The Victorian Game Management Authority has published the outputs from the proposed transition to an adaptive harvest model for waterfowl.
The new report seeks to weigh a number of inputs to determine seasonal bag limits.
The model uses information from long-running duck population data to explore the relationship between abundance and habitat availability for Victoria and eastern Australia. This generates five indices that provide information on the current population status of ducks in south eastern Australia. Collectively, these five indices are awarded points and, when totalled, equal the proposed daily bag limit, which could range from zero (closed season) to ten.
Results from the interim harvest model outcomes report, including its advice for the 2022 duck season, can be found in Using duck proxies and surface water to inform hunting arrangements. Its proposed hunting arrangement for 2022 is a full-length season with a four bird daily bag limit.
The model has been developed by two members of the 2019 expert panel that reviewed the proposed revised approach to implementing Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) (Professor Marcel Klaassen and Professor Richard Kingsford), in consultation with the community. The ADA made a submission on the interim report in the later part of 2021.
This interim harvest model was developed to inform decisions on duck bag limits while AHM is being prepared for implementation. The AHM requires several more years of data before it can function effectively.
The results of the interim harvest model will be considered by the GMA Board together with stakeholder feedback and the information that can be seen on the GMA website.
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