KEY POINTS:
Feral deer, pigs and other game animals should continue to be classified as "noxious pests" marking them for extermination, says an environmental lobbyist.
"Deer, chamois, thar and pigs don't have a rightful place in New Zealand," said Forest and Bird advocacy manager Kevin Hackwell.
The species persisted in New Zealand's bush and mountains only because there was no technology which could economically wipe them out - but that situation could one day change, he said.
Mr Hackwell said the campaign being run by the United Future Party - using a political deal it cut with the Labour Government in a confidence and supply agreement - to have feral deer, pigs, chamois and thar acknowledged as having a rightful place in NZ was wrong.
United Future MP Gordon Copeland said yesterday the species - valued by recreational and commercial hunters - were in an uncomfortable statutory and policy position: "Let's just acknowledge that they have a rightful place in this country."
But Mr Hackwell said public opinion was swinging toward valuing the native plants and animals, and in the future Mr Copeland's view would be seen as laughable.
"Already a third of the North Island is free of feral deer - from Taranaki, across to the Coromandel and northwards - except for whitetail deer north of Helensville," he said.
He discounted the idea of using shooters to control feral populations, though Forest and Bird was keen to see hunters killing deer.
The Department of Conservation put a lot of effort into encouraging hunters to shoot deer in 13 specific hunting areas - but recreational shooting was failing to control their numbers, Mr Hackwell said.
Mr Copeland said a panel of leading environmental, scientific and recreational experts would draw up a discussion paper on what should be covered in management plans for the feral "game" species, hear submissions and report to Conservation Minister Chris Carter.
The Deerstalkers' Association last night welcomed the review, and said hunters had shown they could manage animal numbers to limit the damage to the environment.
"Most native plant species are much more robust in their ability to survive plate tectonic movements and extreme climate change, than was previously understood," said Deerstalkers advocate Dr Hugh Barr.
"It is time to recognise the very high recreational and community value that these species have, and debate how they can be managed to recognise and maximise their benefits," he said.
- NZPA
