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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-09 Daily Xml
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DUCK AND QUAIL HUNTING

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (15:26): I rise to speak about the continued practice of duck and quail hunting here in South Australia. This is a very emotive issue and one that is fought passionately by animal rights groups and hunting lobby groups alike. According to a growing coalition of groups who are opposed to this practice, the hunting of ducks is unnecessarily cruel.

Groups like Animal Liberation SA point out that this is due to the type of guns used by hunters which fire 120 to 200 pellets per cartridge. The spread of the pellets means that often birds are not hit by enough pellets to kill them immediately. According to these animal rights groups it is also common for birds to sustain injuries to their beaks which lead to eventual starvation of the duck days after the initial shot.

If the reports about these slow and painful deaths are true then they are at odds with the law set out in the Animal Welfare Act 1985 which states that ill-treatment of animals occurs if they are killed in a manner which 'does not cause death to occur as rapidly as possible'. Considering that many of the ducks injured during the hunting season may not 'die as rapidly as possible', is the government aware that it is allowing the hunting season to go ahead possibly in breach of the Animal Welfare Act?

The Minister for Environment and Conservation (Hon. Paul Caica) announced only last week that bag limits for ducks have risen this year to 12 per hunter per day, which is exactly double the number allowed last year. Members from animal rights groups have pointed out that this increased bag limit combines with an unusually late breeding season in 2011, meaning that many adult ducks who are still caring for their young may be shot once the hunting season gets underway this year on 19 February. In effect, this increases the number of birds who will die as a result of the hunting season this year, as ducklings are left to fend for themselves once the parents are injured or killed.

The Victorian government, in response to this late breeding season, took this change in the breeding habits into account and delayed the hunting season until late March 2011, giving juvenile birds enough time to become independent, but the South Australian government failed to take this into account. Granted, the Minister for Environment and Conservation saw fit to keep Bool Lagoon Game Reserve closed due to extended waterbird breeding but did not extend this leniency to other game reserves in South Australia, despite the late breeding season being statewide. If the minister sees fit to spare birds in one reserve, then why not in other game parks?

I announce today and put on Hansard of this parliament that I will be writing to the Environment, Resources and Development Committee asking it to immediately undertake a parliamentary inquiry into duck and quail hunting in South Australia. Of course, this is in the full knowledge of the joint party room of the parliamentary Liberal Party here in South Australia. I will make specific reference to the Animal Welfare Act 1985, which, in section 13, states that it is against the act to kill 'the animal in a manner that causes the animal unnecessary pain'.

This issue is one that many South Australians are concerned about. I have been contacted by more than 800 Norwood constituents, checked against the roll, who regard duck hunting as a breach of the Animal Welfare Act, making this a very, very significant issue in my electorate. I have also had representation from a number of other groups who believe their sport is being unfairly victimised and challenge many of the claims made by those who oppose duck hunting.

Conflicting information is certainly a problem in regards to this important issue and is another reason why it is now time for there to be a thorough parliamentary inquiry to find out the facts once and for all. I strongly support the right of those opposed to duck and quail hunting in South Australia to a thorough inquiry to establish the facts, and therefore, inform government legislation in this important area.

The SPEAKER: Thank you; yes, ducks have feelings too. You have made the member for Torrens' day, member for Norwood.

Mr Marshall: I often do.

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