ACT says hunters, not bureaucrats, should lead conservation

“New Zealand hunters have spent generations in the backcountry. Every weekend they're out managing game animals, controlling predators, restoring huts, clearing tracks, and running trap lines. They do it because they love these places, not because they're paid. No group has done more for the backcountry, yet Government still treats hunters like a problem instead of one of our greatest conservation assets," says ACT Deputy Leader Nicole McKee, announcing the Party’s policy for hunters at the Hunting & Wildlife Expo this weekend.

"Wellington has treated hunters as a group to consult after conservation decisions have already been made. It's time they had a genuine role in making those decisions.

"The Game Animal Council was created to represent hunters, but it has never been given the authority to do the job hunters were promised it would do. It's time to trust the people who know game animals best."

"DOC cannot manage New Zealand's conservation estate alone," says ACT Conservation spokesperson Cameron Luxton.

"Hunters provide thousands of hours of work in the removal of predators, yet are not formally involved or in the management of backcountry huts, in which DOC has issued more than 2,300 closure alerts since 2021 and faces a maintenance backlog it will never clear on its own while community groups are delivering the same work at a fraction of the cost, then surviving hand-to-mouth on annual discretionary grants. That's backwards.

"Hunters and volunteers understand this country’s fauna and landscapes because they're out there every weekend. Better decisions are made when responsibility sits with the people who know the resource best, while DOC continues its wider conservation role.

"When you're rebuilding huts or clearing tracks, nobody cares whether you're a DOC ranger or a hunter. They just appreciate that someone turned up and got the job done.”

ACT will:

• Empower hunters in game animal management by transferring the responsibility for game animals on conservation from DOC to the Game Animal Council, with full funding for this role.

• Recognise game animal and game-bird species as valued natural resources to be sustainably managed in relevant legislation.

• Designate New Zealand’s most valued game herds, such as Stewart Island whitetail deer, as Herds of Special Interest.

• Reward hunters for verified conservation outcomes by opening up the Voluntary Nature Credits Market to accredited hunting groups.

• Back community groups maintaining backcountry huts through right of first funding for multi-year contracts.

• Improve hunting access to public land by making hunting access a priority for the Outdoor Access Commission, giving the Game Animal Council responsibility for managing fair access between recreational hunters and commercial venison recovery operators and removing DOC's ability to dictate which helicopters commercial venison recovery operators use, leaving aviation regulation to the Civil Aviation Authority.

• Protect lawful hunting, creating infringement offences for interfering with hunts, including through the use of drones and helicopters.

The full policy, Backing Hunters, can be found here.

“Hunters were promised a seat at the table when the Game Animal Council was created. Instead, they got another advisory role while DOC kept making the decisions. They know these places because they're out there every weekend, not because they've read another report,” says Mr Luxton.

"It's time Government stopped getting in hunters' way and started trusting them with the responsibility they've earned. Hunters have spent decades proving they're among New Zealand's best conservationists. They should have a real role in managing the game animals and public land they care about."

Callum Sheridan, ACT candidate for Waitākere and former New Zealand Deerstalkers Association president, says:

“This is a great policy for hunters, who already contribute hundreds of thousands of unpaid hours to conservation efforts every year. The wider hunting community is a massively untapped, and often underappreciated, resource. Unlocking the potential of this sector is a win-win-win for keen hunters, conservation, and the taxpayer.”

Editor's note:

For comment, media may wish to contact:

New Zealand Deerstalkers Association
Rakiura Whitetail Trust
Game Animal Council New Zealand
Fiordland Wapiti Foundation
Fish & Game New Zealand