Meddick moves to ban duck shooting in Victoria

THIS year’s Victorian duck season is under way, but Member for Western Victoria Andy Meddick is trying to prevent it from returning in 2020 or any other year.

Last week, the Animal Justice Party MP introduced a bill into the Upper House to “amend the Wildlife Act 1975 to protect certain birds by prohibiting their hunting, shooting or wounding for the purposes of sport and recreation”.

Speaking on the steps of state Parliament last week with other Upper House members, including Greens leader Samantha Ratnam and Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party MP Stuart Grimley, Mr Meddick said he was trying to ban duck shooting in Victoria for a number of reasons, “not the least is the cruelty that has been documented over the years”.

“Recreational duck shooting is cruel, indiscriminate and kills native waterbirds.

“Animals are left to die on the wetlands. Shooters continually break the law; they shoot endangered species and leave them to die.”

Mr Meddick welcomed the state government’s review into regional tourism, saying Victorian regional towns “could do with something else” other than duck shooting.

“These towns are dying and they could do with ecotourism, with nature-based tourism, and for three months of the year during the season, these towns are denied that economy, that economic boost.”

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) is against a ban on duck shooting, arguing that the pastime may contribute up to a billion dollars to the national economy.

“We strongly believe that conversations and policy around recreational shooting should be based on facts, figures and meaningful data, to help inform constructive discussion and debate,” SSAA national president Geoff Jones said.

“At an economic level, we know recreational shooting and hunting contribute much more to the Australian economy than most people realise.

“The most recent study done in NSW estimated that recreational hunting alone accounts for at least $565 million of gross state product and 4,792 jobs – at low estimates and not even taking into account the contribution of the shooting sports.”