Unsustainable harvest threatens recreational hunting - Dunne

The actions of Silver Fern Farms to unsustainably harvest 1000 chamois from the South Island high country is another example of the threat facing recreational hunting in New Zealand, says UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne.

“Recreational hunting is going through tough times in this country, issues such as 1080, heli-hunting and public access problems are already having a negative impact on participation, the last thing hunters need is competition from big corporates over access to the resource,” said Mr Dunne.

“While I am sure Silver Fern Farms would argue that they are doing this responsibly, the commercial reality is that entire mobs of chamois will be clear-felled, leaving little left for the recreational ground hunter in many areas.”

“The actions of Silver Fern Farms not only threaten chamois as a recreational and trophy hunting resource, but also call into question the rather out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude that allows for such exploitation to take place.”

“For too long a nation that used to be proud of its outdoor heritage and recreational values has let governments, lobbyists and private interests run rough-shod over those ideals. The recreational community, whether that is hunters, fishermen, trampers or kayakers are left with an ever-decreasing slice of the pie.”

“UnitedFuture is committed to not only fostering participation in outdoor recreation but also responsibly managing the recreational resource for the generations to come.”

“The New Zealand Game Animal Council, once up and running, will be a huge step in that direction for the recreational hunting community. The Council’s primary management function will be to provide for sustainable public access to chamois, tahr, deer and wild pigs within broadly accepted conservation parameters.”

“It is my expectation that the Council will have the ability to veto commercial operations if they are considered unsustainable and detrimental to recreational hunting.”

“UnitedFuture is not opposed to the commercial harvest of game animals such as chamois, but it must be done responsibly and not adversely affect other users of the resource,” said Mr Dunne.

ENDS

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