Disappearing Ducks? (1 Viewer)

A relative of mine has a narrow boat and was recently around the South-East Midlands. There has been a spate of sheep killings in the area which seems to be linked to people taking the carcasses to use or sell for food. He also noticed that where there used to be a lot there are no longer any ducks on the stretches of water he was using. A local boat owner commented that there used to be 100 pairs of Ducks (presumably Mallard) on that stretch of water but now there are none.
Is this something anyone else has noticed, and is there any evidence of people taking wild or feral ducks illegally for food?

Without prejudice, wildfowl are regularly taken by certain European people who now reside in the UK, as well as coarse fish and undersized shellfish. Over 20 years ago I liased with the Queen's Swankeeper over several incidents of Mute Swans being killed and taken on the Thames between Windsor and Staines as well as countless fishermen taking away their catches including barbel, perch and pike. In North Norfolk, tiny shore crabs, lobsters and other species are gathered which infuriates the licensed locals. So it's not surprising that mallard, geese and other species are reducing in numbers as a cheap and available source of meat available to a group of humans that see this as a normal and effective means of feeding themselves and their family aside from being a financially lucrative way of earning cash.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. Whenever something can be exploited for personal gain, from oil and mineral deposits to a few ducks on a river, someone will find a way and I should think mallard are a particularly easy target

I've even found the remains of two New Forest ponies in a greatly undervisited part of the forest with cut branches of Holly 'covering' them, with clear cut marks on the bones suggesting butchery. Seems as though anything is fair game.
Given how easy it is to catch ducks on a canal with a little bit of bread it would come as no surprise to learn of them being taken.