This is the full text of last Wednesday’s speech in the Victorian Upper House by Sue Pennicuik. Apologies if formatting doesn’t work. Duck hunting: wetland closuresMs PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security. I am very disturbed to have been informed by Mr Laurie Levy from the Coalition against Duck Shooting that rare and threatened freckled ducks and other protected non-game species were illegally shot on the opening weekend of the duck shooting season at the Box Flat nature conservation reserve, a wetland close to the town of Boort in north-western Victoria. Half the property is on Crown land, and the other half is on private property. I am informed that approximately 150 shooters were present at Box Flat last Saturday morning when around 2000 birds were shot. Game species took the biggest hit, with hundreds of pink-eared ducks falling victim. Pink-eared ducks do not leave a wetland when disturbed by gunshot — they tend to fly around low over the water, making them an easy target for shooters. I was horrified to hear reports that many non-game species were also shot at Box Flat that morning, including approximately 200 rare and threatened freckled ducks and several rare blue-billed ducks. Both species are protected and cannot legally be shot. They are easily identifiable, and the blue-billed duck rarely flies. Those that were killed may have been shot while on the water, which is illegal and highly dangerous.It was also reported that around 50 swans and other protected species, such as coot and possibly avocets — all protected waterbirds — and other protected non-waterbird species, including birds of prey, were shot. It was described as a massacre of threatened, protected and game species.I am also informed that after the illegal shooting became known, Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Department of Sustainability and Environment officers attended the wetlands and many of the dead protected birds may have been removed ahead of the investigation that DPI has confirmed to Mr Levy is taking place. If that is the case, the investigation has been compromised, and the public may never know the truth of the numbers of protected species that were slaughtered that morning. Mr Levy was also informed that a similar incident took place last year but was hushed up.Licensed shooters who shoot protected species or exceed the bag limit of game species must be prosecuted, and it would be difficult to believe that people would not be prosecuted after an incident such as this.My request is that the minister immediately order the closure of the Box Flat nature conservation reserve wetland in accordance with the freckled duck action plan and the emergency provisions of section 86A of the Wildlife Act 1975. I also request that the minister instigate a survey of all wetlands where duck shooting is occurring or likely to occur and that he close them, including Box Flat conservation reserve, under section 86 of the Wildlife Act 1975 if freckled duc k and other protected species are present. I also request that the minister ensure that this incident be investigated thoroughly and impartially and that the results be released to the public.
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