The Animal Justice Party says momentum is building behind its call to ban duck shooting in New Zealand, with more people questioning activities that harm animals.

Spokesperson Danette Wereta said public thinking was shifting, with New Zealanders increasingly challenging practices that involve unnecessary harm to sentient animals.

“People are starting to look more closely at these minority activities and ask why we are still accepting them,” Wereta said.

“Shooting sentient animals out of the sky for enjoyment is not ok, no matter how it is dressed up.”

Wereta rejected the usual defences of duck shooting on tradition or conservation grounds.

“This is not about 1080 versus shooting. It is about moving away from a model that relies on killing altogether and putting resources into better solutions,” she said.

She said where ducks impacted crops or water, those issues should be managed through non lethal, evidence based methods.

“Overseas we are already seeing multi layered deterrent systems using UAVs, drones, lasers, and habitat design. These approaches work to prevent conflict rather than perpetuate it.”

Wereta said the real drivers of biodiversity loss were land use and habitat destruction, not waterfowl.

“If we genuinely cared about biodiversity, we would be addressing those root causes, not shooting ducks.”

She also criticised Fish and Game, accusing the organisation of being conflicted for promoting hunting while supporting wetland restoration.

“You cannot claim to protect wildlife while building a system that relies on killing it.”

Duck shooting is a legal, regulated activity in New Zealand. Hunters must hold a game bird licence, seasons and bag limits are set by Fish and Game NZ, and licence revenue is used to fund wetland habitat protection and game bird management.

Fish and Game has defended the activity as sustainable and tightly managed, and many in the hunting community view opening weekend as a long standing family and rural tradition.

Chief operating officer Richie Cosgrove told RNZ in early May “protesters have targeted that for a number of years, but I think most of the hunters out there are well versed in how to deal with that.”

Wereta said the reaction to her speaking out reflected what she described as a broader normalisation of violence in society.

“I have received aggressive and violent harassment simply for saying that killing animals for fun is wrong. That is what normalising violence looks like,” she said.

The Animal Justice Party is calling for a ban on duck shooting and increased investment in humane, science led alternatives.

Duck shooting is already banned in parts of Australia, including Western Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.