A motion pushing for the 2020 duck shooting season to be called off was launched by Western Victorian MP Andy Meddick in the Victorian Parliament yesterday.
"For many years now, I have joined with a great number of Victorians, people from all walks of life, to bear witness to, and to rescue where possible, native Australian waterbirds," Mr Meddick said.
"Today we take another step towards banning duck shooting in Victoria.
"There is no moral, economic, legal or political case for a duck shooting season to go ahead in 2020.
"I call on the government to listen to the people of Victoria and ensure no season goes ahead."
Mr Meddick said the future of duck shooting had not been debated in the a state parliament since 2011.
"Many crossbenchers will be talking in support of my motion to ban duck shooting, showing the government they easily have the numbers to ban it if they changed their position," he said.
"Waterbirds in Victoria have suffered tremendously at the hands of shooters, and the suffering will continue until this cruel sport comes to an end."
Mr Meddick said the most recent annual waterbird survey in eastern Australia clearly showed that the long-term trend was in decline for six of the eight game species of native waterbird and found no indication of any breeding of game birds in 2018.
The MP said current population levels leave some species perilously close to extinction.
Mr Meddick said an economic analysis by the Australia Institute in 2012 showed that claims that duck hunting contribute significantly to the economy of Victoria were false.
He said in monetary terms, revenue from non-hunting tourism was far more important, with an estimated benefit of banning duck hunting at around $60 million per year.
The MP said nature-based tourism brings real economic benefits to rural Victoria, however country towns throughout Victoria were denied the opportunity to benefit because people feel unsafe around the wetlands.
He said these sites could thrive from the nature-based tourism industry, attracting bird watchers, kayakers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Mr Meddick said indigenous communities and environmentalists also oppose shooting and had long documented damage to the land surrounding wetlands.
He said evidence of sacred trees cut down for firewood, artifacts disturbed and trails of litter left behind.
Mr Meddick said that in 2007, a Roy Morgan poll of randomly selected city and country Victorians showed 75 per cent wanted a permanent ban on recreational duck shooting.
He said a survey conducted this year gave similar results, overwhelmingly, strong majorities of all Victorians support an end to duck shooting.
This story originally appeared on The Standard
