2011/04: Should the duck hunting season have been extended in Victoria?
What they said...
'Every animal is a living creature and should not suffer unnecessarily as a result of hunting'
From Field and Game Australia Inc's Code of Conduct and Ethics
'Studies show that for every duck retrieved, a wounded bird flies off, often suffering a lingering death'
Age editorial January 14, 2011
The issue at a glance
On January 12, 2011, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) announced that Victoria's duck hunting season would be extended to 12 weeks after above-average rainfall had led to increased waterfowl habitat and breeding.
In Victoria the season will run from March 19 to June 13, with hunters allowed to shoot a maximum of 10 game ducks per day.
Ms Kylie White from the DSE said significant rainfall over the past 12 months had increased habitat for waterfowl including game and bird populations and that as a result Victoria could sustain a return to normal seasonal arrangements in 2011.
This position has been completely rejected by a range of animal welfare and environment groups.
Mr Laurie Levy, the head of the Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CADS) has stated that the decision was 'irresponsible' as Victorian water birds are only just beginning to recover from the drought. Mr Levy and others fear that this decision could significantly endanger water bird populations in south-eastern Victoria.
Background
(The following information is an edited version of that supplied by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment at HERE
Information has also been drawn from a Ballarat Courier editorial which can be read at
HERE
Current status of duck hunting in Australia
Recreational duck hunting in Australia is managed with the intention of maintaining game bird species at sustainable levels. Authorities set bag limits and season dates in an attempt to ensure that hunting does not threaten the conservation status of any game species.
Recreational duck hunting is permitted in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. However, recreational duck hunting is not permitted in the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, although some ducks may be shot under pest management programs.
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania require that all hunters pass a waterfowl identification test before they are permitted to hunt ducks. This is intended to ensure that all licensed duck hunters can adequately identify game and non-game water birds while in the field. Hunters should contact the wildlife authority in the state or territory that they wish to hunt to find out what the legal requirements are, before entering the field.
Hunters may incur heavy penalties for shooting non-game species including: fines; seizure of firearms and/or equipment; loss of licence; and, in some instances, jail sentences.
States and territories that allow recreational duck hunting declare in legislation which species are considered game. To be declared game, species are generally common and occur in large numbers. The species declared vary from state to state.
Immediate past history of duck hunting in Australia
For the best part of a decade the issue has been dormant, with the drought reducing water levels and duck numbers to the point where most hunting seasons have been shortened or cancelled altogether.
Shooters have also diminished in number. Many gun owners handed in their weapons as part of the former Howard government's amnesty invoked after the Port Arthur tragedy. Others appear to have found the lack of shooting opportunities enough to give up the sport.
Despite reduced numbers, the shooters' lobby still remains influential, particularly in rural areas where the new Victorian Coalition government holds many seats.
Internet information
On November 12, 2007, the Roy Morgan Research Centre issued a media release giving the results of a poll the Centre had conducted in October on Victorian attitudes to duck hunting. The poll found a large majority of Victorians were opposed to the sport. The full text of their release can be found at http://www.duck.org.au/images/pdf/poll2007nov27_roymorgan02.pdf
Animals Australia has produced a Duck Shooting Fact Sheet which outlines its arguments against duck shooting. It considers cruelty, threats to protected bird species, threats to others species and the declining popularity of the sport. It also attempts to answer some of the claims made in support of duck shooting. The full text of this fact sheet can be found at HERE
Field and Game Australia Inc has a section of its Internet site given over to addressing what it refers to as 'Hunting Myths'. Here it looks at many of the claims made by the opponents of hunting (in particular duck hunting) and gives the group's counterarguments. The full text of this set of counterarguments can be found at HERE
Field and Game Australia Inc has also developed a 'Hunting Code of Conduct and Ethics' which it has published on its Internet site and which it expects all its members to abide by. The full text of this code of conduct can be found at http://www.fga.net.au/hunting-code-of-conduct-ethics/w3/i1028105/
The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment also has 'Guidelines for ethical hunting of waterfowl'. These can be found at HERE
The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment also requires duck hunters to pass a waterfowl identification test. Information in relation to this test can be found at HERE
On March 1, 2010, Associate Professor Graham Hall of the School of Animal Studies, University of Queensland, published a paper titled, 'Adaptive management of duck hunting in Australia: An assessment of issues'.
