Issue 114 - August / September |
On Sale Monday 3rd August

Well we’ve done it! We’ve actually got two HOSIs across the line!

Congratulations must go to Roy and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation crew, who have fought so hard and so long for the sensible management of Wapiti and conservation in Fiordland National Park. They have been the shining light in hunter led management for around 20 years now, proving that it will work at no cost to the taxpayer in some places, delivering a progressively improving Wapiti hunting experience and better conservation. And to Cam and the Sika Foundation crew for their concerted efforts in the Central N.I. for the last 11 years, proving that hunters do care about the bush and are not just wanting the highest population of skinny deer to hunt. And of course to James Meager the Hunting and Fishing Minister and the current government, for believing in the hunting sector and following through on some of their pre-election promises in National’s Hunting and Fishing Plan. They have pushed through the Game Animal Council Amendment Act that allows the formation of HOSIs in National Parks, and then followed up only a couple of weeks later with the announcement of the Wapiti and Sika HOSIs themselves. This government has achieved a huge leap forward for sensible hunting and conservation management with what they have achieved recently. Lastly, thank you to the Game Animal Council who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the HOSI legislation in their Act (which was passed way back in 2013), has finally after 13 years delivered our very first Herds of Special Interest.

Another exciting announcement which may have missed the limelight a bit, is the Ministers announcement that he has delegated the Sika HOSI statutory functions to the GAC. This steps the organisation into the game animal management space, working with hunters on the ground, and away from the Department of Conservation. The Sika herd is now the first game animal herd to be managed by hunters for hunters from the statutory organisation through to the boots on the ground work of the foundation and communities. This is the blueprint for the future.

We still have concerns about the “overriding considerations” part of the legislation that says any HOSI must be consistent with all conservation legislation. We still feel that there are various parts of this legislation that a litigious group like Forest and Bird could still use to challenge HOSIs in court, as they threatened to do with the FWF’s management of Wapiti. Minister Meager has assured the sector that if that happens, his government will do further changes to the legislation to ensure the security of HOSIs into the future.

As we said last issue, under current legislation, HOSIs are the only means of getting sensible WARO management for both hunting and conservation. Roy and the team have proved it can work in Fiordland, and there are large areas of land that contain our heritage Red deer herds that also will work in a similar vein. These areas are currently oversubscribed during the roar with hunters getting dropped on top of each other by helicopter operators, clashing with those hunters who have walked in. This is compounded by the huge upswing in WARO activity by only a handful of operators, who are targeting stags as they are the main money making animals in these remote areas due to the large helicopter ferry times. These factors combined have ruined everyone’s hunting experience. This stag focused WARO has a limited effect anyway on controlling the hinds/breeders and delivering improved conservation values.

The Rakaia and Otago Red deer herds are desperately in need of sensible game animal management. A HOSI managed by the Heritage Red Deer Foundation working under the GAC is the only way forward currently. This will provide good hunting opportunities for everyone with an interest in these herds, whether you are after a trophy or just a bit of meat. It will provide for free and unrestricted access to the readily accessible drive and walk in areas on both coasts, but also manage the hinterland overcrowding issues during the roar – possibly with a block and ballot system like Wapiti and tahr. This system will also provide better conservation outcomes than the current boom and bust scenario depending on venison prices and spasmodic aerial 1080 drops.

For this to happen we need to work with the government to strengthen and properly resource the GAC. The Sika HOSI provides a blueprint for the future of game animal management and improved conservation outcomes with the GAC acting as the statutory body rather than DOC. But to achieve this at a wider scale the GAC requires greater resourcing to support working with Foundations on the development of further HOSIs, along with their delivery. The volunteer Foundations do not have the resources to progress HOSI applications on their own, and the GAC’s excellent team are already stretched implementing their statutory functions, the Sika HOSI alongside the Sika Foundation, and in providing ongoing support for the Wapiti HOSI. That is our focus from now – strengthen and properly resource the GAC!