The National Party’s concept of a Minister of Hunting and Fishing is very welcome says the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust. Trust spokesman Laurie Collins of the West Coast described the idea as a “first ever” and therefore unique.
Laurie Collins said some individuals on television news had attempted scare mongering by claiming wild animals such as deer and goats were exploding out of control. One individual from the Gisborne area is employed by Landcare Trust, funded by two government departments – Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture. .
“As such his views are not credible and simply a mouthpiece for the current government’s anti-deer agenda fuelled by the coalition partner the Greens,” he said.
Laurie Collins said proper game management as practised overseas, ensures by selective harvesting, that animal numbers are kept within the carrying capacity of the habitat.
National has also proposed that game animals not be classified as pests.
Ever since 1930 and the infamous Deer menace Conference which classified deer from being a game animal to a pest, deer have been subjected to extermination campaigns from deer killing cullers to helicopter onslaughts and even poisons, he said.
“At last under National’s concept, wild deer might be seen as a resource, a valued asset and managed by game management instead of futile haphazard extermination tactics.”
However Laurie Collins cautioned that the Department of Conservation needed to undergo a significant culture change as it had been the main culprit in pushing extermination policies, anti-introduced fish and game attitudes and using eco-poisons on wild animals – usually on public lands – and even indoctrinating young school children that wild animals were pests.
“The pest syndrome has to go and be replaced by management and obviously National realises that,” he said.
Laurie Collins said DOC’s anti-deer policy was contrary to public opinion. In 2001 a Landcare Research study of public perceptions of “introduced” wildlife revealed 81 percent of the public favoured deer being managed as a resource and not “controlled” as a pest he said.
Contact: Laurie Collins 03 782 8647
Foot note: Now retired, Laurie Collins has spent a lifetime in the New Zealand backcountry and still enjoys outdoor recreation.
Common sense really that National cosy up to the outdoor sector, natural bedfellows. The towering influence of the likes of Fed Farmers and powerful primary sector families such as the Goodfellows is where the wheels always fall off though for the Nats. Hard cash and favours owed speak louder than votes once the post election party is over. We will have to keep a beady eye on them, ask telling questions when and where we can and endeavour to hold them to their commitments.
Listened to Todd McClay announce this policy at the NZDA National Conference in Ashburton at the weekend just gone (21-23 July). It was all great stuff, 100% agreed with everything Todd said (even though he hardly seemed to stop to take a breath throughout his entire presentation .. phew!), music to the ears of the entire Hunting & Fishing fraternity to be sure.
Isn’t it funny though that .. in an Election year .. National suddenly sees fit to woo the votes of this fraternity (estimated to be as many as a million votes, if we were ever able to get ourselves properly organised).
Good ole Winnie would also like to woo these votes, if he could.
Sadly for them .. we have these strange things called “memories” .. and we remember who stood by us .. and who threw us under the bus, when it counted most.
Only one politician .. has stood by us, through thick and thin.
Only one political party .. has been there when we needed them, throughout all of the past 4-1/2 years.
It’s great that the coalition partner for this political party has come out with such a supportive policy.
Party Vote ACT, Electorate Vote National .. the only option for anyone who cares about their Firearms Licence, this Election.
Well said Stewart! The only meaningful change we will see is if ACT has good support in the coming election as stated in their recent meeting held in Te Anau. Yes our memories are clear about broken promises in the past so remember this when you vote in October.
Labour are doing well in self destruction but we can’t count entirely on that to remove them.
So long as words are backed up by action very easy to say what you will do but often not backed up, look at Winston Peters and his promises on the 1080 issue not another thing mentioned about it once he was there. More faith in ACTs words.