Hunters – Have Your Voices Heard On The Future Management Of Highly Valued Game Animal Herds

Scoop

a day ago

The Game Animal Council Act 2013 (GAC Act) is the first piece of legislation in New Zealand to recognise game animals as valued introduced species and enable them to be sustainably managed while also achieving conservation outcomes.
This is made possible through Herds of Special Interest (HOSI), whereby the Minister for Hunting and Fishing can delegate management responsibilities to the Game Animal Council (GAC).
GAC Chair Grant Dodson says HOSI is a legal tool that enables management of a high value game animal resource, for hunting and conservation outcomes.
'HOSI is only made possible under the GAC Act,' he says.
GAC CEO Corina Jordan says that hunters are passionate boots-on-the-ground conservationists who contribute significant efforts to environmental initiatives.
'Not only that, but hunting benefits physical and mental wellbeing, gets kids outside and off devices learning practical skills, while providing free-range meat for whānau and communities.
'When HOSI is fully implemented, it will empower hunter-led management of valued introduced game animal herds in a way that recognises and protects their values at the same time as achieving conservation outcomes,' Jordan says.
What's the issue?
'Current law for national parks focuses on exterminating game animals as far as possible with the aim to achieve natural state. Natural state means unmodified by human activity or introduced plants or animals. Essentially that national parks are the same as they were before people arrived in New Zealand,' Dodson says.
Natural state also precludes climate change.
'Since the law was put in place almost 50 years ago, we have learnt that the dream of exterminating valued introduced species from national parks is not practically or financially feasible, and that hunters play an important role in protecting biodiversity and responsibly managing game animals, including in national parks.
What's being proposed?
'The Government is currently consulting on a change to the GAC Act through the Game Animal Council (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill,' Dodson says.
'The Bill aims to make the law clear, in that the Minister for Hunting and Fishing can establish a HOSI in a national park. If the Bill is passed, it will enable sustainable management of highly valued game animal herds in national parks, benefitting both hunting and conservation,' he says.
'This will enable continued volunteerism from the hunting sector that has proven itself able to contribute much more than just managing deer, with substantial predator trapping and hut and track work being undertaken in many areas.
'The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation provides a living example of the benefits of hunter led conservation. They have achieved sustained management of wapiti in an area of Fiordland National Park, protecting Fiordland's unique biodiversity first, and providing for hunting purposes second. All done at minimal, or no cost to the taxpayer.
'The Foundation also manages six backcountry huts and over 500 predator control traps, protecting native birds like kiwi and whio (blue duck). They have recently established a charitable trust enabling hunters to gift the venison they harvest to food banks.
'This is a proven conservation model that has been working for 20 years, and the GAC believes should be empowered and enabled across other areas of New Zealand. It provides an effective and economically efficient tool to aid conservation outcomes while managing game animals on public conservation land,' Dodson says.
What's the opportunity?
'This Bill is a significant opportunity for hunters to have their voices heard by the Environment Select Committee, and shape New Zealand's future legislative framework for the benefits of hunting and conservation,' Dodson says.
'HOSI is the first game animal management tool that incorporates hunter values alongside conservation goals.
'So, we encourage you to make the most of this opportunity, to submit, and to help enable sustainable, hunter led game animal management in New Zealand, including national parks.
'Have your voice heard. Submit on the Bill before 24 July.'
The NZ Game Animal Council is a statutory organisation working to improve the sustainable management of game animals and hunting for recreation, communities, commerce and conservation.