DUCK HUNTING

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (17:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question regarding illegal duck shooting.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Recently there has been a number of public statements made by and on behalf of hunters concerned about the delays to the announcement of the start of the duck and quail hunting season for this year. A number of these statements have referred to between 1,500 and 2,000 hunters who are disgruntled that the announcement of whether a season will be permitted and, if so, when it will commence, has been delayed. My questions are:

1. Given that a freedom of information request to the department last year showed that only 570 registered duck shooters in South Australia existed in 2011 (and this was down from 807 registered duck shooters in 2009, according to the departmental figures), can the minister advise whether registered shooter numbers in fact increased threefold, as publicised claims seem to indicate in recent weeks, or is this an inadvertent admission that there are a large number of hunters who are not registered and are intending to shoot illegally?

2. What safeguards will be instituted to ensure protected species are not targeted, and if there is evidence of illegal shooting, what measures will be taken to address this?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (17:28): As an occasionally disgruntled 'Hunter' can I advise the honourable member not to believe everything she reads in The Advertiser. Even though it is a journal of great repute it occasionally does get things wrong in its reports, particularly around numbers.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Funny as it might be, sometimes it does make errors. With regard to the honourable member's question about the plummeting level of registered duck shooters, I will take that on notice to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and bring back a response to the chamber.