[Greens-Media] Greens pay tribute to anti-duck shooting campaigner Laurie Levy who has been banned from the wetlands

[Amanda Sharp]

Friday 18 December 2015

Greens pay tribute to anti-duck shooting campaigner Laurie Levy who has been banned from the wetlands

Greens animal welfare spokesperson Sue Pennicuik has paid tribute to anti-duck shooting campaigner Laurie Levy and called for an end to duck shooting in Victoria.

"On behalf of the Greens, I'd like to thank Laurie for his years of dedication to ending duck shooting in Victoria," Sue Pennicuik said.

"The Greens opposed the unnecessary and draconian banning laws when they were introduced by the former Liberal government in 2014 and supported by Labor. These laws have seen Laurie banned from the wetlands for six months.

"The Greens have a long standing policy to ban duck shooting, which the majority of Victorians also want to see stopped.

"It is concerning that surveys are showing that our native waterbirds may be at their lowest level since surveys began.

"If that is so, there should definitely be no season in 2016 and that should herald the end of duck shooting once and for all in Victoria.

"If the government makes the wrong decision and allows a season next year, I will attend the wetlands as usual as an observer. It won't be the same without Laurie there, but the presence of Lyn White will highlight why duck shooting, like all animal cruelty, has to end.

"'The duck shooters may cling to their 'duck shooting is legal' argument and that it's a 'legitimate activity that is highly regulated'.  It is not highly regulated as every year hundreds of protected ducks and other species are illegally shot and few shooters are held to account for it.

"Duck shooting is not legitimate in the minds of the majority of Victorians, who look forward to the day when it's made illegal," Sue Pennicuik said.
For further comment: Sue Pennicuik 0409 055 875