DUCK HUNTING

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Environment and Conservation a question about duck hunting.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: South Australia's many lakes and wetlands are the breeding grounds for a variety of native water fowl. The current drought is clearly having a marked impact on the ability of these wild populations to breed. My question to the minister is: can she inform the council what is being done to protect these wild breeding populations?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health) (15:21): I thank the honourable member for his important question and acknowledge the impact the current drought is having on wild bird populations around our lakes and wetlands. For this reason I have taken action to cancel the 2008 duck-hunting season, with restrictions to also be placed on quail hunting.

It is a worrying situation. This is the third successive year the duck-hunting season has been cancelled but, without such action, an unacceptable risk would hang over the stability of our wild bird populations. I am sure anyone who has witnessed the great flocks of birds taking flight over or foraging in our wetlands will want to see these populations preserved for both future biodiversity and also generations of South Australians to enjoy. Inadequate flows in the Murray-Darling and Lake Eyre basins, as well as core refuge areas in Southern Victoria, makes breeding more difficult and, given that situation, the assessment is that allowing hunting to take place this season would impact too greatly on breeding stock.

If these deficiencies continue, South Australia's wetlands, many of which are near the coast, may become increasingly important for the conservation of these populations. Unfortunately, the poor autumn and winter rainfall of last year has ruled out hunting this year. Not permitting hunting this year is not our only approach, obviously, to this problem. We are working on taking pressure off the Murray and restoring flows to some of our state's most important wetlands, including Ramsar-listed Bool Lagoon and the Coorong but, obviously, we still need adequate rainfall to make a real difference.

While wild quail populations are less affected by low flows around our wetlands, restrictions will be placed on the hunting period and also on the number of quail that can be taken so as not to greatly impact on breeding stock. As a result of this decision I have shortened the quail-hunting season from Saturday 5 April to Sunday 27 April, with a reduced bag limit of 15 birds per day to apply. I am pleased to say that banning the hunting season is not without the support and cooperation of duck-hunting organisations, and I acknowledge these groups for their understanding of the need to conserve these populations, and their responsible actions in the way they have cooperated. Further information for interested parties is available on the DEH website.