The Victorian duck hunting season has been met with outcry.

Waiting for longer than anticipated to make the announcement, just weeks from what is the typical start of the season in midMarch, the State Government has come under fire from local hunters and businesses after shortening the season to just five weeks (May 2 to June 8) and limiting bag numbers to three ducks per day.

In 2019 hunters took part in a reduced nine-week season and were allowed five ducks per day, down from 10 in 2018.

Bairnsdale Field and Game hunting and conservation officer, David Young, said while he is pleased there will be a duck season, he was disappointed the season had been so limited.

“Recreational duck hunting is a Victorian tradition and Bairnsdale Field and Game fully supports a 2020 season, but we would have preferred a full 10-week season instead of five weeks, plus a larger bag limit,” he said.

“The bag limit of three birds per day is not going to bring many hunters to Gippsland or elsewhere to spend their money supporting local businesses after the recent impact of bushfires.

“It’s all political. Some people are saying the bushfires have affected the bird numbers and wetlands, but it hasn’t affected any of our wetlands at all.” Mr Young said the bag limit reduction doesn’t bode well for local businesses. “We’re not happy with it. We’d like to have gone with the full season. We’ve got plenty of ducks around, it would have been better being five or 10 ducks per day,” he said.

“We want to encourage people to come here and spend their money and with only three birds they are not going to travel all the way from Melbourne for three birds on Saturday and three on Sunday. Some people shoot three birds pretty quickly, some people, if they are really good, can shoot three ducks in one shot.”

Mr Young said it is strange the State Government would appoint the Game Management Authority to consult with in making its decisions, yet not listen to them.

The arrangements for the 2020 duck season are based on analysis of habitat and waterbird surveys conducted across eastern Australia and other data relating to game duck abundance, habitat distribution and climate.

The State Government says the restricted season is a necessary response to the prolonged dry conditions, saying it has led to low duck numbers and reduced habitat.

The Game Management Authority (GMA) provided its advice on the 2020 duck hunting season to the government prior to the height of the bushfires. The GMA has subsequently advised the government that the bushfires have had a minimal direct impact on current duck populations and habitat.

“I don’t know who makes decision on three ducks per day, but we certainly don’t have a shortage of ducks,” Mr Young said.

“There are people saying they are not renewing their game licence because it’s not worth it, especially for those who only shoot ducks. If it goes like that, we’re letting the government win.

“We always have a population of ducks because of the Gippsland Lakes. We’ve always got water, not like some of the inland areas.”

Andrew Lind, owner of Gunsport Trading, said the reduced season will negatively affect his business.

“It’s definitely going to have an impact. There is normally eight to 12    weeks of the season; we’ve now lost that difference in revenue,” he said.

“We certainly won’t get the numbers coming into the area. There are a lot of out of town hunters that come to East Gippsland to fill their bag.

“It’s hard to gauge because I’ve only been in the shop for just over 12 months, but we haven’t been able to work out what stock to order and now there is potentially not much reason to bulk up on a lot of stock.”

Field and Game Australia said it is “outraged” with the restricted season, saying it comes squarely back to politics.

“In the circumstances it is completely unjustifiable,” Field and Game Australia (FGA) chief executive officer, Dean O’Hara, and chairman, Peter Hawker, said in a joint statement.

“We can draw only one conclusion; that this is a political compromise, not a decision based solely on the available evidence.

“The position taken by FGA during consultation was completely justified and supported by all the available facts, data and science.

“Through the submission process, FGA advocated for a sustainable duck season with six birds per day, which would also encourage hunters to travel and spend money in regional communities.

“The Victorian Government ignored an opportunity to provide incentive for more than 25,000 hunters to travel long distances to support regional communities impacted by recent bushfires. The short, heavily restricted season will have a negative economic impact on communities that can least afford it.

“This is a slap in the face for regional and rural Victorians and we ask all hunters to support these communities.”

IMAGE: Bairnsdale Field and Game hunting and conservation officer, David Young, pictured overlooking Macleod Morass, said while he is pleased the State Government has announced a duck hunting season, like many others, he is disappointed in its limitations. K181-526