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It’s time to ban native bird hunting in Victoria

BirdLife Australia is deeply disappointed with the Victorian Government’s move to allow recreational native bird hunting to continue in the state in 2024.

Despite our recommendations, a number of sensitive wetlands remain open to hunting.

BirdLife Australia urges the Allan Government to ban recreational bird hunting once and for all, following both the 2023 Select Committee’s recommendations, the science, and a clear public majority opposed to this outdated and ecologically harmful practice.

Add your voice by signing our petition, and help ensure the Victorian Government bans recreational hunting.

Why BirdLife Australia opposes recreational native bird hunting

Recreational native bird hunting in Victoria must end if we are serious about restoring native waterbird populations to healthy levels in eastern Australia.

Recreational hunting adds an unnecessary pressure to waterbird populations. The Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey shows waterbird populations have declined as much as 90% over the last forty years in eastern Australia, including those duck species identified as ‘game’ which are at only 25% their long-term average numbers. While habitat loss from climate change and poor water resource management are key factors in the declines of wetland birds, their effects on waterbird populations are compounded by hunting seasons that wipe out hundreds of thousands of ‘game’ ducks each year, as well as having negative direct and indirect impacts on threatened and non-game species.

The Select Committee on Victoria’s Recreational Native Bird Hunting Arrangements tabled their report in 2023, recommending a ban on further native duck and quail hunting in Victoria. This followed a record number of submissions, overwhelmingly opposed to ongoing hunting.

Despite this, the Victorian Government sadly ignored the Select Committee’s clear recommendation for a ban.

Help BirdLife Australia urge the Victorian Government to ban recreational native bird hunting, by signing our petition, today!

Photo: Pink-eared Ducks by Rob Solic

 
Pink-eared Ducks by Rob Solic.jpg

Below are the suggested comments from our waterbird experts that we provided to Victorians engaging with the Select Committee.

Recreational hunting adds an unnecessary pressure to declining duck populations.

  • Just as droughts are known to cause population declines for waterbirds, we know that we need prolonged wet conditions to simply maintain waterbird population sizes as they are.
  • In order to recover waterbird populations to healthy pre-1980 levels, breeding and recruitment conditions for waterbirds need to not only be good enough to maintain the population at its current size, but to grow the population. Successive quality breeding seasons are needed for population recovery.
  • Long-term monitoring across Eastern Australia shows that duck species populations have not yet recovered after previous repeated years of drought and low rainfall.
  • While the last few seasons have been wet in some areas, the bounce back of waterbird populations has not been sufficient to restore populations to healthy sizes. Several more good seasons are needed to recover population loss inflicted from periods of severe drought.
  • “Game” species are at just 25% of their long-term average numbers.

Recreational hunting can have negative direct and indirect impacts on threatened and non-game species.

  • Plains-wanderers, a critically endangered species, can occasionally be killed during the quail hunting season as they look superficially similar and are found in the same habitat.
  • With wetlands in better condition than previous years, conditions are ripe for breeding. This also means greater risk, with higher aggregations of threatened wetlands birds and non-game species.
  • Notable threatened or non-game species at risk include: Australasian Bittern, Australian Painted Snipe, Brolga, Great and Intermediate Egrets, Hardheads, Australasian Shovelers, Blue-billed, Freckled, and Musk Ducks.
  • Migratory shorebirds feed in wetlands, with adults fuelling up for their departure for the northern hemisphere in late March/early April, but with many birds too young to participate in breeding remaining in Australia throughout the year.
  • Even if these birds are not directly shot, the disturbance to them in their habitat can have drastic and detrimental effects.

The Select Committee

SELECT COMMITTEE ON VICTORIA’S RECREATIONAL NATIVE BIRD HUNTING ARRANGEMENTS

The final report has been released, and can be accessed here.

The select committee of nine members was established to inquire into, consider and report by 31 August 2023 on Victoria’s recreational native bird hunting arrangements, including but not limited to —

(a) the operation of annual native bird hunting seasons;

(b) arrangements in other Australian jurisdictions;

(c) their environmental sustainability and impact on amenity;

(d) their social and economic impact.

BirdLife Australia welcomes the recommendation that recreational native bird hunting be banned in Victoria.

Click here for information on South Australia’s ongoing inquiry