Community Engagement to Achieve Sustainable Duck Hunting in Bool Lagoon

Research objective
Bool lagoon is well known as reserve game for duck and water birds hunting. It is
located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, about 20 km south of
Naracoorte, near Wrattonbully.
In dry seasons, this wetland area magnetises a lot of waterbirds of various species,
and is frequently a point of contention between duck hunters and animal rights
activists. The adjacent Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park also provides refuge for
waterbirds. The lagoons are visited by up to 150 species of birds, many having
migrated from the Northern Hemisphere. UNESCO has designated the wetlands as
a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Bool Lagoon in the South-East has been unavailable to duck hunters since 1997,
with low water levels keeping bird numbers low. However, higher rainfall and the
return of many species to the lagoon in 2005 have prompted Environment Minister of
South Australia to re-evaluate the ban. Environment Department then stated that
conditions at the lagoon had been assessed as suitable for hunting. Currently, duck
hunting in this area have been restricted on the length of the seasons and the number and
species of duck and quail able to be taken in recognition that some species populations are
rebuilding as a result of the recent drought.
Duck hunting in Bool Lagoon is cultural and economic significant. However, because of the
ecological vulnerability of this region, the duck hunting activities need to be managed wisely.
To ensure the environment, economic, and social sustainability of the hunting, it is important
to not only rely on governments policies and regulations, but also to consider the

communities involved in such activity; what their role, how they deliver their actions, and
more importantly, what they can do to achieve the sustainability of their hunting activities.
This research therefore will explore the possibility in reaching sustainability of duck hunting
in Bool Lagoon through the involvement of communities. In particular, this research will find
out the appropriate model of community engagement that can be used to benefit the
communities while securing the sustainability their hunting activities in term of economic,
social and environment aspects.

In general term, the aim of the research is to study how the communities in Bool
lagoon can be engaged to achieve sustainable duck hunting. This social process
needs to be formed in a way so that communities are more organised and individuals
continue to build their capacity and awareness toward maintaining their hunting while
considering the impact of their activities on the environment. Permanent
relationships for the purpose of applying this collective vision also need to be
preserved as this will ensure the community engagement implemented give benefit
to the communities in long term.
Using this framework, the general objective of this research can be divided into
several specific goals:
1. To identify the full range of economic and environmental impact that the
governments policies have on duck hunting in Bool Lagoon. This assessment
will help to determine the proper scale of community engagement that is going
to be put into practice as well as to reveal what exactly the communities can
do to reduce the negative impact of the governments regulations while
improving the possibility to reach sustainable duck hunting.
2. To study any current forms or approaches that government uses in involving
the communities to protect and preserve the wetland. The study will facilitate

the understanding of the existing social structure that might be used as the
basis to establish more appropriate community engagement model
3. To explore the communities perceptions and awareness of the importance of
achieving economic and environmental sustainability in duck hunting
practices.
4. To identify issues and challenges
5. To relate communication and co-operation with other interest group
6. To set