Premier gives no promises on 2023 duck hunt season

PREMIER Dan Andrews is awaiting a review of last year’s duck hunting season before his government will decide on whether to allow another to go ahead next month.

Weeks out from the regulated season start date of March 18 the Premier was asked last week if he was considering banning the upcoming season.

“I’m very keen to get a report from last duck hunt season because we did see a number of incidents where the rules were not followed in terms of bag limits,” he said.

“It’s not a past time I’m engaged in, but other people are. There are rules.

“There’s not a guaranteed season in any given year. We’ve had years where we haven’t had a season because the advice has come forward that given rain fall and bird population issues, and all manner of other factors, it was not appropriate to do that.”

Mr Andrews said a decision on whether the 2023 season would go ahead would not be made in Cabinet, rather by the Minister for Outdoor Recreation Sonya Kilkenny.

“As to bag limits, whether there is a season, and to the length of that season, following a well-established process through the Game Management Authority (GMA), and to her department who provide her with advice,” the Premier said.

Last year’s season saw both the number of ducks out on Victorian waterways and hunters trying to shoot them well down on previous years.

In October 2022 the GMA spent two weeks flying a helicopter over the state’s waterways trying to make an assessment of Victoria’s game duck populations, including over the Karaaf and Connewarre wetlands.

“Results from this research give a better understanding of game duck populations and will be used in the future to inform adaptive harvest management,” GMA Research Principal Jason Flesch said.