RESCUERS READY TO PROTECT NATIVE DUCKS

With the annual open season on duck shooting due to commence tomorrow, Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) is leading the fight against recreational killing of wildlife. AACT is supported by the Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT) and Wildlife Tasmania in opposing this annual destruction of wildlife in Tasmania.

“We witness extreme cruelty on the wetlands every year, with shooters sometimes taking many shots over several minutes to kill a single duck.” said Peter McGlone of TCT, “Tasmanian Field and Game Association (FGA) representative Peter Darke has publicly said that this is acceptable1 and yet it contravenes the ‘Code of Practice for Hunting of Ducks in Tasmania’. He has a responsibility to uphold the Code and to ensure adherence by shooters throughout Tasmania, especially as Tasmanian FGA helped write the Code.”

The duck shooting season starts tomorrow, Saturday 9th March 2012. Rescuers will be at wetlands across Tasmania to save the lives of native ducks in the firing line. Throughout the season rescuers will be watching the wetlands to defend native waterbirds and rescue injured native ducks abandoned by shooters.

“Every year we are confronted by the violent and senseless slaughter of native waterbirds in Tasmania at the hands of a minority wielding shotguns.” announced Chris Simcox, Native Waterbird Campaigner for AACT, “This brutal and cowardly attack on native ducks is government-sanctioned and heavily subsidised by taxpayers. Other states have recognised the cruelty of duck shooting by stopping the annual killing, and Tasmania should follow the lead of these progressive states. Most Tasmanians want an immediate end to this barbarity and we are working to bring it to an end.”

1 Examiner, ‘Duck Shooting: fair or foul?’, 5 March 2011.
Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT)