment was strictly in regard to bringing in my own party political views about conservative governments.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/mar/18/duck-hunting-season-opens-with-tougher-laws-aimed-at-protesters
Correct, not all shooters are "Elmer Fudds" but as we all know, bad publicity travels quicker than good...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-18/game-victoria-probes-protected-birds-shooting/5327552