No Reprieve For Native Waterbirds

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30th December 2009, 02:05pm - Views: 1206





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COALITION AGAINST DUCK SHOOTING


Media Release






     Wednesday 30 December 2009 







No reprieve for Native Waterbirds 


Premier John Brumby – just another climate change sceptic

  



The Coalition Against Duck Shooting today slammed the Victorian Brumby Government for selling

out Australia’s native waterbirds by calling a recreational duck shooting season for political

reasons.


The Coalition Against Duck Shooting’s Campaign Director, Laurie Levy, today said: “The Brumby

Government’s decision to allow a duck shooting season in 2010 is totally irresponsible and a

betrayal of the 87% of Victorians who want the recreational shooting of native waterbirds banned.


“At a time when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been in Copenhagen seeking an agreement on

serious climate change issues, Premier Brumby seems oblivious to the potential crisis and has

irresponsibly called another duck shooting season when native waterbirds are under extreme

stress.”


“With wetlands drying and waterbird numbers down by 82% since 1983, Premier Brumby is acting

like a climate change sceptic who lacks the vision to understand the serious plight native

waterbirds face,” said Levy.


“It is difficult to understand how a modern Victorian Labor Government in the 21st century can still

have the same destructive policies towards Australia’s native waterbirds as the Bolte Liberal

Government of the 1950s and 60s.  Times have changed, with the recreational shooting of native

waterbirds banned by three State Labor Premiers in WA, NSW and Queensland,” Levy said.


“As the Brumby Government has again made a political decision to look after their duck shooting

mates, the Coalition Against Duck Shooting fully supports Ted Baillieu’s call for an independent

Crime Commission to be established in Victoria. 


“Calling another season simply for political reasons to accommodate a small number of duck

shooters is corruption and must be investigated by a Crime Commission.   It defies all the scientific

evidence that indicates waterbird numbers have seriously declined, and the fact that most

Victorians want native waterbirds protected (87% according to a recent Morgan Research Poll).


“Once again the Coalition Against Duck Shooting’s rescue team will return to the wetlands to

protect Australia’s native waterbirds from recreational shooters,” Levy concluded.



For further information contact:


Laurie Levy

Campaign Director

0418 392 826 









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