On the morning of Sunday, March 16 2024, I attended a rally to protest against the continuation of duck hunting in South Australia following on from the failed duck hunting review by the SA Labor government.
The new season began on the day of the rally and finishes at the end of June, sunrise to sunset. A maximum of 10 ducks per day per shooter can be killed. Tens of thousands of ducks and other birds will be killed. More will die slowly of their injuries.
I don’t really enjoy going to rallies or protests and there are many things I’d rather be doing. But this is the kind of protest I feel compelled to attend.
Short speeches were given by long-time animal welfare advocate Tammy Franks (SA Greens), the new Animal Justice Party candidate for Dunstan (by-election in a week) Frankie Bray, and Steven Langley from Birds SA.
Members of the public stopped to listen and watch for a minute during the event.
This was followed by a short silence in consideration of the birds being killed or wounded at that very moment, and a walk from the steps of parliament house to Victoria Square along the footpath with simple signs and “ban duck hunting” vocalisations.
It was an orderly, non-disruptive display by a bunch of people (hard to know how many: between 50 and 100 I’d say) who just want to see an end to unnecessary carnage. The message to government was simple: ban duck hunting.
It was all over in an hour. Will anything change? Probably. Eventually. Will the public be better informed? Perhaps.
On the website of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA) in the article “A beginner’s guide to duck hunting“, there is a section titled Ethics, containing statements such as (my emphasis):
Ethics is conducting yourself in a sportsman-like manner and treating other hunters with respect.
Don’t squabble over ducks. Sometimes, especially when shooting on big swamps, more than one hunter will fire at a duck. There is nothing more childish than two grown men fighting over a dead duck. The simple solution is to walk away and go back to hunting.
The only time a duck should be shot on the water is when a wounded duck has to be humanely dispatched. The shot should only be taken when it is safe to do so.
SSAA
“Treating other hunters with respect”.
But not ducks or other birds?
“Nothing more childish than two grown men fighting over a dead duck”?
How about killing a duck in the first place?
“When a wounded duck has to be humanely dispatched”.
Dispatched? At least be honest and use the word “killed”.
Humanely? There is no humane way to kill an animal that didn’t want to die.
At the end of the article we have this:
Duck hunting is a challenging pastime and once you have experienced it, it will get in your blood and you will never tire of it. The beautiful smell of the wetlands, the sound of the whistling wings of passing ducks – to a duck hunter, that is the elixir of life.
SSAA
This makes it sound like a romantic adventure, but omits one tiny thing: the killing and maiming part.
Reminiscent of “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” from the movie Apocalypse Now.
These sorts of speciesist statements are a reminder of how far there is to go.
It’s all about the hunters apparently, reportedly less than 1% of the SA population. Everyone else (including people and birds) be damned!
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