Firstly, many thanks to everyone who found a moment to contact politicians about the Victorian duck shooting season. Every letter urging a permanent ban on this outrageously cruel and archaic ‘sport’ was heard loud and clear. Never has there been such dissent in the Victorian halls of government about this issue.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 1600
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
Today a Victorian duck shooting season was called, albeit a briefer season, running from the end of April to the end of May. A bag limit of four birds has been set and shooting is not supposed to start until 8am but can be continued until half an hour after sunset. Even the very best birders would have difficulty identifying which ducks are flying in an after-dark flock; and it can be very dark after sunset on overcast days.
Hardhead (above) and Australasian (Blue-winged) Shoveler (below) are not to be shot this year as they have been declared threatened species due to seriously declining numbers. But they will be shot. Every season birds are shot that are not so-called ‘game species’. The list is sickening and includes endangered, threatened, vulnerable and protected species such as Freckled Duck, Musk Duck and Blue-billed Duck. It includes birds that look nothing like ducks, like swans, pelicans, raptors, coots, avocet and grebes. Waterbirds that are protected during every non-season month, but which can be shot during the season, are Pink-eared Ducks, Australian Wood (Maned) Ducks, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Ducks and Australian Shelduck.
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Canon 7D2, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
I felt duty-bound to spend time on the wetlands when my youngest daughter joined the Coalition Against Duck Shooting rescuers. I had shamefully (but understandably, I need to be a little kinder to myself here) avoided seeing and hearing peaceful wetlands shattered by the sounds of shotguns, jubilant shooters and distressed birds. Since then I have written many posts about duck shooting, I have been banned from birding pages because I spoke on behalf of our native birds, I have been trolled by shooters (who have become much quieter as the dissenting voices have become louder). And, although this is a sad day for birds and the vast majority of Victorians, it is fantastic that so many bird-lovers and politicians have spoken against duck shooting. A select committee will be established with broad terms of reference and is expected to hand down its final report by 31 August 2023. Keep a watchful eye out as the committee will be seeking information from everyone who cares about this issue.
Happy birding, Kim
PS If you would like more information about duck shooting in Victoria please click on the Season of Shame posts or search above for ‘CADS’, ‘duck shooting’ etc. Thank you for caring.
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It’s such a barbaric thing to do to our beautiful birds. How it can be allowed to continue is beyond me. Do the policy makers actually know what goes on during duck season? The average person is horrified by it. Duck season is such a distressing time for regional residents and wildlife carers, It certainly affects the mental health and well being of my family and neighbours let alone the poor birds.
Barbaric is the perfect word for it Josie. It beggars belief that yet another season has been called. I’m so sorry that it impacts your family and neighbours as well as the birds. Thank you for caring, Kim
Our hopes were raised a few weeks ago when the wave of support for these beautiful birds seemed to be bountiful enough to bring change. But once again we are shattered by this news.
Thank you to all those who work tirelessly for the ducks and in spite of set backs like this, continue to give hours of their time to fight for an end to a barbaric practice.
It did seem possible didn’t it Margot. I think it was very close and this truncated season is like a last hurrah for the shooters. This decision hasn’t made any one happy. The shooters are furious too, let’s hope the lower bag limit (what a revolting expression) will keep them at home.
More letters and emails each year and it doesn’t do any good. I really thought the groundswell of support for a ban meant it might not happen this year. Surely they can see that getting rid of it will be far more popular. But still they try to appease the few shooters by allowing a restricted season, and thinking that opposition will go away. The trouble is they assume all the shooters abide by the rules, only kill their 4 (which is bad enough), retrieve them and leave. But we know they don’t, and it can’t be policed. By its very nature, shooting with a shotgun is going to hit a lot more birds, and when they’re drunk and blasting away at everything, where are the compliance officers going to be? Just ban it – the few shooters don’t vote Labor anyway!
You are 100% right with your comments about the reality of the season Glenn – they’d make a great letter to the papers. But, I definitely believe our letters and emails are making a difference. There are far fewer shooters than there were (and far fewer ducks), more and more politicians are speaking out against it and fighting for a permanent ban. I was really hoping it would happen this year too… now let’s hope enough people get involved in the select committees report and that this season will be Victoria’s last.
This is indeed a day of shame. Shame on every cruel, ruthless, ignorant shooter who enjoys killing gentle, defenceless birds, leaving others to die in excruciating pain; allowing dogs to rip apart dying birds or just viciously ripping off heads with their bare hands. The politicians from Labor, Liberal, Nationals in Victoria, except for a very small group who publicly opposed this horrific activity which included only one Liberal, James Newbury, are all complicit and are to be condemned.
