The New Zealand Game Animal Council welcomes the Game Animal Council (Herds of Special Interest) Amendment Bill being passed into law, describing it as an important milestone for modern game animal management in New Zealand.
The Bill enables Herds of Special Interest to be designated and managed in national parks, while ensuring conservation values continue to be protected.
“This is a significant step forward in recognising game animals that are highly valued by hunters and enabling them to be managed for hunting values,” says Game Animal Council Chief Executive Corina Jordan.
“The amendment is important because it allows carefully managed game animal herds to be recognised within national parks, rather than treated only through the lens of extermination,” Corina says.
“This provides opportunities for a less ideological, more practical and more collaborative approach to managing our game animals. It recognises that hunting and its values are not separate from conservation; they are an important part of the solution and can achieve great results.”
Ms Jordan says the hunting community has long shown its willingness to contribute to practical management solutions.
“Hunters already invest enormous time, knowledge, effort and money into managing game animals and supporting conservation work across the country. Herds of Special Interest gives us a way to better recognise, organise and strengthen that contribution.
“In the right places and for our most valued game animal herds, this approach can deliver better herd management, quality hunting experiences and better conservation outcomes at a low cost to the taxpayer,” she says.
“The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation has shown exactly what hunter-led management can achieve when it is well organised, locally supported and focused on both game animal management and conservation outcomes. This Bill provides a much clearer foundation for that work to continue.”
The Game Animal Council now looks forward to the Minister’s decisions regarding the proposed designation of the first Herds of Special Interest for Fiordland wapiti and Central North Island sika.
“These two groups have demonstrated on-the-ground practical game animal management solutions delivering for both hunting and conservation.”
Ms Jordan also acknowledged the efforts of the hunting sector in supporting the Bill.
“This milestone has only been reached because of years of hard work by people and organisations across the hunting community. We want to thank everyone who submitted, advocated, and helped make the case for a more modern approach to game animal management.”