Hunting regulations raise eyebrows | Geelong Independent

By Jena Carr

The latest draft hunting regulations have already caused a stir, with both hunters and activists expressing their concerns.

Victoria’s Wildlife (Hunting) Regulations are renewed approximately every 10 years and cover everything from the length of the season to the species of birds that can be hunted.

The draft regulations were released to the public on Monday, July 1. They include changes such as a 90-day hunting season and raising hunting license fees to $88.

Geelong Duck Rescue co-ordinator Natalie Kopas said she believed the draft regulations were designed to allow duck hunters to have “as much fun as possible with as little supervision as possible”.

“We have a process in place to get a license and go out to the site to do rescue operations, but instead we are trying to push the schedule even further until we can go out and look for injured birds,” she said.

“They still encourage and fund 12-18 year olds to shoot birds. This was an opportunity to say that guns should not be in the hands of anyone under 18.”

“These regulations come around every 10 years and if they are serious about protecting the environment and minimizing harm, this is their chance to prove it.”

Geelong Field and Game conservation officer Trent Leen said there were some “really promising things” in the draft regulations but he still had some concerns.

“It’s good to see duck hunting season returning to a normal schedule after the first week of opening, which is positive news,” he said.

“We are a little concerned about the immediate implementation of the non-toxic injection for quail. We felt that a transitional period would be much more appropriate.

“The industry hasn’t had a chance to adapt and provide us with the right products, so we have some concerns and think a transition period would be a better solution.”

Visit the Engage Victoria website to submit feedback on the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024 and the Regulatory Impact Statement by 29 July.