New restrictions announced for duck hunters

The duck shooting season will go ahead, but hunters will face tougher rules as the government faces mounting pressure to outlaw the practice.

The Andrews Government is set to announce tough new duck hunting restrictions and a shorter season. Picture: Con Boekel

Animal advocates have declared war on the Andrews government, vowing to line the banks of wetlands in protest of the “spineless” decision to green light a duck shooting season.

The Game Management Authority on Friday afternoon confirmed a shortened season will begin at 8am on April 26 and end 30 minutes after sunset on May 30.

A daily bag limit of four birds will be enforced, and hunters won’t be able to shoot the threatened Blue-winged Shoveler and Hardhead species.

A ban would have brought Victoria into line with Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, which banned recreational duck shooting more than 30 years ago.

Activists on Friday said they were blindsided by the announcement, and confirmed preparations had already begun to storm the wetlands on the first day of the season.

Outdoor Recreation Minister Sonya Kilkenny said given the “increasingly contested” views, a parliamentary upper house committee will be established to probe the practice.

The duck hunt debate has long divided the Labor Party room, with many MPs and Ministers feeling “betrayed” by the decision.

Government Minister Lizzie Blandthorn told the Herald Sun: “I’m disappointed a duck hunting season is going ahead but I am pleased that a review will finally happen.”

Cabinet secretary Steve McGhie also publicly slammed his own party’s decision.

“It’s disappointing that we’ve got to cope with another season. I’m hopeful the review will bring us a step closer to putting an end to duck shooting.”

One Labor MP, speaking anonymously, said it’d be “close to two thirds of the caucus” that weren’t happy with the decision.

“Our caucus was led to believe that it was a really good thing it was taking such a long time to consider this season. I suspect my colleagues will be as pissed as I am,” the MP said.

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said she was “beyond furious” with the outcome.

“This is a gutless decision and the Andrews Labor government has blood on its hands,” she said.

“I’ll be expressing my anger directly to the government and they may not find me to be as pragmatic and practical to work with as they have in the past.

“I’ll be out on the wetlands doing the job that a government agency is too incompetent and too unwilling to do themselves.”

Coalition Against Duck Shooting spokesman Laurie Levy called for the Army to be brought in to police the season instead of the Game Management Authority.

“It’s hard to believe a modern day Labor government that wins by a mile each election, can have the same policy that a 1950s Liberal government had,” he said.

RSPCA CEO Dr Liz Walker predicted nearly 90,000 birds would be killed during the 35-day season, while up to 35,000 would be wounded and left to die.

“We are deeply disappointed in the decision to proceed with the 2023 season and urge the government to reconsider,” Dr Walker said.

Wildlife Victoria CEO Lisa Palma said she was “incredibly disappointed”, while Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said allowing a season was “nothing short of inhumane”.

Pro-shooting organisations also lashed the decision to cut the 2023 season by two months.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman said it was a “solid gold case of fence sitting”.

“No matter what you think of duck hunting, the government has handled this so poorly,” he said.

“They could not go with their own science but they also didn’t have the guts to go against the science and face the music.”

David Laird, of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, said it was a “timid” response from the government.

“There is a scientific justification for a four-bird bag limit but not for any other modifications,” he said.

Originally published as New restrictions announced for duck hunters