Professor Hall offers a sophisticated and challenging assessment of the issues involved, however, his final conclusion appears to be that hunting may be necessary as part of the sustainable management of duck populations. The full text of this paper can be found at HERE
On October 28, 2010, the ABC's opinion site The Drum Unleashed published an opinion piece by Elizabeth Anile titled, "Duck shooting: unsustainable and brutal'. Ms Anile is Director of Australian Teens Against Animal Cruelty (ATAAC) and a journalism student at RMIT. The full text of Ms Anile's arguments against duck hunting can be found at HERE
On January 11, 2011, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) issued a media release titled, 'New Government. New approach to duck shooting? Not a chance!' The release anticipates the Baillieu government's decision to extend the duck hunting season in Victoria and condemns that decision. The full text of that media release can be found at HERE
The RSPCA is opposed to duck hunting. The basis for the Society's general opposition to duck hunting can be found at HERE
The Society's response to the Victorian government's decision to extend the duck hunting season in that state can also be found at HERE
On January 12, 2011, the Department of Sustainability and Environment issued a media release titled, 'Favourable conditions mark return to a standard duck season in 2011'. The release announces that Victoria will return to a 12 week duck hunting season in 2011 and gives the reasons for this decision. The full text of this media release can be found at HERE
On January 12, 2011, Field and Game Australia Inc. issued a media release titled, 'Duck Season Announcement Welcomed as Waterfowl Breeding Continues to Flourish'. Field and Game Australia Inc is stating its support for the Department of Sustainability and Environment's announcement on the same day that the duck hunting season in Victoria would be extended to twelve weeks in 2011. The media release gives a number of reasons for its support of this decision. The full text of the media release can be found by following the relevant link at HERE
On January 12, 2011, the Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CADS) issued a media release titled, '"Irresponsible" duck shooting season: legal action to protect species from shooters'. The release presents a range of arguments against the re-opening of the duck hunting season in Victoria and south-eastern Australia generally. The full text of this media release can be found at HERE
On January 13, 2011, The Courier published an editorial titled 'Full lakes means it's open season on duck hunting'. Though the editorial suggests that Mr Laurie Levy may be too strident to have an impact on government policy, it actually avoids taking a stance on duck hunting. Instead it briefly considered some of the perceived political alliances that may have contributed to the change of policy. The full text of this editorial can be read at HERE
On January 13, 2011, Birds Australia issued a media release titled, 'Another Fowl Political Decision'. Birds Australia is an Australia-wide bird conservation group. The release outlines Birds Australia's arguments against the extension of the duck hunting season in Victoria. The full text of this media release can be found at HERE
On January 14, 2011, The Age published an editorial titled 'State takes two steps back on conservation'. The editorial criticises the decisions of the Baillieu government to both reintroduce cattle to the Alpine National Park and to extend the duck season in Victoria. The full text of the editorial can be found at HERE
On February 18, 2011, The Punch published an opinion piece by Geoff Russell titled, 'Guns don't kill ducks; heartless bastards kill ducks'. The piece looks in detail at the pain inflicted on ducks by duck hunters. The full text of this piece can be found at HERE
Arguments in favour of the extension of the duck hunting season
1. With the end of the drought duck numbers have grown large enough to make duck hunting once more sustainable
It has been claimed that duck populations have grown since the end of the drought, making it safe to again have a duck season.
Kylie White, the Executive Director of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, has stated, 'Significant rainfall over the past 12 months has increased habitat for waterfowl including game bird populations."
This in turn has triggered extensive breeding and wide dispersal of waterfowl across Eastern Australia's wetlands. As a result, Victoria can sustain a return to normal seasonal arrangements in 2011.'
Ms White further stated, 'The 2011 Victorian duck hunting season will run from 19 March 2011 to 13 June 2011, and the normal regulated bag limit will provide adequate protection for game duck populations, based on these favourable environmental conditions.'
Kylie White, the Executive Director of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, has stated, 'The Victorian Government will continue to work closely with the Victorian Hunting Advisory Committee to ensure that the duck season is safe and sustainable.'
The media release issued by the Department of Sustainability and Environment on January 12, 2011, further stated, 'The structure and arrangements of the 2011 duck season are based on regular monitoring and on-site assessment of waterfowl and the environment.
DSE will work in partnership with hunting organisations to ensure adequate information about the current hunting arrangements and regulations, including season dates and bag limits, are provided to hunters.'
Field and Game Australia has stated, 'Claims that duck hunting threatens the viability of duck populations is simple mischief making. Duck numbers are studied all year round in all parts of the country. There is no evidence to show that the well managed and limited duck seasons in Australia have any adverse impact on duck numbers.'
