Minister's own goal on geese

Minister's own goal on geese [Otago Fish & Game]

Changing the status of Canada geese from ‘game’ to unprotected wildlife simply shifts control costs onto affected farmers and removes DOC’s responsibility for approving culls where geese are causing damage says Niall Watson, Chief Executive, Otago Fish and Game Council.

The Minister of Conservation announced today that Canada geese would no longer be a game bird in response to the concerns of farmers, park owners and aviation managers but the decision is not well founded according to Fish and Game.

Mr Watson says Otago’s goose population is currently 3428 and has ranged between 3000 and 5000 over the last 10 years. About 1500 birds are culled annually through control activities using aircraft and hunters harvest about the same number again each year. The control costs are expensive but the hunter harvest costs nothing

In Otago, Fish and Game’s annual costs total $24,000 for management and monitoring. Monitoring is co-ordinated across the South Island with other Fish and Game Councils in order to avoid errors arising from bird migrations but that overview will cease.

There are about 8 properties regularly affected by geese, all in Central Otago or Southern Lakes areas. Another 16 adjacent properties sometimes have problems. Generally Fish and Game has had good working relationships with affected farmers and serious damage has been rare. Any future co-ordination of hunter harvest will have to be done on an informal basis.

One of the things that has made goose management difficult is continuing agricultural development which is creating more goose habitat resulting in increased goose breeding and rearing.

Some farmers may think that a change in status will enable them to use poison to control geese but the use of poison poses a grave risk to a range of protected wildlife and game birds because of their mobility.

Hunters will be disappointed by the change but it is not likely to remove goose hunting opportunities.

ENDS

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