Call to Scrap Duck Season

Media release – BirdLife Tasmania, 21 February 2022

Duck populations fail to recover during wetter conditions

BirdLife Tasmania today joined the RSPCA in calling for the annual Tasmanian duck season to be cancelled.

“Mainland surveys have shown catastrophic decreases in waterfowl numbers in southeast Australia over four decades, and while the current wetter conditions are a welcome change, they haven’t resulted in improvements in waterfowl population numbers,” Dr Eric Woehler, Convenor of BirdLife Tasmania, said today.

“The most recent mainland count recorded the third lowest totals for waterbirds in 39 years of surveys,” Dr Woehler added.

“Australia’s waterfowl populations are at crisis point. We know Tasmania acts as a safety valve for mainland populations – Tasmania is the refuge for these species.”

“It doesn’t make sense to shoot species that are protected on the mainland while they’re taking refuge here in Tasmania.”

“Climate change will see Tasmania’s critical role as refuge for southeast Australian waterfowl increase as the mainland faces future droughts. We can expect more individuals and more species of waterfowl to look to Tasmania to survive predicted mainland droughts.”

“Recreational shooting of waterfowl in Tasmania is indefensible with the ecological knowledge we have for these species and their survival needs” Dr Woehler concluded.

Featured image: Pacific black duck, one of five species allowed to be shot in Tasmania. Image © Eric J Woehler.