State Nationals Leader Peter Walsh has described the likely ban of duck hunting in Victoria as the state government’s betrayal of the hunting community.
The long running debate over the future of duck hunting in Victoria dates back to 2019, when Mr Walsh said the decision to consider the ban was evidence that Premier Daniel Andrews would stop at nothing to secure Greens preference deals.
“The Liberal Nationals stand side-by-side with our responsible, legitimate duck hunters and will fight any move by Daniel Andrews and Andy Meddick to ban it,” Mr Walsh said, four years ago.
The delivery of the recommendations to ban duck hunting has re-ignited the Nationals support of licensed shooters.
In November 2019 Mr Walsh said Labor’s new anti-hunting position was disappointing, but hardly surprising as Daniel Andrews also claimed he supported timber workers too, right up until he axed thousands of jobs in that industry.
The Nationals have long believed the recommendation to ban the practice in Victoria ignores scientific evidence of environmental benefits in favour of ideological and political division.
It has asked the Labor party consistently to follow the science and ignore the biased recommendations.
The 2023 Victorian parliamentary inquiry has recommended the “sport’’ be completely banned from as early as August next year, giving devotees of the three-month season one last chance to take part in the ”hunt’’.
Duck hunting in Victoria traditionally starts on the third Saturday in March and ends 30 minutes after sunset on the second Monday in June — usually the King’s birthday weekend.
Mr Walsh said it was even more of an insult considering it was a city-based Labor MP who initiated the move to ban duck hunting.
The resolution was a move by Labor’s Pascoe Vale MP Lizzie Blandthorn to ban duck hunting in Victoria, coming as the upper house considered a similar motion on the issue.
Mr Walsh said following the 2019 state conference, Ms Blandthorn posted a photo of herself admiring ducks in a suburban pond with the words: “the recreational hunting of native water birds is completely at odds with the government’s (animal welfare) plan. On the eve of 2020, it’s time to end this practice once and for all”.
“Daniel Andrews has spent five years sneakily winding back the duck hunting season and now his minister Jaclyn Symes has confessed to parliament she’s considering it,” Mr Walsh said.
Victoria’s select committee into recreational native bird hunting arrangements recently released its findings, recommending that the government ban duck hunting in Victoria from 2024, despite having heard compelling evidence in favour of the continuation of the recreational pursuit.
Field and Game Australia chief executive officer Lucas Cooke said the nation’s premier organisation for conservation, hunting and clay target sports was deeply disappointed that, despite irrefutable evidence demonstrating that hunting posed no threat to waterfowl populations and had positive conservation and economic impacts, the committee had chosen to heed concerns raised predominantly on the grounds of animal welfare.
“There is no logical reason to end duck hunting. Duck hunting is sustainable,” he said.
“While we respect and continuously address concerns related to animal welfare, it is important to note that imposing a ban on native game bird hunting would set a dangerous precedent.
“If they ban this on ideology alone, what else can they ban?
“Such a stance could potentially lead to bans on all hunting, fishing and even animal agriculture. The committee’s perspective, in our opinion, does not reflect the broader public interest.”
Mr Cooke said the hunting community had worked tirelessly to improve hunting practices, and hunting remained one of the most highly regulated recreational activities in Victoria.
“The decision today overlooks the dedication of ethical and responsible hunters who are consistently pushing for improved standards,” he said.
He said the recommendation was a slap in the face for hunter-conservationists, the value of whose work for the environment in which they chose to spend their leisure time amounted to more than $500,000 a year.
Despite the outcome of the report, Mr Cooke said Field and Game Australia would continue to champion the benefits of regulated hunting and would work collaboratively to address the committee’s concerns while safeguarding the interests of the wider community.
He reiterated his deep disappointment with the process.
“We’ve partaken in this committee process in good faith and we’ve been ignored,” he said.
The government has six months to respond to the report’s recommendation.