Hunters & Collectors frontman Mark Seymour has used an appearance on the ABC‘s Q&A programme to respond to a request from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which requested that the band change its name so that it distances itself from duck hunting.
Asked about PETA’s request on last night’s show, Seymour responded by saying that while the band won’t be changing their name, PETA has successfully raised awareness of the fact that duck shooting still takes place in Victoria.
“What they were doing was drawing attention to the fact that this activity takes place in Victoria for three months and it starts in the middle of March. And it appears that they’ve been quite successful in drawing attention to that fact,” Seymour said.
Seymour added that while Hunters & Collectors won’t be changing their name, he “won’t be shooting ducks either”. He also called for duck shooting to be banned in Victoria, like it is in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Watch his full response, below.
Earlier this month, PETA Australia Director Of Campaigns Ashley Fruno penned an open letter to Hunters & Collectors, writing, “Would you consider changing the name of your brand to discourage people from hunting animals?
“We feel sure it was never your intention to promote the killing of intelligent, sensitive, and defenceless animals, but your name may nevertheless make hunting seem appealing to your fans.”
Fruno also suggested some possible new names, including “Hunters & Collectors Of Antiques” and “Hunters & Collectors Of Beer Cans”, which (luckily) the band won’t be adopting.
