SSAA Victoria staff were on the ground supporting hunters at duck season opening yesterday and witnessed animal rights activists actively hindering and harassing lawful participants, while also behaving belligerently and uncooperatively with authorities.
Our staff were present to engage with hunters, provide support, observe conditions on the wetlands and reinforce the message that responsible, respectful behaviour matters. As always, SSAA Victoria was there standing with hunters doing the right thing and promoting the standards expected of a lawful and legitimate recreational activity.
This morning, credible reports emerged that boats had been vandalised overnight and that access to public land had been blocked by an apparent deliberate act of environmental vandalism, with a tree dropped across a public road.
That is not protest. That is intimidation, vandalism and interference with lawful activity.
SSAA Victoria proudly and unapologetically plays a leadership role in setting clear expectations of hunter behaviour through our support for the REDUCE and RESPECT campaigns. Compliance data consistently shows that hunter behaviour is generally very good and, where unacceptable behaviour does occur, we are the first to call it out publicly.
That is what accountability looks like.
By contrast, the animal rights movement too often turns a blind eye to the unlawful behaviour of its frontline activists and, at times, appears willing to excuse, encourage or romanticise it. If movement leaders are serious about claiming the moral high ground, they must be equally serious about condemning illegal conduct carried out in their name.
SSAA Victoria has said consistently that the right to protest and to disagree with laws is a fundamental and valued part of a free society. People are entitled to hold different views about duck hunting. They are entitled to campaign against it. They are entitled to protest peacefully.
What they are not entitled to do is break the law, vandalise the environment or public assets, interfere with private property, or harass people who are participating in a lawful, tightly regulated activity.
Victoria’s duck hunters deserve better than abuse and intimidation for simply taking part in a legitimate seasonal tradition. So do the authorities tasked with managing public safety and lawful access to public land.
If leaders of the animal rights movement have any credibility, now is the time to show it. They should come out clearly and unequivocally to condemn the illegal behaviour of their activists.
And to those spray-painting boats overnight: that is not how you spell “punt”.
