Coalition Against Duck Shooting

04/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/reel/515095118330368

02/07/2025

Some duck rescuers have a special gift for locating and recovering wounded birds. Andrew Wallis has been volunteering with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting every year since 1996 and is an exceptionally gifted and dedicated rescuer. On his second day in 1996 Andrew caught a wounded Grey Teal and an illegally shot protected Australian Darter, by hand and without a net. Over the years Andrew would have rescued well over a hundred wounded birds and released the lucky survivors back onto the wetlands after rehabilitation (see video). On behalf of our beautiful waterbirds, from everyone at CADS and from the majority of Victorians who care about our birds and hate the brutality and suffering caused by Premier Jacinta Allan and her recreational duck shooters - thank you Andrew. You are a legend

21/06/2025

ANOTHER EXCELLENTENT COURT OUTCOME

At Lake Murphy, near Kerang, on the opening of the 2024 recreational duck shooting season, rescuer Marissa Egan was issued with a banning notice by two masked GMA compliance officers for allegedly hindering a duck shooter. This prohibited her from helping native waterbirds on any shooting wetland for the duration of the 2024 recreational duck shooting season.

Marissa took the option of requesting a revocation of the banning notice which was, of course denied, as it was reviewed by the GMA, the very same authority which booked her. This was followed by a summons to attend the Kerang Magisrates Court on 19 June, 2025, presumably because the Department wanted her to receive a hefty fine.

Barrister David Risstrom represented Marissa in Court. When the Magistrate issued Marissa only a 6-month Diversion and ordered her to pay just $150 in court costs, the Magistrate acknowledged that duck shooting was a heavily political issue.

Together with Marissa, we are all very pleased with the outcome.

17/06/2025

Media release
17 June 25

A Coalition Against Duck Shooting rescuer today pleaded guilty to illegally being on a wetland to help wounded birds in 2024

Her fine of $1,154 was dropped

On Tuesday June 17, 2025, in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court, volunteer duck rescuer and former Wangaratta resident, Maree Cox, represented herself and pleaded guilty to entering a specified hunting area during prohibited times. The offence took place when she was helping native waterbirds on the opening of the 2024 duck shooting season at Lake Wooroonook, near Donald.

Magistrate Collins said she understood Maree was motivated by compassion and given she had no prior convictions, the fine of $1,154 was dropped. Instead a 12 month good behaviour bond, without conviction, was issued.

Ms Cox today said: “The wetlands during duck seasons are horrific places. The continual sound of guns exploding into the silence, ducks flying in terror and dropping out of the sky and countless wounded left to die agonising deaths is just the beginning of the appalling suffering we see. The suffering is haunting and deeply upsetting.

"I’ll continue rescuing wounded birds until duck shooting is banned,” Ms Cox concluded.

09/06/2025

Premier Jacinta Allan's 2025 Victorian recreational duck shooting season is now over. One of the final casualties was this beautiful Pacific Black Duck which was shot, wounded and illegally left to die on Lake Mannaor Wildlife Reserve near Kerang on the final weekend. An innocent life ended with unconscionable suffering because Premier Allan supports brutality in the name of recreation.

27/05/2025

Premier Jacinta Allan has blood on her hands. She is responsible for the suffering of these beautiful Pink-eared Ducks which recreational duck shooters shot and left wounded and suffering on Lake Boort on the first day of the 2025 Victorian duck shooting season. They were taken to the on-site mobile veterinary clinic for assessment. Sadly their injuries were too extensive and both required euthanazia.

18/05/2025

‘HIDE BUSTERS’ DEMOLISH DUCK SHOOTERS' ILLEGAL WETLAND STRUCTURES

Duck shooters not only litter our pristine wetlands with rubbish, spent shotgun cartridges, unburied bird remains and unburied toilets but they also litter the wetlands by constructing ‘COWARD’S CASTLES’, otherwise known as ‘hides’, on public wetlands. These illegal constructions can be made of anything from local tree branches and brush/leaves to plastic webbing, timber and even steel. The camouflaged shooter hides himself from unsuspecting native waterbirds and then blasts them out of the sky when they fly into shotgun range.

Rescuers have had a productive time removing these ugly monstrosities and other rubbish left behind by duck shooters. Over the last 40 years our hide busting teams have removed hundreds of these illegal structures from the wetlands - at no cost to the Victorian government. Laurie Levy

Jacinta Allan
Steve Dimopoulos MP
Georgie Purcell - Animal Justice Party MP

12/05/2025

This cruelty is inflicted upon defenceless animals in the name of a ‘sport’ that the majority of caring Australians oppose.

08/05/2025

Threatened species like this Freckled Duck which Laurie Levy is holding, are always illegally shot by recreational duck shooters together with many other species illegally left on the wetlands. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has no empathy for these innocent victims and refuses to stop this brutality.

30/04/2025

On behalf of Australia's diminishing native waterbirds - its time to say goodbye to Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan.

23/04/2025

16/04/2025

Duck rescuers have been monitoring duck shooter activity across Victoria and last weekend they stumbled across illegal activities and gross disregard for our beautiful environment at a wetland near Sale, in Gippsland.

Around 30 whole birds had been illegally left lying around, including many which had been thrown into the bushes. Feathers, shotgun cartridges and rubbish was strewn about including the shooters' unburied toilet, together with a toilet seat, fire drum and table.

This ransacking of our native waterbirds and beautiful wetlands by duck shooters is sanctioned by Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan. Will she come and clean up the mess she's responsible for?