![]() That the waterbird identification test requires only a 75% pass mark suggests it’s okay by our regulators to hit protected species 25% of the time.īut what of the birds designated “game” by our government? As I cradled a shot mountain duck that morning, it seemed inconceivable that this beautiful bird had been deemed “fair game” by our legislators, or that thousands like him were being senselessly shot, wounded and slaughtered across Victoria. It is an outrageous regulatory oversight that you can fire on Victoria’s native waterbirds without having to prove you can shoot straight. That protected species were shot this past weekend should surprise no one. Her protected status failed to shield her from the shotgun pellets raining across the wetland. One of the first victims carried in by duck rescuers was a red necked Avocet. This was not sport, it was government sanctioned slaughter. Camouflaged shooters using fake floating ducks and bird callers to lure defenceless birds towards the destructive power of their shotguns. What I observed at Lake Burrambeet was the antithesis of sport, the antithesis of a fair contest. I had heard duck shooting called a sport so I wanted to see and judge for myself. I was raised by my parents to be compassionate. ![]() ![]() Only the day before, this wetland had been her refuge and now, senselessly, her life was over. Frightened birds took to the sky and I watched horrified as the first waterbird plummeted into the lake.
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