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.
“Every year we are confronted by the cruel 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.”
The duck shooting season starts tomorrow, Saturday 10th 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.
“We witness extreme cruelty on the wetlands every year, with shooters taking many shots over several minutes to kill a single duck.” said Peter McGlone of TCT, “During this time ducks flail about in agony, and suffer unimaginably. These situations are intolerable and we will continue to document and report these incidents to highlight the cruelty of duck shooting. Our aim is to end recreational duck shooting on account of this cruelty.”
• ANNUAL DUCK SHOOTING SEASON
Pledge to Move to End Shooting Season
Cassy O’Connor MP
Greens Environment spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today said that the start of another annual duck-shooting season shames Tasmania, describing it as unnecessary and out of touch, and that the Greens will move in Parliament to ban the season.
Greens Environment spokesperson, Cassy O’Connor MP, said that Tasmania is lagging well behind community sentiment on this issue, with the annual season already banned in Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and in some waterways of South Australia.
“The Greens will continue to campaign for a ban on this annual bloodshed endured by our native duck species, so that Tasmania can join this list of states which have done the right thing,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Despite the best endeavours of responsible shooters who are hunting for a feed, this weekend will see injured native ducks being left to die slow, painful deaths.”
“in past seasons, accidentally-shot endangered bird species have been left to suffer, all in the name of so-called sport.”
“There are two unwelcome developments which make the killing our wildfowl even less acceptable this year.”
“First, bird life in Australia is dying off faster than anywhere else in the world and Tasmania’s bird life is dying off faster than anywhere else in the country, according to an authoritative report just published by the University of Queensland, Charles Darwin University and BirdLife Australia. Killing more of our native birds in the face of the quiet holocaust of our bird life is simply deplorable and must stop.”
“The second reason why duck killing is especially untenable this year is because some of the lowest ever waterbird numbers have been reported across Australia, leading to eastern Australia, South Australia and Victoria cancelling their duck killing seasons altogether. But not in Tasmania.”
“The Greens with pursue the banning of recreational duck shooting, to fully protect our native waterbirds all year, instead of the current ludicrous situation where they are protected for nine months and then become shooting targets for the remaining three.”
“Our waterways, wetlands and coasts are highly significant for waterfowl and threatened species, and it is time they were protected to enhance our dwindling species. Tasmania’s rural areas and the animals living there are simply too special to be used for recreational shooting,” said Ms O’Connor.
