I hate writing this stuff but somebody’s got to…
On opening weekend of the duck season (16/17 March), a private wetland in western Victoria was the scene of what’s been described as a ‘massacre’. The Coalition Against Duck Shooting learned around 2000 birds were shot and left, including 200 Freckled Ducks, and swans, coots, grebes and game species. The full extent of the carnage will never be known although the Department of Primary Industries and the police are investigating. This appears to be highly embarrassing for the Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh, as he’s not only in charge of this ‘highly regulated activity’ but it happened in his electorate. So far, one person has been charged.
The ABC’s news coverage:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-25/police-investigate-mass-slaughter-of-p rotected-birds/4592690?section=vic
…and from ‘The World Today’:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-26/mass-shooting-of-protected-birds-raise s-new/4595290?section=vic
Last weekend, about 150 dead birds were collected from Box Flat and brought to Melbourne to display. They included 43 Freckled Duck, a Hoary-headed Grebe, 5 Eurasian Coot, a Black Swan and a Blue-billed Duck (and 85 game birds of five different species).
Here are some photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151596509838125.1073741830.63812 3124 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151596509838125.1073741830.6381 23124&type=1> &type=1
Total = 156: 71 non-game comprising 43 endangered, 28 protected. Plus 85 game species.
There’s no hope that the Coalition will change its policy about duck shooting. If you want it to end, along with outrages like this, please consider emailing Daniel Andrews, leader of the state Labor Party – asking him to call a halt to duck shooting if elected next year: daniel.andrews@parliament.vic.gov.au
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