2. Duck hunters do not inflict avoidable pain on their prey and most birds are killed outright
Duck hunters dispute that they leave large numbers of birds injured and perhaps to die slow and painful deaths.
Field and Game Australia Inc has stated, 'Hunters respect their quarry and their constant aim is a quick kill. Contrary to widely circulated myths about duck hunting wounding rates; US research has indicated that the reality is that more than 90% of birds taken are killed outright.'
All members of Field and Game Australia Inc adhere to a 'Hunting Code of Conduct and Ethics'. The first element of this code I animal welfare. The Code states 'Every animal is a living creature and should not suffer unnecessarily as a result of hunting.' The Code goes on to elaborate, 'Every hunter's objective is to achieve the instantaneous death and efficient recovery of every targeted animal or bird.'
The Code further states, 'Having positively identified a target species, hunters should only shoot if they are sure: it is safe to do so; the target is within range; the gun/cartridge combination being used is appropriate for the type and size of animal targeted; the hunter is confident of hitting and killing the animal or bird; the hunter is able to recover the shot animal or bird.'
Field and Game Australia Inc stresses that its members are ethical people who strive to hunt in an humane manner without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the birds they hunt. The final point in its members' code states, 'It is important to...be considerate and courteous always demonstrating to the public that hunters behave responsibly and practice ethical and sustainable hunting practices.'
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has produced guidelines for the ethical hunting of waterfowl. These include the following recommendations, 'Once you are sure it is a game species: single out your bird; do not fire into flocks, as this may injure other birds, including protected species.
Further, it is very important to make sure that the bird is within range, before you pull the trigger. Good hunters know their personal shooting capabilities and the capabilities of their firearms and do not shoot at ducks beyond a range of 30 metres.'
The same ethical guidelines include the following statement, 'All ethical duck hunters will ensure that ducks are not unduly harassed during a hunt. The improper and illegal use of boats or vehicles is considered to be highly unethical and is inconsistent with the concept of "fair chase".'
3. Substantial measures have been put in place to ensure that only game birds are shot and that endangered species are protected
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) defines game species as those that 'are resilient to harvesting and able to adapt to extreme and unpredictable environmental conditions ... occur in relatively large numbers, have a high replacement potential, mature quickly and can breed at an early age, have high rates of turnover, are fast escapers and are very wary in nature.'
Referring specifically to ducks, the DSE notes, 'In normal years, eight species of native duck may be hunted in Victoria. These species are: Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Hardhead (White-eyed Duck), Australian Shelduck (Mountain Duck), Pink-eared Duck, Maned Duck (Wood Duck) and Blue Wing Shoveler.'
Before obtaining a licence to hunt duck in Victoria a shooter must pass a Waterfowl Identification Test to ensure that he or she is able to discriminate between a game bird and other non-game or protected species.
The DSE further notes, 'Recreational duck hunting in Victoria is managed on a sustainable basis and bag limits, restrictions on species hunted and season dates are set to ensure that hunting does not threaten the conservation status of any game species.' Normally these game birds can be hunted for a maximum of 12 weeks a year in what is referred to as the open season.
Not only are there limits imposed on what birds may be shot and when, there are also limits imposed on where these birds can be hunted.
In state forest and other unoccupied Crown land game duck may be hunted during the open season only. In State Game Reserves game duck may be hunted, but only during the open season. In sanctuaries Game duck may not be hunted at any time. In Melbourne Water Catchment Areas hunting of any type is not permitted at any time.
In Forest Parks, Flora and Fauna Reserves and Nature Conservation Reserves hunting of any type is not permitted at any time. In National Parks, State Parks, Coastal Parks, Wilderness Parks Generally, duck hunting is not permitted at any time, however, there are some exceptions. In Alpine Resorts hunting of any type is not permitted at any time.
On Leased Crown land game duck (only during the open season) may be hunted, but only with the permission of the lessee. On Licensed Crown land generally, game duck (only during the open season) may be hunted at any time, unless the land is licensed under the Land Act 1958. On private land game duck (only during the open season) may be hunted, but only with the permission of the land owner/manager.
4. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and other interested groups monitor the duck hunting season
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has stated that it will monitor the duck hunting season to ensure that duck populations remain viable and that regulations are abided by. They will also monitor wet lands to ensure that hunters are abiding by the regulations that have been put in place.
