By Natalee Kerr
A Geelong man has received a $5000 fine for illegally using his airboat to “disturb” birds during last year’s duck hunting season.
The fine follows Victoria’s Game Management Authority’s (GMA) decision to seize the boat after footage emerged of it flushing out birds near Lake Corangamite in June 2018.
The GMA charged the man with hunting from a boat, assisting hunting from a boat, disturbing wildlife and not wearing a life vest.
The first two charges were dropped according Sporting Shooters Association Australia.
The man pleaded guilty to the remaining charges at Geelong Magistrates Court last week and received a $5000 fine but no convictions, with the GMA ordered to return his impounded boat.
Under Victorian laws, motor boats are prohibited from being used on open water to pursue or hunt game, according to the GMA.
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting described the case as “the tip of the iceberg” in a social media post last Friday.
“Each season, our volunteers record countless incidents of illegal shooter behaviour and cruelty toward native waterbirds,” the post read.
Sporting Shooters Association Australia called on authorities to bring “wilful law-breakers” to account.
“We also call on the courts to be just as heavy-handed with them as they have been with a hunter wanting to put food on his family table,” hunting development manager David Laird said.
“We have seen extremists on the water deliberately alarm wildlife with sirens, whistles and flags.
“They do this with the express purpose of scaring native birds in direct contravention with the regulations.”
Mr Laird encouraged duck hunters to video interactions with “extremist bigots who want to disrupt their lawful pursuit”.
“We have witnessed gross exaggeration and outright lies being levelled against hunters which can lead to false accusations, so using video to record encounters can help safeguard against it,” he said.
