Tasmanian duck hunt protesters claim gun pointed at woman's chest
A gun has allegedly been pulled on a protester on the first day of Tasmania's annual duck hunting season, with police saying they are investigating the claim.
It was alleged a woman protesting the duck hunt had come into close proximity to a hunter's "hide", when the hunter pointed the gun at close range at her chest.
The alleged incident took place on Moulting Lagoon near Coles Bay on Tasmania's East Coast.
Chris Simcox from Against Animal Cruelty said the woman was verbally threatened while attempting to save ducks from the hunters.
"One of the shooters actually approached a rescuer and pointed a gun at her and threatened to tip her out of her kayak," he said.
"She was very distressed. Very upset. She had to abandon the kayak because she was in fear of possibly drowning at that point."
The woman made a statement to Bicheno Police and Alan Skeggs from Tasmania Police said the matter was being investigated.
Conservationists said they expressed concerns about a lack of police presence at hunting sites before the hunt began.
Licensed hunters are allowed to shoot five species of waterfowl from today through until June.
But Peter McGlone from the Tasmanian Conservation Trust claimed some shooters were not following their own code of practice by not properly identifying their targets.
"We have witnessed acts of cruelty," he said.
"First thing this morning, birds were being shot in pitch darkness. I couldn't have told you if it was a duck or a swan.
"There've been shooters right next to me who've been shooting repeatedly at birds and the birds are well out of range. Luckily it seems those birds survived."
Ducks not in serious decline, says Government
Andrew Judd, the president of the 4000-strong Tasmania's Sporting Shooters Association said he would not comment on the incident involving the protester but said all members sign an agreement to follow a code of ethics for hunting.
"I would like to believe that all our members are following that code of ethics," he said.
He said hunters had to pass a species identification test before becoming licensed and that they were doing what they were entitled to do by law.
"Duck hunting has been culturally part of our Tasmanian scene for many years. It's very highly regulated," he said.
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment said it conducted annual waterfowl surveys each February throughout Tasmania.
It said concerns that duck numbers were in serious decline were not supported by the surveys.
