By Corina Jordan, Chief Executive, New Zealand Game Animal Council
Over the next few weeks Kiwis have a real opportunity to shape the future for two of New Zealand’s most loved hunting and recreational experiences. Draft herd management plans have been released for a Sika Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Ranges, and a Wapiti HOSI in Fiordland.
Public consultation is now open until 8 December on these plans, and this is the moment for hunters, conservationists, local businesses and communities to have their say.
So, what is a HOSI and why does it matter? A HOSI is the only tool in New Zealand that recognises the value of game animals and supports hunting values in the way that they are managed. The Game Animal Council Act 2013 is what makes HOSI possible.
The HOSI approach is innovative. It is a bottom-up management tool that relies on and directly benefits the community that is most invested in it, empowering partnership with those who have a connection to the land.
HOSI is intended to be proactive instead of reactive. It is accountable instead of opaque. It is collaborative instead of imposed.
Both herd management plans set out the values, objectives and strategies that will guide day to day management of the two HOSI. The sika plan focuses on the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks and seeks to actively manage deer numbers at levels that improve forest regeneration while enhancing the recreational hunting experience. The wapiti plan does the same for the wapiti area of Fiordland National Park, supporting the ongoing work of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation and maintaining a high-quality low-density recreational resource alongside thriving native biodiversity.
For central North Island towns and villages, sika are part of the local fabric. The central North Island herd brings families into the bush, underpins culture and events, and supports motels, cafés, service stations and businesses from Taupō across to Hawke’s Bay. A well-run HOSI will give the local community the confidence that the sika herd and the environment it inhabits will be managed in a healthy state for now and future generations.
In Fiordland, the wapiti herd generates one of the country’s most sought after hunting experiences and draws visitors from all over the country who value the region’s unique natural heritage and spend an estimated $1.3 million annually in Te Anau, on accommodation, food and supplies, and contributions to the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation’s initiatives. HOSI is about safeguarding that contribution while ensuring the values of Fiordland National Park are front and centre.
Crucially, this is a community initiative. The draft plans recognise hunter roles, support the involvement of organised community groups, and create space for citizen science and volunteering.
Some will ask whether a HOSI weakens conservation. My answer to that is no. A HOSI must consider conservation law, and the draft plans make that explicit.
Others may wonder whether this will limit hunting access. Again, my answer to that is no. For sika, general hunting on public land remains a cornerstone of the experience, and the plan is focused on improving that experience. For wapiti, the ballot system will continue to deliver a high-quality experience while funding management and conservation work on the ground. In both cases, the focus is on better management, making for a better hunting experience.
There is also a national benefit. Establishing the country’s first HOSI will demonstrate that game animal management and conservation can be integrated and successful.
So here is my ask. If you live in the central North Island or western Southland, if you hunt, guide, run a small business, teach at the local school or simply care about the health of our natural environment, take the time to read the plans and send a submission. Tell the Minister for Hunting and Fishing what you value, what will work, what could be improved, and why community-led management matters to you.
Both the herd management plans are available on the Department of Conservation’s website. Submissions close on 8 December 2025.