The Animal Justice Party (AJP) is once again calling for an immediate ban on duck shooting across New Zealand. As duck shooting season opens, AJP urges New Zealanders to stop and reflect on a practice that continues each year with little public scrutiny – despite its cruelty, its harm to native species, and its outdated nature.

General Secretary Danette Wereta is calling on New Zealanders to truly think about what’s happening “Every year, men dress up in costume, take their small children out and kill ducks for fun. We don’t stop to think about how strange and disturbing that actually is. We pass it off as culture, as tradition, as ‘sport’. And we excuse it with throwaway comments like ‘population control’ – as if those words magically justify shooting sentient beings out of the sky. If we really cared about population dynamics, is this the best method we’ve got? And are ducks even the issue when our land and waterways are being polluted and destroyed by intensive land use? Let’s be honest – the ducks aren’t the problem.”

Numerous studies have raised concerns about the emotional and psychological impact of exposing children to hunting. A review in the Journal of Social Issues (Arluke & Hafferty, 1996) links early exposure to violence against animals with desensitisation and diminished empathy. Other behavioural research indicates that participation in animal killing activities may increase aggression in children and decrease their capacity for compassion toward animals and people alike (Ascione, 2005). Teaching children to view violence against animals as fun, celebratory, or normal can severely distort their understanding of empathy, emotional regulation, and respect for life.

Ducks are intelligent animals who form deep bonds. They can mourn the loss of a mate. Many aren’t killed cleanly – they’re maimed, left to suffer in pain, or die slowly from wounds. It goes against the Animal Welfare Act 1999, yet every year it’s allowed to continue to appease a few. The impact of duck shooting also extends far beyond the targeted birds. Wereta recently spoke at Environment Canterbury council “When shots are fired at Te Waihora, every bird experiences the impact—whether it’s the target or not. Gunfire, the presence of hunting parties, and disruption of habitat cause stress, fear, and disturbance to all species—many of whom are endangered or threatened. You cannot create a sanctuary for some birds while allowing others to be shot for sport in the same space.” Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is home to more than 158 bird species—133 of which are native or endemic.

New Zealand is lagging behind. Western Australia banned duck shooting in 1990, New South Wales in 1995, and Queensland in 2005. And if that isn’t enough—Avian influenza outbreaks overseas show the risk of transmission from wild ducks to dairy herds and even humans—something New Zealand must take seriously. Duck shooting creates unnecessary exposure pathways, especially concerning for the dairy industry and public health. Even Minister Hoggard has warned that avian flu is the "most worrying" biosecurity threat to New Zealand, admitting "we can't stop it coming" via migratory birds, and noting the disease has already moved "into the dairy herd" overseas. With avian flu getting closer, the risks of continuing duck shooting are too serious to ignore.

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