THE SNOW GOOSE by Paul Gallico

A story of Dunkirk and a man's love for a snow goose

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA RELEASE
3 December 2005

JOIN VICTORIA'S DUCK RESCUE TEAM

INVITATION TO INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TO WITNESS THE BRACKS LABOR
GOVERNMENT'S BRUTAL RECREATIONAL SLAUGHTER OF NATIVE WATERBIRDS DURING THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Photos taken March 19 at the opening of the 2005 Victorian duck shooting season.

Rescuer retrieves wounded protected swan.  

Shooter aims at a rescuer.          

                  

Wounded Grey Teal shot through the bill.

Australia's largest annual recreational wildlife slaughter will probably coincide
with the March 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth 'Green' Games.

If Victorian Premier Steve Bracks calls another season, rescuers from the Coalition
Against Duck Shooting will again descend on the wetlands, as they have for the
previous 20 years, to move birds away from shooters' guns and rescue wounded birds. Any international media wanting to attend would be most welcome.

Australia leads the world on this issue, with three Australian states banning the
recreational shooting of native waterbirds - Western Australia 1990, New South Wales 1995 and Queensland in August 2005.

Due to a change in public opinion, the numbers of licensed duck shooters in Victoria
has dropped from 95,000 in 1986 to 21,400 today, although only a few thousand of
these are still active.

America is watching Australia. Referring to wounding rates of up to 30%, top US
ballistics expert, Tom Roster said to US shotgunners in 2003, "The fate of waterfowl
hunting in this country could very well rest in how hunters address this wounding
loss issue. If we do nothing, we could easily end up like Australia."

"It's hard to believe that in the 21st Century a so called enlightened Labor Bracks
Government would still declare war on Australian native waterbirds when three other
state Labor Governments have already banned the activity. Why any state Labor leader would want to brutalize our native waterbirds is beyond belief.  We will increase our rescue team this year to keep the pressure on the few remaining duck shooters in this state. It's also good to know that American duck shooters are watching the issue very closely," said Laurie Levy, Campaign Director, Coalition Against Duck Shooting.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Laurie Levy, Campaign Director, Coalition Against Duck Shooting

Email:
info@duck.org.au

Phone: International access number + 61 3982 69715

Mobile: International access number + 61 418 392 826

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DUCK RESCUE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN VICTORIA. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

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CONGRATULATIONS AND HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE COALITION AGAINST DUCK SHOOTING AND BALLARAT ORGANISATION FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS FOR WORKING TIRELESSLY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND SUCCESSFULLY CAMPAIGNING FOR THE PERMANENT BAN AGAINST WATERFOWL HUNTING IN THREE AUSTRALIAN STATES. THEY ARE A TERRIFIC EXAMPLE FOR ALL COUNTRIES AND THEIR VICTORIES GIVE US HOPE THAT SOMEDAY, WATERFOWL HUNTING WILL ALSO BE BANNED IN NORTH AMERICA.

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