Which is unfortunately why it won’t happen – both Labor (even when it was against their official policy) and the Coalition support duck hunting so I am sure they will find a way to wriggle out of it.
On 22 March 2013 16:51, Joshua Bergmark
> “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 duck and other protected species are > present.” > > > > Does that not mean that if this proposition is accepted, then every single > wetland where a “protected species” is found, such as the not-so-rare Black > Swan, Eurasian Coot, etc, would be closed to hunters? In which case, it > would not be difficult to close almost 100% of Victoria’s wetlands to duck > shooting? Loophole exploiting at its finest if we can make that happen. > > > Cheers, Joshua Bergmark > > > > > > > From: debbielustig123@hotmail.com > > To: birding-aus@vicnet.net.au > > Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:10:57 +1100 > > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Bird ‘massacre’ in Victoria > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 DP > I > > 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 d > uck 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. > > > > > > =============================== > > > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > > send the message: > > unsubscribe > > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > > > http://birding-aus.org > > =============================== > > =============================== > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > http://birding-aus.org > =============================== > ===============================
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