In its media release of January 12, 2011, announcing the extended Victorian duck hunting season, the DSE stated, 'The Victorian Government will continue to work closely with the Victorian Hunting Advisory Committee to ensure that the duck season is safe and sustainable.
The structure and arrangements of the 2011 duck season are based on regular monitoring and on-site assessment of waterfowl and the environment.
DSE will work in partnership with hunting organisations to ensure adequate information about the current hunting arrangements and regulations, including season dates and bag limits, are provided to hunters.'
It has been noted elsewhere that not only does the Department of Sustainability and Environment monitor the wetlands during the duck hunting season, this role is also taken on by the Field and Game Association of Australia Inc. The Association stated in its media release of January 12, 2011, 'Field and Game Australia and DSE will continue to monitor Victoria's wetlands.'
5. Many of those opposed to duck hunting have an extremist view
Those who defend their right to hunt claim that their opponents are not simply opposed to extended hunting seasons or to the injuries inflicted on some animals, they are opposed to hunting per se.
Duck hunters claim that their most active critics are animal liberationists who challenge that human beings have the right to kill other animals at all.
In 2005 Field and Game Australia Inc noted this of the international animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Field and Game Australia Inc noted, 'Instead of consuming animal products, we should all get our protein from beans, and we should stop all reproducing, because there are just too any of us. A vegetarian world, according to PETA and other animal rights organizations would be a happier, healthier, kinder world!'
This point has also been made by Associate Professor Graham Hall of the School of Animal Studies, University of Queensland. The professor has stated, 'The proponents of closing or banning duck seasons are driven by animal rights philosophies and openly publicise a social agenda of stopping all uses and killing of wildlife.'
Professor Hall then went on to argue, 'Proponents who wish to see a duck season closed or banned are opposed to hunting animals - an activity that they consider cruel...However, a season being closed or banned is just the thin edge of the wedge. Such an action threatens the rights of all people who hunt and the action will not end when the duck issue is resolved. If government was to decide that shooting ducks was cruel, how could they sustain a logical argument that shooting other animals was not cruel?'
Defenders of the rights of duck hunters claim that they are also defending the rights of all other hunters, including deer hunters and fishermen. They claim that if the arguments of animal rights activists gain acceptance among governments then these other forms of hunting are also likely to be banned.
Arguments against the extension of the duck hunting season
1. A majority of Victorians are opposed to duck shooting
Duck hunting is sometimes presented as a regional issue, one which pits rural Victorians against those who live in the city. However, opponents of duck shooting claim that theirs is not a narrow view shared only by city-dwellers, but rather is the view held by a substantial majority of Victorians.
A Morgan Poll conducted in November, 2007, found 'A large majority of Victorians (75%) think that the shooting of native water birds for recreational purposes should be banned in Victoria. Twenty percent think it should not be banned, and 5% are undecided.'
The survey found that when people were given additional information their opposition to duck shooting grew. 'When informed that due to drought and climate change, the numbers of native water birds across eastern Australia have dropped by over 80%, that at least one in four native water birds shot at are wounded, and that duck shooting has been banned in WA, NSW and Queensland, the proportion of Victorians who want to see the activity banned increases to 87%. Then just 10% of Victorians think it should not be banned, and 3% remain undecided.'
It was further found that opposition to duck shooting was not confined to those who live in the city. 'Those living in Melbourne (91%) were more likely than those in country areas to think the shooting of native water birds should be banned, but even in country areas an overwhelming majority (77%) think the activity should be banned.'
The survey was conducted amongst a representative cross-sectional sample of 637 Victorians aged 14 years and over to between October 3 and 27, 2007.
Opponents of duck shooting note that the Baillieu government has extended the duck hunting season in the face of significant popular opposition. The RSPCA has stated, 'Despite the collection of over 30,000 petition signatures from the community to end duck shooting in Victoria, the government have turned their backs on our native wildlife.'
2. Duck hunting is cruel
It is claimed that duck hunting is inherently cruel as it results in large numbers of birds being injured and often suffering slow and painful deaths.
The RSPCA has claimed that this is inevitable because of the type of weapon that is used to hunt ducks. In its recent literature opposing duck hunting the RSPCA states, 'Ducks are usually shot with a 12 gauge shotgun. A shotgun, unlike a rifle, fires a cluster of pellets rather than a single bullet. As the pellets leave the gun they gradually spread out in a cigar-shaped cloud which increases in diameter the further it is from the gun. If the duck is fully within the cloud of pellets it may be killed outright, but this depends on exactly what pattern the pellets have formed.'
