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7 March, 2010

SHOOTERS SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOUR
seven shots and 3 minutes to kill a duck is not instant or humane

Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) were at the frontline this weekend for the start of the annual recreational duck killing season and have reported two horrific incidents of animal cruelty.

AACT with the support of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT) and Wildlife Tasmania witnessed first hand the bloody assault on defenceless ducks.

AACT spokesperson Chris Simcox said: “This weekend we witnessed two incidents where ducks were shot down and left to flap around in agony while they were peppered with shot after shot by lazy incompetent shooters. One shooter was observed to take seven shots to kill one duck, taking 2-3 minutes to finally end the bird’s agony. This is not the instant death that shooter representatives tell the public about. To make these incidents worse, both shooters failed to concentrate solely on finishing the bird they had shot, stopping to take aim at other ducks flying over-head.

“These incidents have been reported to the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment’s, Wildlife Enforcement Branch and we expect them to investigate them as violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Because shooters are required to license duck shooting hides, it should been an easy matter to identify the culprits.”

“We also collected wounded birds that the shooters abandoned to die a slow death, probably taking more than 30 minutes,” Mr Simcox continued. “This level of cruelty is simply intolerable and research polls show that the majority of people want it stopped now.”

TCT Director Peter McGlone joined the AACT protesters at Moulting Lagoon yesterday and added that: “The protesters witnessed two horrific incidents of animal cruelty in the first two hours of the duck shooting season, we can only guess at the horrific cruelty ducks suffer throughout the rest of the season while no one is watching.”

“These incidents are clearly just the tip of iceberg and highlight that recreational duck shooting is inherently cruel and must be banned in Tasmania as it has been in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, Mr McGlone concluded.”

The duck shooting season continues until 6 June. AACT will be watching the wetlands throughout the season to protect native waterbirds.

For more information contact:
Chris Simcox, Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania, Ph: 0408 970 359
Peter McGlone, Director, Tasmanian Conservation Trust Ph: 0406 380 545