Media Releases Archive: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001
2004 Media Releases
CALL FOR THE RSPCA TO DUMP PREMIER BRACKS AS PATRON
March 18 2004 , Media Release
The President of the RSPCA, Dr Hugh Wirth, yesterday said he would no longer tolerate certain politicians who have bad track records on animal welfare, holding the title of Patron of the RSPCA.
Laurie Levy, Campaign Director of the Coalition Against Duck Shooting has called on Dr Wirth to dump Premier Steve Bracks as the RSPCA's patron in Victoria .
“How could the RSPCA have any credibility at all when its patron in Victoria is responsible for Australia 's largest recreational wildlife slaughter?” Levy asked today.
“Premier Steve Bracks has again this year sanctioned the unnecessary slaughter of native waterbirds - just to keep a handful of duck shooters in this state happy.
“The premier should follow the example set by state Labor premiers in Western Australia and New South Wales and immediately ban the recreational shooting of native waterbirds.
“There is a contradiction here - Mr Bracks may be considered a good premier and a nice bloke, but he cannot be allowed to remain a patron of an anti-cruelty organisation while he sanctions Australia 's largest recreational wildlife slaughter,” Levy concluded.
RESCUE TEAMS TO TARGET HIRD SWAMP, near KERANG 20 March 2004 duck opening.
March 19 2004 , Media Release
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting will target Hird Swamp , 20 kms south east of Kerang on the opening of the 2004 duck season, Saturday 20 March.
Endangered Painted Snipe and rare and threatened Freckled Ducks have recently been sighted on this wetland in north west Victoria . Recent DNA testing of Painted Snipe has revealed they are unique to Australia , as are Freckled Ducks. Although the northern and western edges of Hird Swamp have been closed-off, the minister is irresponsibly allowing shooting on the rest of the wetland. Other protected species such as Pelicans and Spoonbills are also presently residing on this swamp.
The campaign director of the Coalition Against Duck Shooting Laurie Levy today said: “It's outrageous that the Environment Minister can even consider opening this wetland to shooting, especially knowing endangered and threatened species are present.
“John Thwaites is nothing more than a gamekeeper. Victoria desperately needs an Environment Minister who is prepared to put the needs of our native waterbirds ahead of just pandering to the state's few remaining duck shooters. Many of the state's wetlands are dry and native waterbirds are congregating on those wetlands that still have water – they will be slaughtered on the opening morning,” Levy said.
“This year the ALP Members Opposed to Duck Shooting will form their own rescue team and join our rescuers on the swamp. We certainly appreciate their offer of help and admire their courage in challenging their own politicians' lack of concern on this issue,” Levy concluded.
Protesters swamp duck season start
March 21 2004 , Sunday Age by Kirsty Simpson, State Reporter
Protesters outnumbered duck shooters more than three to one at the key battleground of the opening of the Victorian duck shooting season yesterday.
Hird Swamp , in the Kerang wetlands, attracted about 30 shooters and 100 protesters, the Department of Sustainability and the Environment said. Other areas attracted more shooters.
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting, headed by veteran campaigner Laurie Levy, marshalled 85 "rescuers", who said they found several dead swans and protected blue shovellers at Johnson Swamp, and other game they suspected hunters had discarded after reaching their two-bird bag limits.
The coalition was joined by the ALP Members Opposed to Duck Shooting - which has been campaigning for the State Government to ban shooting.
A ban was also backed by the Australian Democrats this week, with party leader Senator Andrew Bartlett calling duck shooting cruel, environmentally destructive and unnecessary.
Protesters were charged with more than 40 offences, for entering wetlands and approaching within 10 metres of a hunter.
Several hunters were also charged, for hunting without a licence and shooting before the season opened.
Mr Levy said it was irresponsible to allow shooting anywhere in the swamp because it was home to endangered birds.
Painted snipes and freckled ducks, and protected species such as pelicans and spoonbills lived in parts of the swamp closed off to shooters.
But a department spokesman said the problem of mistaken shooting of protected birds had been minimised in recent years after the introduction of a species identification test for shooters applying for licences. However, Environment Minister John Thwaites was "nothing more than a gamekeeper", Mr Levy said.
" Victoria desperately needs an environment minister who is prepared to put the needs of our native water birds ahead of just pandering to the state's few remaining duck shooters. Many of the state's wetlands are dry, and native waterbirds are congregating on those wetlands that still have water."
This duck season was Victoria 's first in two years. The Government has reduced the bag limit to two birds of any, non-endangered species, as well as three wood ducks, which are considered common.
The average bag yesterday was two ducks in the state's north-west, one or two in the north-east and fewer than one elsewhere.
But Mr Levy said the bag limit was useless, and that hunters shot more birds than was legal, bagging only the maximum allowed.
DSE flora and fauna manager Robert Begg said the best hunting conditions were at Broken Creek, in the north-east, where the average bag was five ducks for the 150 hunters. Because of dry conditions the Government has kept six other wetlands closed, and reduced the season to two months.