The RSPCA material then goes on to explain, 'The spread of pellets from a shotgun is irregular, so at normal hunting range it is impossible to ensure, even when the duck is within the target area, that it will be hit by enough pellets to kill it. If the duck is on the edge of the circle of pellets it will be wounded rather than killed. If the duck is within the circle but just out of range it will be wounded as the pellets will be travelling too slowly to kill.'
The RSPCA sums up its opposition to duck hunting by stating, 'The RSPCA opposes the recreational hunting of ducks because of the high level of cruelty involved. Every year, during the government-declared 'open season' many thousands of ducks are shot over the wetlands of Australia in the name of this 'sport'. Some of these ducks will be killed outright. Some will be wounded, brought down and killed on retrieval. Many others will be crippled or wounded and will die within a few hours or days. Some will suffer prolonged pain before they die.'
Similar views were expressed in an editorial published in The Age on January 14, 2011. The editorial states, 'A "clean kill" is possible with a rifle - hunters help to cull feral animals - but hunting flocks of wildfowl with a shotgun is unavoidably cruel and rare species are killed. Studies show that for every duck retrieved, a wounded bird flies off, often suffering a lingering death. Studies of tens of thousands of wild waterfowl found almost one in five birds of some target species has shot lodged in its body.'
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting has repeatedly stated, 'The cruelty is unacceptable. One in four birds shot are wounded.'
3. The Victorian duck hunting season is unlikely to be monitored properly
It has been claimed that the Department of Sustainability and Environment will be unable to monitor properly the manner in which hunting is conducted.
The RSPCA has stated, 'Despite claims of "regular monitoring and on-site assessment" of our native water birds, we doubt the 15 wildlife officers employed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), will have any chance of being able to enforcing regulations or help wounded birds on the wetlands.'
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CADS) has noted, 'It is impossible for 15 wildlife officers to police thousands of Victorian wetlands and rivers over the opening weekend, let alone for seven days a week for three months. Insiders say that regional DSE departments are not given the budget to work on a duck shooting season and estimate that at least another $250,000 is needed to be able to have a presence on the wetlands during the three month shooting season.'
4. Victoria's duck population and other bird populations are still under threat
Opponents of duck shooting have argued that the duck population in south-east Australia is only beginning to recover from the devastating effects of years of drought. They argue that the bag limits currently being allowed in South Australia and Victoria pose a real threat to the recovery and indeed the immediate survival of many species.
Elizabeth Anile in an opinion piece published on the ABC's opinion site 'The Drum Unleashed' stated, 'Long-running aerial surveys by respected environmental scientist Professor Richard Kingsford show water bird numbers have fallen by 82 per cent across eastern Australia over the past 25 years.'
Birds Australia has stated, 'The Government has ... extended the duration of the Duck Shooting Season to 12 weeks and increased the bag limit of ducks that can be shot up to 10 ducks for every day of the season. That is, every hunter can legally kill up to 840 ducks this year (if they were laid from end to end, they would stretch more than 31/2 times the length of the MCG).'
Mr Laurie Levy, the Campaign Director of the Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CADS), has stated, 'Water birds have only just begun to recover in response to the rain in Victoria and east coast Australia. However, five years of heavy, replenishing rain must fall to allow bird numbers to build up.'
Mr Levy maintains that allowing 20,000 duck shooters to each bag up to 10 birds per day for three months could result in over 15 million shot, when there are still only a few thousand birds in Victoria. The situation is similarly serious in South Australia where the bag limit has been set at 12 birds a day.
Mr Levy has stated, 'This could wipe out every native water bird in Victoria... The decision has nothing to do with science. It's just an excuse by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) for another bloody slaughter.'
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting has further noted that shooting is to occur in regions which are the habitats of a number of highly endangered other bird species.
CADS is presently conferring with environmental lawyers regarding legal action against the Baillieu Government to prevent shooting on the Bellarine Peninsula, at Lake Connewarre, Reedy Lake and Hospital Swamp.
As well as providing feeding grounds for the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot, there are at least four other threatened species on these sites - Brolga, Australasian Bittern, Little Bittern and Magpie Goose.
RSPCA Victoria president Hugh Wirth has noted, "Despite efforts to try and educate shooters we still see a large number of protected birds being shot and birds that shouldn't be shot also suffer cruelty."
