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Demands to disclose evidence used to increase 2024 duck season restrictions made by Melina Bath

Melina Bath presses Labor government for evidence on duck season restrictions. Game Management Authority reports high duck counts, conflicting with decisions

By news@gippsland - 3rd April 2024 - Back to News

With the 2024 duck about to commence, The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath has called on the Allan Labor government to release the evidence it used to restrict duck season given evidence points to record high counts of game ducks.

Melina Bath presses the Labor government for evidence on duck season restrictions. Game Management Authority reports high duck counts, conflicting with decisions

Duck abundance report

The state government's Game Management Authority (GMA) Report Abundance estimates for Game Ducks in Victoria released in April states, "The total statewide abundance of game ducks increased markedly from the previous year, three times higher than the estimate from the 2022 survey."

Speaking in parliament on a documents motion on duck hunting, Ms Bath said, "over the past few years we have seen the GMA make recommendations to the government, which are ultimately watered down by the Minister."

Duck season restrictions

Ms Bath said, "Following extensive surveying, the GMA made recommendations that the 2024 season be a full season with a bag limit of nine birds. In contrast, Labor reduced duck hunting to an eight week season and a six bird limit even though the state government's GMA report cites.

"There were more than five times as many game ducks counted on water bodies in 2023 as there were in 2022. I am genuinely interested to see Labor's justification on why it chose to restrict duck season when it is contrary to scientific evidence and goes against the GMA's recommendations, she said.

Duck hunting science

Ms Bath said she supports evidence based decisions, noting a Labor, Greens, Animal Justice Party alliance voted to ban hunting during a select parliamentary inquiry into native bird hunting arrangements in Victoria. "During the Inquiry Professors Klaassen and Kingsford, explained their 40-year study, the eastern Australian waterbird survey which forms the basis for a sustainable harvest model for ducks."

"The scientists indicated that hunting has no real impact on duck populations, instead stating the greatest influence on duck population is habitat and water in the landscape. A parallel Inquiry in South Australia on duck hunting recommended the continuation of the duck season after it found the activity was sustainable."

"Hunter conservation efforts to rehabilitate wetland environments in Victoria are widely documented - they have done more for habitat restoration in this state than protesters. Publishing the evidence behind Labor's decision should end the argument - transparency is imperative in order to remove the politics and ideology from the debate," said Ms Bath.

Pictures from Victorian Duck Hunters Association Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com