Allowing duck shooting to go ahead again is irresponsible, naive and outdated, the RSPCA says.
Victorian Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh today went to Yarrawonga, on the Murray River, 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."
Coalition Against Duck Shooting director Laurie Levy said many 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.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/duck-shooting-season-gets-bigger-20111228-1pcga.html#ixzz1hoNQZTLB