VIC:Vic duck shooting season gets bigger

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2011
VIC:Vic duck shooting season gets bigger

MELBOURNE, Dec 28 AAP - Allowing duck shooting to go ahead again is irresponsible,
naive and outdated, the RSPCA says.

Victorian Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh went on Wednesday to Yarrawonga, on
Victoria's northern border, to announce an expanded duck and quail shooting season for
2012, with shooters allowed to kill up to 10 birds a day for 87 days.

The season will run from March 17 to June 11 and be the state's biggest since 1999,
the last time shooters were allowed to bag up to 10 birds a day.

Mr Walsh said game bird populations were breeding in great numbers after the breaking
of Victoria's 10-year drought.

"Game bird populations have increased to levels not seen since 1984," he said.

"The land and our waterways and wetlands have made a rapid recovery following the breaking
of the drought."

RSPCA Victoria slammed the government.

"The decision to go ahead with a duck shooting season in 2012 is biased, self-serving
and not made based on a balanced argument," RSPCA Victoria president Hugh Wirth said in
a statement.

"Year after year, shooting organisations and clubs are given the opportunity to pledge
their case in lengthy consultation periods with the government.

"No such consultation is afforded to animal welfare organisations or the majority of
the community, which oppose this barbaric sport."

Duck shooting seasons have been banned or stopped in all Australian states except Victoria
and South Australia.

Coalition Against Duck Shooting director Laurie Levy said numerous bird protection
groups had called for the full protection of Australia's native waterbirds.

"Even though duck shooters constitute less than 0.4 per cent of Victoria's population,
the Victorian government continues to pander to recreational duck shooters," Mr Levy said
in a statement.

AAP kn/gfr/jnb

KEYWORD: DUCKS

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.