MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – A petition designed to make Murrells Inlet a bird sanctuary and bring duck hunting to an end has more than 2,000 signatures, and has garnered the attention of a state senator.

Last year, retiring South Carolina Senator Ray Cleary introduced a bill that would create a bird sanctuary and end duck hunting in Murrells Inlet, but that bill never made it out of committee.

A group of Murrells Inlet neighbors is now trying to revive the effort with a grass roots campaign. The group sites the safety issues of hunters firing in areas that have become developed and densely populated over the years. Petition signers also note that bird watchers far outnumber bird hunters, making 2017 the right time to protect shorebirds, their habitat, and make the area more inviting to local and tourists.

“We get a significant amount of tourism by birders and other nature based tourism, but we thing the potential to grow is very significant,” says Gary Weinreich, Murrells Inlet resident and supporter of the bird sanctuary.

Hunters say they’ve grown up on the Inlet and want future generations to have the same recreational use of the area as they have had.

“Learned to hunt, learned to call, learned to identify ducks, and it was a big part of the person I am now,” says Roper Wilkes of his time on Murrells Inlet.

He says the Inlet is a good environment for beginners.

“It’s just a great environment for the youth to be able to go out and learn and appreciate the ability to hunt,” adds Wilkes.

Weinreich argues a love of hunting doesn’t outweigh the safety of others.

“I myself have had shell shot fall on the deck of my boat when I was out there (on the Inlet water),” recalls Weinreich. “The public safety aspect is significant.”

Wilkes says current regulations on where hunters can fire their guns are sufficient and keep people in the area safe.

“The desires of few should not be allowed to restrict the access of an entire population of a state,” voices Wilkes.

News13 spoke with Senator Steven Goldfinch, who says he will consider a bill banning hunting on all or part of the Inlet, but he is opposed to the restrictions that come with identifying Murrells Inlet as a bird sanctuary. Goldfinch will hold a meeting Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. to address the concerns raised by the petition. The meeting will be held at the Murells Inlet Community Center.