Game Bird Shooters Fear Shorter Season At Marlborough Lagoon

Friday, 14 March 2025, 9:32 pm
Article: Maia Hart - Local Democracy Reporter

The number of weekends people can shoot game birds at the Grovetown Lagoon near Blenheim could be significantly cut back under a draft management plan proposal.

Grovetown Lagoon has been a "valued site" for hunting for more than 100 years, allowing people to gather wild kai for the freezer from May to July, Fish and Game Nelson manager Rhys Barrier said.

Barrier said the new proposal was "slightly disappointing" because they had already reduced hunting times.

Due to the increasing popularity of the track, he said hunters agreed three seasons ago not to hunt between 10am and 4pm, outside of the season's first weekend, and only from one side of the lagoon.

The Marlborough District Council last week approved consultation on its draft Te Whanau Hou/Grovetown Lagoon management plan area. The lagoon is, in parts, recognised as a significant wetland.

The document would replace a plan from 2003 which helped guide restoration efforts by the Te Whānau Hou Grovetown Lagoon Society.

The plan, which opened for consultation last Thursday, said initial feedback showed the key area of concern was recreational game bird hunting.

It said hunting was opposed by some because because of the conflict with protecting and enhancing biodiversity, including animals, and then allowing the shooting of game birds.

"The other concern was around safety, particularly with enhanced use of the lagoon through a public walkway."

But the draft plan said those that supported hunting highlighted the long history of shooting at the lagoon with time spent with family and friends.

"The significance of intergenerational connections being made as parents, children and grandchildren hunted together was also identified.

"The lagoon was identified as a place with easy access and a great place to take young hunters to learn to hunt safely."

The draft plan therefore proposed that game bird hunting only occur during the first weekend of the shooting season to ensure the safety of all users and to assist in protecting its "tranquillity".

According to the Grovetown Lagoon Restoration Project page, the waterfowl season started on the first weekend in May and ran through to the end of July.

Barrier said he did not know of any complaints laid since they had agreed to only hunt on one side of the lagoon.

"The current system allowed for hunter access during extreme storm events when hunting conditions are excellent and walkway usage is low," he said.

"If closure outside opening weekend now occurs, its highly likely there will be future issues with a build up of black swan and Canada geese during the remainder of the game bird season, ultimately leading to walkway fouling and the like, and ironically Fish and Game will then be called on to try and address a problem that's not of our making."

He said he was not aware of any hunting impacting detrimentally on non-game bird native wetland species.

Data from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council showed in 2023 there were seven "handling" injuries during the game bird season. The 2024 data had not been released.

None of the injuries involved accidental shooting of self, other hunters, or members of the public, they all related to firearm handling injuries to the hunter such as a chamber mechanism closing on a finger.

He commended the council and wider Grovetown Lagoon group for its work in restoring the area and said the project was growing from "strength to strength".

Fish and Game's Marlborough staff member had helped the project through predator trapline checking and winter weed working bees when he was not tied up with the Para Wetland restoration project.

While they acknowledged the council's concern, he said they would continue to work with the council through the submission process to try and find a solution.

People could make submissions on the draft plan at marlborough.govt.nz until May 8.

At the full council meeting last week, the council approved a hearing panel of councillors Brian Dawson, Gerald Hope and Barbara Faulls to hear submissions and make any recommendations to the council.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

© Scoop Media

Local Democracy Reporting

Content from the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service is published by Scoop as a registered New Zealand Media Outlet LDR Partner.