Dowd Morass State Game Reserve partially closed to hunting

Part of Dowd Morass State Game Reserve in Gippsland will be closed to hunting for the 2022 duck season, effective from Saturday 26 March 2022, to prevent disturbance to rare waterbirds that are nesting on the wetland.

Part of Dowd Morass State Game Reserve in Gippsland will be closed to hunting for the 2022 duck season, effective from Saturday 26 March 2022, to prevent disturbance to rare waterbirds that are nesting on the wetland.

Recent surveys at Dowd Morass State Game Reserve identified a large colony of breeding waterbirds, including Royal Spoonbills and Pied Cormorants, with more than 200 chicks.

Dowd Morass State Game Reserve is 1500 hectares in size. Approximately 100 hectares will be closed to hunting on the central-southern side of the wetland, providing a buffer zone around the nesting birds to prevent disturbance and nest abandonment.

The GMA will continue to monitor the progress of the breeding colony.

Through closing or partially closing wetlands or taking other management action, we can ensure that rare and threatened species are protected, while still allowing hunting where appropriate.

Hunters should regularly monitor the GMA’s website to stay up to date on wetland closures and re-openings.

Hunters are reminded that the daily bag limit is four game ducks per person per day and the Blue-winged Shoveler and Hardhead may not be hunted this season.

Hunters must make all reasonable efforts to retrieve downed ducks immediately and harvest at least the breast meat.

GMA Game Officers, Victoria Police and Authorised Officers from DELWP, DJPR, Victorian Fisheries Authority and Parks Victoria will continue to patrol wetlands across Victoria to ensure hunters and protestors act in a safe and responsible manner.

For more information on wetland closures, visit gma.vic.gov.au

Map of closed area

The black hatched area in the map below is closed to hunting.

Frequentley asked questions

What part of the Dowd Morass State Game Reserve been closed to duck hunting?

Dowd Morass State Game Reserve is a large wetland approximately 1,500 hectares (ha) in size. The area closed to hunting is located in the south-central portion of the wetland and is approximately 1km² or 100ha of the 1,500ha reserve.

Why has part of Dowd Morass been closed to duck hunting?

Part of Dowd Morass State Game Reserve has been closed to hunting to protect several colonies of breeding waterbirds at the wetland, which were detected during surveys conducted by Birdlife on 15 March 2022.

In total, the surveys detected approximately 130 nests containing over 200 Royal Spoonbill, Little Black Cormorant and Pied Cormorant chicks of varying ages in approximately 130 nests.

The closure will prevent disturbance that could cause nest abandonment, leaving chicks exposed to the elements and predators, or falling from their nests and drowning.

I have passed the WIT and can identify birds; can I still hunt in the partially closed area of Dowd Morass State Game Reserve?

You cannot hunt in the area designated on the gazetted map for the Dowd Morass State Game Reserve. The partial wetland closure will ensure that the breeding waterbirds are not disturbed as a result of hunting.

Will this partial closure be in place for the entire season?

Dowd Morass State Game Reserve will be partially closed to hunting for the remainder of the 2022 duck season (26 March to 13 June 2022).

The GMA and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELPW) will monitor the breeding colony during the 2022 duck season. If circumstances change and the reason for closure no longer exists, the GMA may recommend that the closure be revoked.

Why were the surveys conducted on 15 March 2022, but the partial closure takes effect from 26 March 2022?

The GMA was notified of the surveys on the afternoon of 17 March and confirmed the presence of nesting waterbirds at Dowd Morass State Game Reserve on 18 March 2022. Following confirmation, the GMA consults with stakeholders, including Birdlife, SSAA, Field and Game Australia and relevant government departments. The recommendation to partially close the wetland, as an emergency closure was made to the Minister for Agriculture on 22 March 2022. An emergency closure was recommended to avoid disturbance to the birds during the second weekend of duck season and for the remainder of the 2022 duck season.