Coalition Against Duck Shooting

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.

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.

‘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

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

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?

Did Victoria’s lame duck Premier, Jacinta Allan peer out her window as over 250 dead birds were displayed outside her office today?

Premier Allan caused the unnecessary death and suffering of all these birds which were happily living their innocent lives just a couple of weeks ago. It was her decision to call a longer than usual recreational duck shooting season with a bag limit of nine birds per shooter per day knowing full well that our native waterbirds numbers have dropped by 90% over the last 40 years.

These dead birds were recovered from just two wetlands, Lake Marmal and Lake Boort in north west Victoria. And we know there are many more wounded birds on Lake Marmal suffering as they slowly die. Today’s display represented just the tip of the iceberg of the monumental suffering now taking place across the whole of Victoria.

Does Premier Allan even give a thought for the misery she has caused just so a tiny number of shooters can get their kicks? Does she sleep at night when thinking about these sad, wounded birds which are struggling to stay alive at this very moment? Does she really think democracy involves giving duck shooters, who make up less than 0.2% of Victoria’s population, what they want when the majority of Victorians and the majority in the Labor Party want an end to this brutality? Does she really think it is right to hold a parliamentary inquiry into native bird shooting at taxpayers’ expense but then ignore the outcome because it’s not what she wants?

https://www.creativecowboyfilms.tv/sky/2025-the-deadliest-duck-shooting-opening-in-victoria-since-2017?fbclid=IwY2xjawJXWptleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQxQ-HsuEi5bOTuDaT8IK6XVZVElSAC40aw_zsCi2AH24N2wbmw0DVTuvA_aem_ehjKfQiJJO28d3aAWxoVCg

For heavens’ sake Labor – what are you doing?

2025, the deadliest duck shooting opening in Victoria since 2017 More than 250 dead waterbirds, including threatened species, were displayed outside the Victorian Premier’s office on 1 April.