Slaughter of protected birds appals devoted DoC staff

Opotiki Department of Conservation staff are devastated that protected native birds have been killed during the first week of the duck shooting season.

Area manager Kevin Cannell said the Opotiki DoC office had received numerous calls from concerned locals after the grisly discovery of shot caspian terns, white-fronted terns and red bill gulls at Waiaua last week.

"It's absolutely appalling," he said.

"Staff here spend all their time protecting wildlife. The news about the birds is devastating."

Mr Cannell said there was no way that a genuine hunter could have mistaken the protected native birds for ducks or other game birds such as pheasants or quail.

"These native birds simply don't look like ducks," he said.

The native terns and gulls were "absolutely protected", Mr Cannell said, and people faced fines of up to $100,000 or six months in prison for deliberately killing native birds.

Senior Fish and Game Officer for the Eastern Region Matthew McDougall said he doubted the birds were shot by duck hunters given their habitat.

"They're coastal birds, but Caspian terns and red-bill gulls do travel inland sometimes."

He was angered by the shootings.

DoC wants information about the bird killings, which probably happened on the opening weekend of the duck shooting season, and said anyone passing on information would be dealt with confidentially.

- NZPA