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grove news
Duck shooting ‘a way of life’ JESSICA GRACE FOR 39 years, Dale Berryman has been shooting ducks and says he’s no stranger to protesters. “I started shooting when I was 16 years old with friends. People protest about shooters but the human race has hunted or caught fish for hundreds of years,” Mr Berryman said. “It’s sad to hear negative feedback all of the time. There have always been protests but it’s definitely increasing now as it’s getting more and more publicity.” Mr Berryman said high profile personalities like Laurie Levy, having access to media, accelerated the negative comments around the community. “We’re not weirdo’s or anything like that, we’re all family men who like the taste of wild game and fish. We collect it ourselves and its organic, no pesticides or anything,” Mr Berry man said. “I can understand people’s
concerns about cruelty but if you’re a regular shooter you become quite proficient in what you do. One of the cruelest things though is the introduction of steel shot.” Mr Berryman said lead bullets were outlawed after it was discovered the ducks were ingesting lead from the swamps and steel shots were introduced. “We’re not allowed to use lead shots anymore, which used to collapse on impact and the bird would die instantly. The steel shots now can go straight through the bird,” he said. “They can fly another kilometre before they fall from the sky in those instances. They die a miserable death which worries me, but you can’t change politicians’ minds.” Mr Berryman said people might ask him then why he continued to shoot ducks, but believed putting a hook in a fish’s mouth was no different.
Dale Berryman “It’s a matter of my lifestyle, the way I’ve been brought up and the way I’ve brought my son up and my grandsons. I love the bush, I like being in the bush,” he said. “It will be disappointing when the time comes for it to be banned. The fact they’ve already banned it in New South Wales and Queensland shows it probably won’t be in the not too distant future.” Mr Berryman said as a member of the Geelong Field and Game Association, he couldn’t speak on behalf of them, but believed they
did amazing work in regards to conservation. “All I can do is point out the GFGA do a fantastic job at encouraging bird life. Yes, we take birds for our table, but GFGA ensures ducks breed far more prolifically then what’s taken,’’ he said. “In relation to gun safety there’s laws surrounding owning and keeping a gun. It’s all under lock and key with ammunition kept separately. I don’t think there’s an issue with that at all.” Mr Berryman said despite reports the sport was dying, there were new shooters coming through every season. “Just last week at the opening when I was shooting with my son a lad came up and asked if he could shoot near us. He informed us that he’d just had his license for a week,” he said. “There’s still quite a strong culture and I don’t believe the sport’s dying out at all.”
Activists won’t stop until killings end OCEAN Grove’s John Bowman has called on fellow activists to help call an end to duck shooting. On Saturday, March 16, John and fellow protesters gathered at Hospital Swamps, Lake Connewarre for the opening of duck season. “I, alongside Greg Barber, leader of the Victorian Greens, gathered for the opening. There was a fair bit of shooting at dawn and the
birds took to the air,” Mr Bowman said. “They didn’t know which way to turn, which was stressful to listen to and watch. A few birds were shot down but we didn’t see any being brought back to camp.” Mr Bowman said the protesters, including Natalie Houghton, CEO of Jane Goodall Institute of Australia, outnumbered the shooters.
“Along with the RSPCA and other environmentalists, the Bellarine Anti Duck Shooting Group will continue to oppose duck shooting until it has been banned,” Mr Bowman said. “Lake Connewarre has great potential to attract Twitchers from all around the world if the birds weren’t killed, injured, stressed and frightened away for 12 weeks every year.”
John Bowman and Greg Barber