WITH recreational native bird shooting under threat as result of a parliamentary inquiry, the hunting regulator (Game Management Authority) managed to release native bird “harvest” data very quickly this year – and with a media release to boot.
Normally, stakeholders are scrounging for the info months later. In 2022, it was quietly released in February. In 2021, this data on the prior season did not appear until March.
In its haste, it appears the “independent” regulator has shot itself in the foot, because its data shows the 2023 duck shoot did not fit its own definition of “sustainable”.
GMA suggests a 10 per cent cull is sustainable. This benchmark is used in the northern hemisphere for species that are naturally increasing. There is no evidence that it’s sustainable for Australia’s diminishing bird populations.
The regulator’s helicopter survey of ducks always produces two estimates for the duck population, depending on the mathematical techniques used. GMA always chooses the larger estimate, even though Arthur Rylah Institute states this is the less accurate figure.
The two relevant counts this time were 2.41 million and 1.9 million. This means the “harvest” of 320,000 ducks overshot the sustainability target by a country mile; 33 per cent over at best, more likely 68 per cent over.
This is in a year when Professor Kingsford’s annual waterbird survey showed game duck abundance was the third lowest in 40 years.
While the regulator quotes a higher-than-normal participation rate of bird shooters in 2023 – 65 per cent for duck shooters, 18 per cent for quail shooters – anecdotal reports from regional residents suggest otherwise. It was a quiet season and few shooters.
Importantly, GMA’s harvest numbers and participation rates come from telephone surveys of shooters who volunteered their information.
GMA data shows the number of licensed duck shooters has plunged to 21,959, the lowest since the 2009 millennium drought. A third aren’t active (don’t go duck shooting).
It’s time the Victorian Government followed the lead of other states and banned native bird hunting.
Victorians should be able to enjoy their public waterways in peace and safety.
Other pastimes such as birdwatching, fishing and kayaking are far more popular, family-friendly and financially beneficial to the community.
Kerrie Allen
Spokesperson
Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting
United fight
THE Fight Cancer Foundation Swan Hill branch recently staged the fifth Swan Hill Film Festival.
The group would like to thank the following for their continued support of the film festival: Swan Hill Rural City Council, Showbiz Cinemas, The Guardian, 3SH/MIXX FM, ABC Radio, Smart FM, The Copy Centre and Swan Hill and District Concert Band.
The film festival is an important fundraising event for our group in support of the work of the Fight Cancer Foundation.
It is also an addition to the cultural calendar of Swan Hill, screening films that aren’t commercial mainstream releases.
Finally, we would also like to thank those who attended the film festival for their ongoing patronage and support.
Lois Carnie
Secretary
Fight Cancer Foundation Swan Hill branch
Acute financial decline
IT is a regrettable reality that the Federal Government will certainly find what it terms “willing sellers” to buy irrigation water from.
A party that is not being considered, but one that will suffer acute financial decline due to the consequent decline in agricultural production, is the much larger country town population. There is no compensation for this population’s lost business, its greatly reduced financial income, its unemployment and its consequent relocation.
Water is an asset benefitting all the people in the irrigation areas and the people in these areas deserve to demand that it be treated as such.
It should not be considered acceptable that the Federal Government can make deals with individuals that will cause the economic and financial decimation of the whole population.
Regrettably, the NSW Government has the authority to resume management of water and withdraw from the federal Murray-Darling Basin Plan but has chosen not to.
It has the ability to secure and preserve the prosperity of the people in these irrigation areas, but again, it has chosen not to.
To protect their livelihoods and prosperity, the people in the Riverina, including northern Victoria, need to form a Riverina state.
This state will have authority over all the water and other natural resources within its area, and the people in this state will ensure that these are used as they can be and as they should be.
David Landini
Wakool, NSW