5. The decision to extend the duck season in Victoria and South Australia was taken without proper consultation
It has been claimed that the decision to extend the duck season was a rash one that was made without proper consideration of the harm likely to be caused.
The RSPCA has stated, 'Sadly, when our CEO met with the DSE earlier this year, they couldn't confirm what criteria they apply to then make a recommendation to the minister about proceeding with a duck shooting season.
Frankly, we feel the DSE's media release announcing the 2011 season is unsubstantiated and shows our new government is not interested in consultation or investigation into animal welfare issues.'
It has been noted that the decision to continue with duck hunting has repeatedly been made in opposition to the Victorian government's own environmental advisory committees. The RSPCA has noted, 'NSW and Queensland issued bans in response to advice from their Animal Welfare Advisory Committees. Our own Victorian Animal Welfare Advisory Committees have repeatedly issued the same advice however these recommendations have once again fallen on deaf ears.'
Opponents of duck hunting have also suggested that the specific Duck Hunting Advisory Committee which has recommended a return to duck hunting in Victoria is unduly influenced by the duck hunting lobby. The Coalition Against Duck Shooting has stated, 'There is an unhealthy - and possibly corrupt - relationship between successive Victorian governments, the DSE, shooting organisations and the so-called Hunting Advisory Committee. This committee comprises hunters and hunting sycophants who rubber-stamp duck shooting seasons regardless of environmental conditions or bird numbers.'
The same point has been made by Elizabeth Anile, the director of Australian Teens Against Animal Cruelty. Ms Anile has stated, 'Premier John Brumby has repeatedly ignored the scientific evidence supporting a ban on duck shooting, instead bowing to political pressure from shooter groups. The Premier's own Department of Sustainability and Environment advised against a 2009 season, but Mr Brumby called one anyway, on advice from the Hunting Advisory Committee (HAC) - a government-sanctioned lobby group for duck shooters.'
In an editorial published on January 14, 2011, The Age stressed the ongoing weight of informed opinion which opposed duck hunting. The editorial stated, 'The Age felt the time had come in the early 1990s. After a 2002 recommendation by the state's animal welfare advisory committee to end duck hunting, this newspaper lamented: "We did not expect to have to restate the case for a ban in the 21st century."'
Further implications
The 2011 duck season will be watched with interest by hunters and animal liberationists and conservationists alike. It will be important to duck hunters that the season precedes uneventfully and that there are no notable accidents, including the shooting of endangered species. Any such occurrences are likely to be used by protest groups to demonstrate their case that duck hunting is both barbaric and environmentally damaging.
The extent of duck population sizes has also been disputed among experts. Thus follow up studies of duck numbers will be important to determine the extent of the recovery of duck populations and the extent to which they have been negatively impacted upon by a return of the Victorian duck hunting season to a full twelve weeks.
The sampling procedures that are used to determine the extent of duck numbers prior to duck season being decided upon in Victoria have been challenged. This has been in part because much of the sampling is done within South Australia among bird populations some of which do not migrate to Victoria.
It has been suggested that it is not possible to draw reliable conclusions about Victorian waterfowl numbers based on South Australian surveys. This argument is made the more interesting as South Australia has not returned its hunting season to the pre-drought length, arguing that duck populations still need the opportunity to consolidate in the aftermath of thirteen years of drought.
The larger question is going to be whether duck hunting should be allowed to continue in subsequence seasons, presuming we do not immediately experience another drought.
It has been noted that in New South Wales, where duck hunting has been banned some duck species are coming to be considered pests and are being shot be farmers as part of their pest control practices without the safeguards and limitations that are applied to licensed recreational hunters.
This would seem to suggest that a total ban on duck hunting may not be the complete answer. There are those who argue that duck numbers need to be controlled and that recreational hunting is the best means of achieving this. There are others such as RSPCA spokesperson Dr Hugh Wirth who argue that ducks should be taken out of the firing line altogether and that it should cease to be legal to shot them as pests. Dr Wirth claims they do no substantial harm to crops and perform a valuable function eating slugs and insects.
Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The issues around duck shooting / hunting have not been treated in a major way by any of the three main newspapers normally indexed by The Echo.
However, items in smaller papers such as the Ballarat Courier, along with comment in the Melbourne Age and the ABC's The Drum, have provided useful analysis, comment etc published since September 2010, enabling this issue to be treated as an Echo outline suitable for 2010-2011 VCE.
Therefore, see the Internet Information section for all comment and analysis sources, including those from newspapers.