Australska Animal Justice Party započinje politički napad na lov pataka


16 siječnja 2019

Last week, the Australian state of Victoria announced that it will permit a new duck shooting season. The Animal Justice Party (AJP) recently won its first seat in the Upper House of Victoria and now wishes to use that political influence to immediately put an end to the cruel hunting of ducks. Andy Meddick, recently elected AJP representative in the Upper House: “The government again chooses the interests of hunters and leaves thousands of threatened birds to suffer. As the first people’s representative on behalf of the AJP in Victoria, I will be determined more than ever to stop duck hunting.”


AJP campaign against duck hunting

The Australian wetlands in Victoria – a collection of swamps, lakes and islets – are known as an oasis of rest and a bird’s paradise. But every year the peace is disrupted by duck hunting. Ducks are increasingly threatened by climate change and water exhaustion due to agriculture. The annual duck hunting is making it even more difficult for birds. Duck hunting was already banned in three other Australian states, but the state of Victoria maintained it under the pretext of tradition. However, figures show that only 0.4% of the population still participates in duck hunting and that the vast majority of the population wants hunting to be banned.

Andy Meddick, recently elected as representative of the Animal Justice Party (AJP) in the Victorian Upper House is now launching the attack against the government’s decision: “I am beyond appalled with this decision. Overwhelmingly the majority of Victorians want to see an end to this cruel, so-called “sport”. Endangered species are shot and killed and it creates environmental damage on a massive scale. Calling a duck shooting season under drought conditions is an irresponsible and reckless move. I promise to do everything in my power to hold the government to account and like every other year I will join rescue teams on the wetlands for the opening weekend of the shooting season and throughout the season.”

Hunting supervision
under the influence of the hunting lobby


Protesters in front of the office of Victoria’s prime minister with some discarded items and victims of the 2018 duck hunting.

Thousands of ducks are shot dead every year. An estimated average of 50,000 birds are wounded every year and have to suffer for days before they die. A damning report from 2018 showed that hunters frequently break the law, but that the Game Management Authority, the responsible supervisor, fails to do something about it. The supervisor does not only lack an effective overview and means, but they also have a conflict of interests: the supervisor has close connections with the hunting lobby. Wetlands are destroyed and hunting laws are breached.

Meddick: “The Pegasus report showed that GMA is far too close and far too comfy with the hunting lobby. GMA must be disbanded and the government must ban duck hunting in Victoria.“

Australska država Victoria objavila je prošlog tjedna da će omogućiti novu sezonu lova na patke. Animal Rights Party (AJP) za životinje nedavno je osvojila svoje prvo mjesto u Gornjem domu Viktorije i sada želi iskoristiti taj politički utjecaj kako bi odmah okončala okrutan lov na patke. Andy Meddick, novoizabrani predstavnik AJP-a u Gornjem domu: “Vlada ponovno odabire lovačke interese i dopušta patnju tisuće ugroženih ptica. Kao prvi predstavnik AJP-a u Viktoriji, odlučniji sam nego ikada zaustaviti lov na patke. ”


AJP kampanja protiv lova na patke

Australske močvare u Viktoriji – zbirka močvara, jezera i otoka – poznata je kao oaza mira i raja za ptice. Međutim, svake godine mir ometaju lovom na patke. Patke su sve više ugrožene klimatskim promjenama i iscrpljivanjem vode, između ostalog, sa strane poljoprivrede. Godišnji lov na patke čini ptice još ugroženijim. Lov je već je zabranjen u trima drugim australskim državama, ali država Victoria čuva lov pod krinkom tradicije. Brojke pak pokazuju da samo 0,4% stanovništva još uvijek sudjeluje u lovu na patke i da velika većina stanovništva želi da se lov zabrani.

Andy Meddick, koji je nedavno izabran za zastupnika Animal Rights Party (AJP) za životinje u viktorijanskom Gornjem Domu, sada u potpunosti napada vladinu odluku: “Ja sam izvan toga zaprepašten ovom odlukom. Nadmočna većina Viktorijanaca želi kraj tog okrutnog, takozvanog “sporta”. Ugrožene vrste se upucavaju i ubijaju, a to uzrokuje masovnu štetu na okoliš. Poziv na sezonu lova na patke neodgovoran je i nepromišljen potez. Obečavam da ću učiniti sve što je u mojoj moči da pozovem vladu na odgovornost i kao svake godine pridružiti ću se timovima za spašavanje u močvarama na otvaranju sezone i tijekom sezone. ”

Kontrola lova pod utjecajem lovačkog lobija


Aktivisti pred uredom premijera Viktorije s nekim od odbačenih predmeta i žrtvama lova na patke iz 2018.

Godišnje su ubijene tisuće pataka. Procjenjuje se da je svake godine ozlijeđeno 50.000 ptica koje danima pate prije nego što umru. Poražavajuće izvješće iz 2018. godine pokazalo je da lovci redovito krše zakon, ali da Game Management Authority (GMA), odgovorni nadzornik, ne uspijeva intervenirati. Nadzorniku ne samo da fali učinkovit nadzor i sredstva, nego je riječ i o sukobu interesa: nadzornik ima bliske veze s lovačkim lobijem. Tako se uništavaju močvare i krše zakoni za lov. Meddick: “Izvještaj Pegasusa pokazao je da je GMA previše blizak i da je previše komforan s lovačkim lobijem. GMA treba raspustiti i prisiliti na zabranu lova na patke u Viktoriji.”