The wild inaccuracies in anti-duck hunting campaigner Laurie Levy's letter to the editor cannot go unaddressed.
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His attempt to link the funding of fire fighting services with the duck season is a poor attempt to paint his pet issue as current and relevant.
The truth is the Victorian Coalition government has spent far more on the Country Fire Authority than Mr Levy's Labor mates .
Further, the Victorian duck hunting season does not cost the taxpayer "millions of taxpayer dollars for a dwindling number of duck shooters".
The costs to manage duck hunting are almost entirely offset by season licence fees. As hunters travel to country areas, the duck season is a great driver of regional tourism, and game hunting in Victoria has been estimated to generate more than $96 million annually in economic activity.
Duck hunters have a long history of conservation in Victoria and worked with government to conserve some of the state's most important wetlands.
They actively assist public and private land managers in controlling pest animals and restoring degraded game and wildlife habitats.
PETER RYAN
Deputy Premier of Victoria and Minister for Regional Development