A GROUP has banded together to pressure the state government to ban duck hunting.
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The group, called Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting, has created a series of television advertisements which will air across the state.
Residents and business owners who live near wetlands are shown speaking about how their lives are affected by the hunting in the series of four TV spots.
The group says members have written numerous letters and requested meetings with the state government which have not been successful.
They said the ads would run "as long as possible”.
“The duck shooting debate is often centred around animal welfare and the alleged rights of shooters to enjoy their recreational past time, but there is a third significant stakeholder who’s collective voice is going unnoticed,” a spokesperson said.
“It’s those of us who own property in, who live, work and raise families in these communities.
“For at least three months out of 12, our daily lives and businesses are disrupted.
“Our basic human rights to live and work in peace, without fear, have come second to the rights of a minority who like to shoot our native waterbirds.
"It’s a huge thing for us to speak out in these ads – knowing the shooting lobby will inevitably target us – but we are sick of being the hidden victims of duck shooting.”
The latest Game Management Authority license statistics show that less than 0.4 per cent of the Victorian population shoot ducks, with 25,646 with licence holders in 2016.
However, the Horsham municipality has one of the highest numbers of registered duck hunters in the state.
Recreational duck hunting is banned in New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
