Victorian wetland closed to duck hunting

Victorian wetland closed to duck hunters

Tower Hill State Game Reserve has finally been closed to duck hunters, weeks after BirdLife Australia reported significant numbers of a threatened species at the site.

The Victorian Government finally closed a wetland to hunters – more than two weeks after BirdLife Australia reported the presence of significant numbers of a threatened species at the site.

A BirdLife Australia scientist documented 275 threatened Australasian (or Blue-winged) Shovelers at the eastern side of the wetlands in the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, in the state’s south-west. This greatly exceeds the Victorian Government’s recommended trigger threshold of 108 individuals, which is used as a guideline for when protective management actions should be considered. The Australasian Shoveler can be mistaken for Chestnut Teal – a waterfowl classified in Victoria as a game species that can be hunted legally – increasing the risk of them being shot inadvertently.

BirdLife Australia commends the Government’s action to close the wetland to help protect threatened species from being shot by mistake and reduce disturbance from recreational hunting. However, the delayed response highlights our broader concerns about the effectiveness of reactive wetland management.

“A two-week delay between our original report and the closure of the wetland signals a clear issue in the handling of wetland closures to protect native birds,” said Kate Millar, CEO of BirdLife Australia. “That first report should have prompted immediate action.”

“Instead, we followed-up multiple times – each without response – and eventually escalated the matter to the Minister before we heard about anything being done.”

“That’s not quick enough when threatened species are at risk.”

Ms Millar said the presence of so many Australasian Shovelers at Tower Hill was not unexpected, as the site regularly supports high numbers of native waterbirds, including Chestnut Teal, Black Swans and Blue-billed Duck – another protected threatened species in Victoria.

“Tower Hill has often been closed to shooters since 2017 to protect threatened species, sometimes following incidents involving protected birds being shot,” Ms Millar said. “This raises questions about why it is opened to recreational hunting in the first place.”

The announcement of Tower Hill’s eventual closure coincided with the reopening of two other wetlands, both of which have recent records of threatened species being present. So far, 14 Victorian wetlands have been closed or partially closed to duck hunting this season.

“The time and resources that are going into reactive management, confirming reports, tracking birds, opening and closing wetlands, should be reallocated to helping threatened species recover,” Ms Millar explained.

BirdLife Australia continues to urge the Allan Government to ban recreational bird shooting once and for all, in line with the recommendations of the 2023 Parliamentary Inquiry, the science and a clear public majority that is opposed to this unsustainable practice.

Join our campaign calling for an end to recreational duck shooting in Victoria and South Australia – and help make sure the 2026 open season will be the last.

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