A man has been fined more than $15,000 and had his gun licence cancelled for shooting rainbow lorikeets at Red Hill, on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Key points: The farmer owns several orchards on the Mornington Peninsula

The farmer owns several orchards on the Mornington Peninsula He shot the birds because they were destroying his crop, then verbally abused wildlife officers

He shot the birds because they were destroying his crop, then verbally abused wildlife officers It is illegal to kill wildlife without a permit in Victoria

The orchardist was found with 19 of the birds dead in the back of his ute after a tip-off to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

Environment officers received information a man was shooting protected native birds on his Red Hill property in April last year.

On arrival the DELWP officers found the pile of dead birds in the tray of his ute.

The man owns several orchards and claimed the birds were destroying his crops.

He was charged with a range of offences including destroying protected wildlife, using a gun for purpose of taking wildlife and verbally abusing authorised officers.

He was convicted and fined more than $15,000 in the Dromana Magistrates' Court last week.

DELWP wildlife officer Haley Mason said the fine sent a strong message to the public that killing native species, without the relevant permissions, would not be tolerated.

"This is a great result and highlights to the public that killing native wildlife is a serious offence," she said.

"At the time of shooting the man did not hold an Authority to Control Wildlife, making his actions illegal and as a result his gun licence has been cancelled."

In Victoria it is illegal to destroy or interfere with wildlife, which is protected under the Wildlife Act 1975.

The maximum penalty for hunting, taking or destroying wildlife ranges from $8,059 to $38,685 and/or six to 24 months' imprisonment.

If people want to trap or destroy wildlife they have to apply to DELWP and prove that damage to crops or property is occurring, and that all non-lethal options have been exhausted.