AS Victorian farmers struggle through severe drought and irrigators cannot procure water, the theft of water is greatly reviled by the community.In the lead up to the 2009 duck shooting season, Field and Game Australia (FGA) had been publicly shamed by the illegal diversion of water to its private shooting wetland, Heart Morass, near Sale in Gippsland.Water had been diverted from the Latrobe River for at least five days through two water locks and had attracted around 1000 game birds onto FGA’s previously dry property.To restore the wetland, FGA had entered into an unlikely partnership (Memorandum of Understanding) with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) and Watermark Inc., whose chairperson is Duncan Malcolm.Mr Malcolm was also chairperson of the recent VEAC Government inquiry into the Murray River Red Gum Forests Investigation.The illegal water diversion to FGA’s private wetland must have come as a huge shock and betrayal of trust to these two highly respected organisations. If WGCMA and Watermark continue to remain in partnership with the shooting organisation, their credibility risks being compromised.The Coalition Against Duck Shooting uncovered the illegal water diversion during a survey of Heart Morass in the week before the 2009 duck shooting season after learning that around 100 of the organisation’s members had paid to shoot there on the opening weekend.Following an investigation by Southern Rural Water, Gary Howard, FGAs Gippsland spokesperson, pleaded guilty in Sale Magistrates Court on June 23 to taking and using water without authority, and interfering with the flow in a waterway. Howard was fined $1500 without conviction and ordered to pay costs of $1500.The FGA’s private wetland was originally opened in March 2007 by the then Environment Minister John Thwaites. Funding had been obtained to purchase and restore the property from the Hugh Williamson Trust.LAURIE LEVY, Coalition Against Duck Shooting,