A BLACK swan was killed on the opening day of the duck hunting season, according to Member for Northern Victoria Georgie Purcell.
“Labor’s shameful duck slaughter commences today, and only hours into the season a black swan has already been killed on the wetlands,” Ms Purcell said on Wednesday in Parliament.
“It comes as the most accurate surveys show that there is half the amount of waterbirds compared to the year before and birds are not breeding.
“We have no birds, yet the government, one year out from defying the main recommendation from their own parliamentary inquiry that they established themselves, announced the most barbaric and longest season that we have seen in a long time.
“Despite all the work we have done, we have gone backwards.
“Over the next three months protected species will be shot.”
Ms Purcell said thousands of birds would be wounded and “left languishing slowly to die on the wetlands”.
“Rules will be flouted, and Game Management Authority will turn a blind eye while focusing on charging those attempting to render assistance,” she said.
Hunters descended onto wetlands in the Gannawarra and Buloke Shires for the opening day of the season, which ends 30 minutes after sunset on Monday, June 9.
They were met with a contingent of protestors and bird rescuers, including prolific anti-duck hunting campaigner Laurie Levy.
Ms Purcell was banned from all Victorian duck hunting wetlands last year after illegally entering waters to rescue birds on the opening day.
Police and Game Management Authority officers served ban notices to the MP and Mr Levy after the pair entered Johnson Swamp in Kerang a few hours earlier.
It is illegal for unauthorised people to enter a specified hunting area during the season between two hours before sunset and 10am the next day.
“I want to send my strength and solidarity to the duck rescuers heading out onto the wetlands today, many of whom I will join over the weekend, just as I have done for over 10 years now,” Ms Purcell said.
“They are doing a job that the authorities and government should do but refuse to, and they refuse to because they know and we know that it is an impossible job to monitor compliance at literally thousands of locations across this state.
“It is our native waterbirds like the black swan which has already been killed who pay the ultimate price for their arrogance and their negligence.
“We will never forget or forgive this government’s betrayal, and we will ban duck shooting.”
BirdLife Australia wants Victorian Government to look at the “complete picture” of how Australia’s wetland birds are faring overall.
“The Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey, an independent survey conducted annually by experts at the University of New South Wales, shows waterbird populations have declined as much as 90 per cent over the last 40 years in eastern Australia,” it said in a statement.
“When wetter periods increase wetland availability, as seen in 2012 and 2022, waterfowl numbers typically rise temporarily.
“However, several datasets have shown that as wetlands return to their normal state, bird populations also revert to the worrying trend of long-term decline.
“BirdLife Australia is concerned the current method of setting maximum season length and bag limits using duck counts conducted in Victoria alone during a wetter period is problematic.”
The government has closed or partially closed 18 wetlands to hunting to protect significant concentrations of threatened species and breeding waterbirds.
The daily bag limit is nine game ducks and the Blue-winged Shoveler must not be hunted.
Hunting is not permitted in wildlife sanctuaries, including Reedy Lakes (Kerang), Kow Swamp (Gunbower) and Richardson River (Buloke Shire).
View the closed wetlands at www.gma.vic.gov.au/media-releases/2025/wetlands-closed-to-hunting.
GMA was contacted for comment about the start of the 2025 season.
