Monthly Archives: June 2020

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association has rejected the Department of Conservation’s plan to extensively cull tahr. “The draft plan is a slap in the face for hunters and threatens the future of tahr.” said NZDA chief executive officer Gwyn Thurlow. Consequently the … Continue reading →

by Ben Hope Theodore Roosevelt was one the USA’s greatest presidents. He was principled and had firm views. He was an ardent conservationist, a successful enthusiastic bg game hunter, an outdoorsman to the core and an environmentalist as shown by the following quote. “There is a … Continue reading →

by Carol Sawyer In these sad times of senseless mega-drops of 1080, it is perhaps worth remembering that there was an aerial 1080 poison drop that we did stop, five years ago – Mt. Roy in Wanaka. That was a … Continue reading →

by Fred Hemi  The Quota Management System (QMS) for sea fisheries management is a failure and needs dumping says national advocate Legasea. In 1986 the Government introduced the QMS as a way to halt the dangerous depletion of fish stocks. Unfortunately … Continue reading →

An Opinion by Carol Sawyer of WanakaDo you know what happens to 1080-poisoned Kea? They stagger around taking hours and hours to die. They bury their heads in the snow to try and get relief from the pain. Dr.Jo Pollard … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman in which he recalls the 2007 ERMA review into 1080 poison and the nature of bureaucrats In 2007 along with a number of people –  scientists, conservationists, deerstalkers and others –  I made submissions to a government appointed panel … Continue reading →

In 2016  the late Bill Benfield, co-chairman of CORANZ wrote two excellent books “At War with Nature” and “The Third Wave” both published by Wellington publisher Tross Publishing. Also back in 2016 Bill Benfield challenged an advertisement by OSPRI, the agency … Continue reading →

by John McNab   “We shall be doing a great service to the country in stocking these large areas with this valuable and harmless animal.”  So said the Auckland Acclimatisation Society’s Annual Report 1917, about possums. But possums have become … Continue reading →

A High Court decision today on a case taken by the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is an “intensely awkward and embarrassing moment for the Government”. The Court found that the Minister of Police had acted against property rights … Continue reading →

by Ben Hope A host of Fiordland wildlife, ranging from favourites like kea and dolphins to seals, fish and birds are almost certain to be exposed to 1080 poison says an Otago scientist Dr Jo Pollard, a specialist in ecology … Continue reading →

Special Report) With the imminent aerial poisoning of the Wet Jacket area in Fiordland, Dr Jo Pollard has written to Peter Shadie, Director, IUCN World Heritage Programme. Dr Pollard argues that the poisoning is not justified, and is inappropriate for … Continue reading →

Opinion by Tony Orman   There’s an election coming later this year and in today’s increasingly bizarre world, I am in a real quandary who to vote for. I must vote.  I have a duty and responsibility to do so.  I’m … Continue reading →

An Opinion by Rob McMillan There needs to be accountability around how police issued a firearms licence to Brenton Tarrant – the Australian who is charged with, on March 15, 2019, the murder of 51 people, 40 counts of attempted … Continue reading →

The passage through Parliament of the Arms Legislation Bill yesterday is a ‘terrible injustice’ imposed upon the licenced firearm owning community to cover Police mistakes says Michael Dowling Chairman, Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO). “Despite the evidence, despite the … Continue reading →

by Alan Emerson This article was originally published in “New Zealand Farmers’ Weekly” and is reprinted by kind permission of Alan Emerson of Wairarapa Going back over the budget I was fascinated by the $100 million wilding pine allocation. You … Continue reading →