23 June 2010

Big game in little New Zealand

Federated Farmers remans lukewarm as to the introduction of a New Zealand Game Animal Council (GAC), after the Hon Kate Wilkinson, Minister of Conservation released the proposal document today.

"It may sound odd to have big game in little New Zealand but we do," says Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers game spokesperson.

"The recommended GAC proposal, presented to the Minister of Conservation, contains many references to the Fish & Game model.  Yet consecutive governments have failed to direct Fish & Game to more actively consider the impacts on our environment and other users.

"Fish & Game, from the Federation's perspective, has hidden behind its legislation. One tangible disbenefit has been the active colonisation by Canada Geese, a pest, all over New Zealand.

"Federated Farmers do not wish the same mistake to be made by a GAC. For example, the Animal Health Board is doing well in its bovine Tb reduction programme. Protecting deer at the expense of killing possums, would be disastrous.

"Federated Farmers notes in the Working with Hunters section, ‘that GAC is the opportunity for hunters to take responsibility for managing their own resources for outcomes that are in the national interest'.

"That's a major improvement over the statute, which empowers Fish & Game to focus on the narrower interests of its members.

"We are extremely happy to see the private property rights of landowners respected, in that GAC will have no mandate over private land, apart from cross boundary issues.

"One positive of GAC is to better control the activities of hunters that can come into conflict with farming operations.

"The self-funding objectives do however pose a challenge for GAC.  In part, private land owners will be required to contribute by way of permit fees, with that in mind, Federated Farmers could not support a large bureaucratic organisation.

"Federated Farmers is very happy that we have been asked to provide the farmers voice as a GAC council member," Mr Aubrey concluded.

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