Victorian Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) MP Jeff Bourman has unloaded on anti-hunting activists who are once again trying to nobble the state’s annual duck-hunting season.
With its well-regulated and publicised hunting opportunities, Victoria is an important beacon for hunters and those who support their rights — as well as anti-hunting activists.
The Andrews Government is reportedly seriously considering cancelling the 2023 duck hunting season — set to begin in March — despite promising not to do so in the lead-up to last year’s state election.
Mr Bourman, who represents SFF for the Eastern Victoria Region in the Upper House, said the annual efforts to cancel the duck-hunting season had become tiresome, and blasted the rumoured government backflip on the issue as “grubby”.
“The tiresome torrent of emails ignoring data and facts has become a yearly ritual,” he said.
“It seems that no matter how many facts are presented, the activists will ignore them and send sensationalised emails based in emotion and mistruths to work on those Members of Parliament too far from reality for support.
“We have consistently been told the government will follow the science when it comes to seasonal changes. They have had the science for some time and I’d suggest that it isn’t going to change.
“The science says a take of up to four birds a day will not impact the sustainability of ducks in Victoria, therefore that announcement should be made immediately.
“Going into the 2022 election, the State Government supported duck hunting and I’d be very disappointed if they fell at the first hurdle after the election.
“To do this would be nothing more than pure grubby politics, as their own data says the season is sustainable and their own government authority has confirmed that no hunters were over the bag limit last season.”
Victoria and South Australia are the only mainland states with a recreational duck-hunting season, although ducks may be shot in NSW as part of pest control efforts on private properties where the landholder has been issued a Native Game Bird Management Licence.
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