The most recent Waterfowl Report from NSW DPI highlights that game birds are not on the decline as some suggest. You can read the full NSW DPI report HERE.

Here are some key data:
• The Pacific black duck population in the Riverina of NSW rose from 159,800 to 2.76 million — a 1628% increase.
• Total game bird numbers (all species) in the Riverina of NSW surged by 345.6%.
• These figures represent the total estimated abundance, on all waterways (even though they only count some types).

Animal activist groups managed to fool the Victorian Select Committee inquiring into the state’s recreational native bird hunting arrangements with lies about native game bird harvesting, claiming dwindling populations in 2022-23. These assertions have been debunked, showing that the committee members – or more specifically, the Victorian Labor Party representatives – were misled.

They can’t claim they were not told, either. Professor Marcel Klaassen informed the Victorian Select Committee, "Ducks are incredibly resilient. They can reproduce at a very young age, possibly within a year, especially in Australia. Given the right conditions, they just keep breeding... they bounce back swiftly." Richard Kingsford added, "In 2022, wherever there was water, there was food, and ducks would have been breeding... in 2023 and 2024, we should expect to see an increase in duck numbers due to this breeding."

Field & Game Australia and other parties also provided evidence showing that the population decline in the 50 waterbird species monitored by the Eastern Australia Waterbird Survey (EAWS) is attributed to habitat loss, not hunting, and that in 2022-23 there had been a population explosion, despite what the counts were saying.

The evidence is clear. Richard Kingsford told the Victorian Committee, "I'd strongly recommend that the Victorian Government be more proactive in environmental flow management in the Murray-Darling. If we genuinely cared for wetland and waterbird habitats, we would be doing this." However, the Select Committee failed to suggest a single habitat increase. Instead, they recommend transforming State Game Reserves into "recreation reserves," effectively turning duck habitats into campgrounds and caravan parks!

The Labor Party must recognise this committee for its evident bias — an effort to demonise the working class and placate the Greens. The committee overlooked both the science and the evidence.

Those who advocated for a ban on recreational hunting either wilfully or, as some argue, deliberately turned a blind eye to the facts. Here's the truth:

• Game bird hunting responsibly utilises and conserves vital wetland habitat.
• Game bird hunting is well regulated and sustainable.
• Game bird hunting offers economic benefit – especially to regional Victoria.
• GAME BIRD HUNTING SHOULD NOT BE BANNED.