Interesting to note your comment Kim that you are BANNED from birding pages as many of these so called bird lover (and wildlife) organisations are more interested in funding than actual protection and fight for birds and wildlife. In the Kimberleys a massive oil/gas project was sited right next to a major migration site for migratory birds. I contacted one of the biggest bird associations and asked for their members to be informed and was told ‘we do not get involved in politics’. In other words when an another oil disaster occurs they are more interested in washing oil off the few birds that might still be alive but had no interest in trying to stop the disaster or deaths of thousands (remember Exxon Valdez, 24 March 1989, 36,115 dead seabirds).
For those interested in finding parties, politicians and candidates who are fighting for these beautiful, defenceless and voiceless birds and wildlife check out this group – Alliance for Animals. They have put together a very interesting scorecard showing which parties and which politicians do and DO NOT want to protect our unique and fastly disappearing wildlife.
Alliance for Animals
https://www.allianceforanimals.org.au/resources/media-release-victorian-parties-reveal-support-for-ban-on-duck-shooting-but-labor-remains-opposed
It is unbelievable that someone like you Kim who not only speaks out about protection and conservation of our birds and wildlife but actually walks the talk taking images of wild, unbaited birds without calling them in or using a flash and always showing total respect and care for your wonderful feathered friends.
To all those bird lovers never give up the fight because all these gorgeous birds we enjoy in Kim’s newsletters and photographs need us to keep fighting so we will eventually win.
Power to the people and peace to the world
I do remember the Exxon Valdez. Unforgettable. And how awful that you didn’t receive a more helpful response from the birding association. Sometimes common sense seems to get mired in the complexities of politics. Thanks for the information you’ve sent, I thought two Libs had spoken out but don’t have time to double-check that atm. And thank you so much Barbara for your passionate letter-writing about issues like this. I agree with you that we will eventually win, it’s just a heart-breaking wrench that many, many thousands more of our waterbirds will suffer while we’re waiting/fighting…
Dear Kim, do you recognise the text ?! Included in my email to VIC premier, my local and federal MPs (Labor) plus Green and AJP MPS…
I am writing to you as a very sad and disappointed Williamstown resident. This is a sad day for birds and for the vast majority of Victorians. I am usually proud of being Victorian and of being a Labor voter as I see both entities as progressive. But today I believe neither is progressive in allowing this cruel, barbaric and unnecessary “sport”.
Yes, I understand that you have made the season briefer but…
Shooting can continue until half an hour after sunset. Even the very best birders would have difficulty identifying which ducks are flying in an after-dark flock!!
Hardhead (above) and Australasian (Blue-winged) Shoveler (below) are not to be shot this year as they have been declared threatened species due to seriously declining numbers – but they will be shot.
Every season birds are shot that are not so-called ‘game species’. The list is sickening and includes endangered, threatened, vulnerable and protected species such as Freckled Duck, Musk Duck and Blue-billed Duck. It includes birds that look nothing like ducks, like swans, pelicans, raptors, coots, avocet and grebes. Waterbirds that are protected during every non-season month, but which can be shot during the season, are Pink-eared Ducks, Australian Wood (Maned) Ducks, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Ducks and Australian Shelduck.
And finally, so many of these birds do not die immediately but die slow, cruel deaths.
I trust that the select committee, expected to hand down its final report by 31 August 2023, will view the issue differently to your government.
Good on you Fiona! That is so right about the ‘slow, cruel deaths’. I had hoped that it would finally be a thing of the past in Victoria, hopefully we will have a different answer in August. It’s been such a long battle for Laurie and the rest of the CADS team but the number of shooters over those years has dropped dramatically (as have the number of ducks). It’s letters like yours that keep the pressure on the decision-makers, thank you, Kim
I have been writing to MPs for what seems an eternity about this . Nothing has changed . I have pushed environmental arguments , the economic worth of birdwatching and eco-tourism , the cruelty angle and nothing has provoked a response that is better than the usual pro-forma letter . It’s a disgrace once again .
Good on you Paul for keeping on writing, it is making a difference, not quickly enough but we’re getting there. And I agree with you about the pro-forma letters – though I get no response at all from most of them now. Actually, that’s since I pointed out that their pro-forma responses didn’t address my letter and could clearly be used as a response to anyone writing about the issue, even if they were wanting a longer season with a higher bag limit.
Thank you for your wonderful advocacy on this issue. Like all that you do, you do it brilliantly. I’m such a proud kid.
A big thumbs up for your beautiful pics and a big thumbs down to Victorian Labor for yet another year of shame.
And thank you for all you do, which is far, far more than I’ve been able to do. And a big thumbs up to all the politicians who are advocating for a ban, surely we are almost there!