THERE are several glaringly obvious untruths in the article “Duck shooting inquiry told habitat is the key” (The Guardian, June 23).
For starters, Field and Game Australia, Australia’s leading hunting advisory group, who pride themselves on being “Australia’s most surprising conservationists”, are anything but.
Field and Game Australia are constantly beating themselves on the chest, priding themselves in conserving the RAMSAR-listed wetlands of Kerang and surrounds, plus all of the other wetlands, particularly those they own outright via stakeholders et al, such as Hearts Morass in Sale and Lake Connawarre in Geelong.
Putting up nesting boxes to encourage birds to breed to then be gunned down the following year is definitely not conducive to “leading conservationists”.
It was stated in the article, “It promotes engaged, proactive hunters who take ownership of the resources and ultimately improve animal welfare and management,” chief executive Lucas Cook said.
This person is the Field and Game Australia chief executive.
Might I say that this is one of the most delusional, most arrogant and most outright lies imaginable by Field and Game Australia.
This group are nothing more than shooters, not hunters, who are under the very delusional misconception that they have a very proprietary and incredibly arrogant interest in treating these beautiful wetlands as their own personal real estate properties whenever a duck shooting season is declared.
There is no mention at all of the First Nations people.
Has the journalist even made an attempt to consult with these people? It would appear not.
Furthermore, Field and Game Australia are quoted: “Whist wounding may occur, all wounding is unintentional and over many decades hunters have sought to enhance their knowledge, skill and practices to reduce the incidences of wounding.”
How on earth does recreational duck shooting stop “unintentional wounding”, injury and death? This is the most ridiculous and foolish allegation I have ever heard of in many, many years from Field and Game Australia. Any bird is fair game to these people.
The Waterfowl Identification Test has failed time and time again. It is an utter joke. Duck shooters are simply handed their WIT test results as a “pass” then with no idea of what birds are protected and what birds are “game”, let loose on these beautiful wetlands to cause as much carnage, cruelty and mayhem as possible.
It is all a political farce but tragically, birds continue to lose their lives or die slow, protracted deaths from shotgun pellets. Again and again and again.
I am sick to death of the lies and deceit by the Nationals as well. Naturally, they support recreational duck shooting in Victoria and naturally, their full support is behind this arcane activity.
Indeed Professor Richard Kingsford, Australia’s leading migratory bird ecologist, was asked by Nationals MP Melina Bath if banning recreational hunting would improve overall bird population sustainably, Prof Kingsford said as a conservationist biologist, he believed in “trying to do the best things in terms of the conservation of species”.
Without wishing to put words into Professor Kingsford’s mouth, it would appear that he may wish recreational duck shooting to be banned for good in this state. “My overall message is really the way you best cater for conservation of game species and other waterbirds is to ensure they have enough habitat,” he said.”
If this isn’t as close to an admission into getting recreational duck shooting banned for good in Victoria, what is?
It is high time that the Victorian Government sees these beautiful RAMSAR-listed wetlands for what they really are – Victoria’s Kakadu.
They just need the courage, vision and insight to fight the gun lobby once and for all.
Open these magnificent wetlands for wetlands and nature-based tourism. Imagine the millions of dollars this would create instead of birds being gunned down by irresponsible, violent and dangerous men wielding equally dangerous and awful weapons.
Kate Bossence
Kerang
