Rescue team battles angry shooters at McDonald Swamp, northwest Victoria.

The courage and commitment shown by duck rescuers again this year in the face of fire was just awe inspiring (see photographs).

 

The rescue team travelled to wetlands in northwest Victoria for the opening of the 2005 duck season. Although McDonald and Hird Swamps were the two best shooting spots in the state, after publicising that we were going there, shooters stayed away.

Over 110 rescuers converged on McDonald Swamp at 5am on the opening morning and moved out into the darkness to move so called game species away before the opening shooting time of 7.20am. Even though only about 80 shooters turned out onto the wetland, many were angry and a few reacted by pointing their weapons at rescuers.

 

In one incident, rescuer Noah Hannibal, was confronted by an angry shooter pointing his shotgun directly at him (see photograph), yet under this pressure and intimidation Noah courageously stood his ground and photographed the shooter. Police are presently investigating the incident. This powerful photograph has been emailed to all Labor Members of Parliament.

 

ALP members Opposed to Duck Shooting (MoDS) convenor Trevor Poulton was also threatened by another angry shooter around the same time. Victoria Police are investigating this incident as well.

 

Five days before the opening ALP MoDS flew a light aircraft (with an ALP pilot) and buzzed wetlands open to shooting in the Colac and Ballarat regions to move so called game species away in a pre emptive strike against the shooters.

 

Over the previous three months a small team of Lynn Trakell, John Auty, Dave Evans and myself covered the state checking water levels and bird numbers on wetlands.

 

Shooters' newsletters and websites were monitored to glean as much information as we could to help determine where the rescue team would go on the opening weekend.

 

David Evans and Lynn Trakell had the arduous task again of organising the rescue team. Meetings were held for new rescuers in the lead up to the big day. Buses and walkietalkies were hired. Funds were raised to cover the expenses for the opening weekend.

 

Karen Lawrence who has been with the rescue team for 14 years, and now lives in Brisbane, flew down on the Friday especially to be part of the team again, and then caught a plane back on the Monday afternoon (that's dedication).

 

Help for Wildlife and Wildlife Victoria brought their veterinary teams to the opening weekend to treat wounded birds.

 

Media coverage was again very strong this year. Opening weekend television news stories went to air in Queensland, NSW and South Australia as well as Victoria.

 

The Age newspaper ran another magnificent editorial on the opening morning of the season calling on the Victorian Government to ban the recreational shooting of native waterbirds as it has been it Western Australia (1990) and NSW (1995).

Great stories also ran in the Sunday Herald Sun, Monday's Australian and Ballarat Courier. Tuesday's Herald Sun covered the display of illegally shot protected birds and game species outside the Premier's office on the Monday morning.

 

There was also a great deal of radio news coverage (Melbourne and Regional).

 

Again this year, special credit must go to David Evans and Lynn Trakell. For without their superb efforts, the campaign would never get off the ground.

 

ALP Members Opposed to Duck Shooting team challenged their own politicians and decision makers through the media on the issue.

Rescue teams have continued to be on the wetlands throughout the season.

 

The numbers of duck shooters out on the state's wetlands this year was about 4,000 only, down from 95,000 in 1986. Public opinion has been the main reason for the huge decrease in duck shooter numbers over the years.

 

Laurie Levy
Campaign Director
Coalition Against Duck Shooting
Email info@duck.org.au
Mobile 0418 392826

 

 

 

*photographs taken by Noah Hannibal

 

Photograph 1 Rescuer Mark Bain rushes an injured swan back to the mobile veterinary clinic.

 

Photograph 2 An angry shooter points his shotgun at rescuer Noah Hannibal. Noah stands his ground and takes this powerful photograph.