1 May 2007

Duck shooters served notice to obey law Group lures whistle-blowers with cash for cruelty cases

A $5,000 reward is being posted for any information leading to the successful prosecution of any duck shooter who violates the law. The reward stems out of frustration at duck shooters who flout the law and cause increased animal cruelty. The reward is being offered by SAFE, New Zealand's second largest animal advocacy organisation.

"Duck shooters will be encouraged to blow the whistle on fellow shooters who show a flagrant disrespect for animal life", says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek. "Since 1990, our rescue teams have witnessed duck shooters routinely maiming and injuring large numbers of waterfowl. The $5,000 reward aims to encourage a better self-regulation scheme across New Zealand's wetland areas, which are used by an estimated 30,000 shooters each season."

SAFE is particularly concerned about duck shooters who persistently shoot out of range, thereby increasing injury rates. SAFE claims many shooters fail to retrieve injured birds or properly kill those that have been retrieved. Illegal shooting of protected species or of birds on the water also occurs regularly, they say.

An overseas study involving 75,000 shooters concluded that ducks sustained injuries 30 per cent of the time and geese 36 per cent. Author of the report, Tom Roster, a duck shooter himself, says "The problem is the horrible image it portrays of hunters. It is hard to make a case that water-fowling is a nice, honourable activity when wounding rates are that high."

"If we apply the survey results to the New Zealand situation, over 400,000 ducks and geese will suffer a slow and agonising death during the coming three-month season," says Mr Kriek.

SAFE will begin a national postering campaign this week that includes placing posters on mai mais to await duck shooters on opening day.

ENDS

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