Hunters hit season’s target

Field & Game Australia said the vast majority of its members displayed ‘exemplary’ behaviour during the season, which ended on Wednesday, June 5, after the hunting community had committed to continuous improvement.

FGA chief executive officer Lucas Cooke said hunters contributed to a safe and regulated hunting environment and demonstrated that hunters are reasonable and responsible people.

“Once again we see that hunters’ conduct has been put under a microscope,” Mr Cooke said.

“And once again it has been found to be commendable.

“FGA remains committed to promoting responsible hunting practices and ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.”

A statement from FGA said duck protesting methods had a ‘sad irony’.

“The people who campaign to end hunting on the premise that hunters do not follow the law have demonstrated so compellingly this year that they can talk the talk, but they cannot walk the walk,” the statement said.

The Victorian Game Management Authority conducted an extensive compliance operation throughout the season, with 511 patrols across waterways and wetlands.

GMA chief executive officer Graeme Ford said the majority of people involved in the 2024 duck season acted safely and responsibly.

“While some people breached game hunting and public safety laws, most of the people our authorised officers spoke with were complying with the law,” Mr Ford said.

GMA officers were supported by Victoria Police, DEECA, Safe Transport Victoria, NSW DPI and Parks Victoria.

More than 1550 game licences and 1200 bags were inspected.

Twenty-six hunting-related offences were recorded, including invalid licences, possession of toxic shot and failure to leave a wing attached to a harvested carcase.

The violations also incurred 22 infringement notices and 32 investigations.

Compliance with bag limits was 100 per cent.

“While the majority of hunters acted safely and responsibly, any breach of game hunting laws is unacceptable,” Mr Ford said.

“Most of the hunters our officers encountered were following the rules, and we commend them for their compliance and responsible behaviour."

Twenty-three people were suspected of breaching public safety laws by entering or remaining in a specified hunting area or hindering or harassing hunters, resulting in the 22 banning notices.

Seven non-hunters are also under investigation for hindering or obstructing an authorised officer.

Mr Ford emphasised the importance of the law.

“Public safety laws are in place to provide a safe environment for all land users,” he said.

“Those who oppose duck hunting have a right to protest, but they must do so safely and legally.”

Coalition Against Duck Shooting director Laurie Levy said the 2024 season had been ‘a fizzer’ and criticised Premier Jacinta Allan’s lack of empathy for the state’s birdlife.

“This year, very few duck shooters were seen on the state’s wetlands,” Mr Levy said.

“The old days of 10,000 duck shooters on a single wetland in Victoria are a thing of the past.”

Mr Levy was critical of the increased number of compliance officers hired this year in comparison to past seasons and said the officers were used to pressure volunteer duck rescuers instead of monitoring shooters.

“This army of officers wasn’t to monitor the shooters. It was to ... protect the interests of the government’s dwindling number of duck shooting clients.”

Mr Levy said 130 compliance officers were deployed in comparison to earlier numbers with most brought to Victoria at ‘great cost’ to Victorians from other states.

A statement from the GMA said the use of ‘surge staff’ had been a common practice in the last 10 years (excluding the COVID-19 years) and was determined by season arrangements, environmental conditions and gathered intelligence.

“Each year, surge staff are deployed during periods of peak hunting activity, including during the opening week and closing weekend,” the statement said.

“The number of surge staff deployed during peak duck hunting times has ranged between 120 and 180.”

State Member for Northern Victoria Georgie Purcell told parliament on Thursday, June 20, that the integrity of the GMA was in question and that its authority was diminishing “every single day”.

Ms Purcell said the government needed to launch an inquiry into the behaviour of the GMA through this year’s season in order to restore public trust in the organisation.