NZ Tahr fighting for its life

[paddygonebush]

Hi guys,

As some of you are aware, Tahr in NZ are currently in for a fight with our Department of Conservation. Effectively the 2020/21 Tahr Control Plan is going to eradicate them from our National Parks and reduce their numbers to a so low level that it will decimate the herd.

If you are planning on coming to NZ or may ever think about coming please read up about it here: https://www.nztf.org.nz/tahr101
Blood Origins Video

Donate: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/nztf

Sign the Petition: Petition NZ Tahr

We need all the help we can get.

Cheers Paddy

 

[mallard833]

I traveled to NZ in April 2019 on a diy public land tahr, stag, and chamois hunt. It was an incredible trip highlighted by 5 days in tahr country. They are really amazing animals living in some truly wild places. The South Island of NZ is a very rural place not unlike a lot of areas in the US where hunting is a way of life. It saddens me to see NZ DOC's plan and to think that other people may not get to see or experience them like I did.

For those of you not familiar with Hunting and game management in NZ, it is not at all like our model(s) here in the US. The NZ Department of Conservation(DOC) classify tahr, chamois, and red stag as pests, not game animals. This means that when the time comes to cull animals, the hunting community of NZ does not have a seat at the table for this discussion. While culling may seem unnecessary and counter productive to us in the US, it is needed in NZ due to the sheer number of animals. There are no natural predators and hunting alone is not enough to keep the Tahr population in check. The hunting community, NZ Tahr foundation, NZ Deerstalkers, are all currently fighting to be part of the decision making process. They want to work with DOC to build a sustainable plan to manage Tahr as game animals, not pests to be eradicated. Left unchecked, DOC's current plan would pretty much mean the end of recreational Tahr hunting.

I would encourage everyone to read up on this and sign this petition ASAP

 

[paddygonebush]

Podcast on Tahr with Franko from Altitude and Trails

 

[elkguide]

I absolutely love your land. I just wish that your government officials had a clue as to what a gem you have there. If they get their way, they will destroy it.

 

[spike camp]

Did some quick reading on the subject...

It appears the non native Tahr and Chamois negatively impact the native vegetation in a big way...as in destroy it.

They’re an amazing animal that’s adapted well to NZ.
Hopefully a good solution can be proposed.

 

[Desk Jockey]

No first hand experience but can someone help me get a clue on the vegetation impact issue? What are they trying to restore and where. I am generally in favor of preserving natural flora and fauna but there are some areas they will never revert back to a natural balance. Here in the northeast we are relatively over populated with deer in most areas but no one is saying we are to turn wolves and mountain lions loose. I also life at how quickly my (wealthy) buddies wife turned from deer lover to kill them all when the deer ate $100k worth of landscaping they had done on their house.

 

[coloyooper]

I also life at how quickly my (wealthy) buddies wife turned from deer lover to kill them all when the deer ate $100k worth of landscaping they had done on their house.

Ahh yes, the old, “not in my backyard”

 

[WCB]

No first hand experience but can someone help me get a clue on the vegetation impact issue? What are they trying to restore and where. I am generally in favor of preserving natural flora and fauna but there are some areas they will never revert back to a natural balance. Here in the northeast we are relatively over populated with deer in most areas but no one is saying we are to turn wolves and mountain lions loose. I also life at how quickly my (wealthy) buddies wife turned from deer lover to kill them all when the deer ate $100k worth of landscaping they had done on their house.

NZ is a bit different than most other places as far as grazing and flora...there were no grazing animals on the islands historically until introduced by man to the island. Every species there that is hunted Tahr, Chamois, Stag, Arapawa, Fallow, etc. is an introduced invasive. There are Zero predators there (besides humans). From what I understand of it their Department of Conservation is stating/claiming the Tahr numbers are in immediate threat of destroying the flora. They then wanted to cull Tahr by a number that theoretically could be more than the actual number of Tahr there (they wanted to completely eradicate them). The other side of the fence...hunters, guides, etc. are not against a cull but they want input and a plan in place to include at least partially hunter taken animals to be counted in the cull...where NZ DOC seems to just want to wing it and kill every Tahr.

Realistically if preserving the "natural balance" were of true concern they would want to kill every mamal on the Islands.

I will say I want to go back to NZ in the worst way. I took a beautiful Tahr and the wife took a nice Chamois and we topped it off with both shooting an Arapawa Ram. Beautiful country and incredible hunting.

 

[mereside]

I had an amazing time there, I have just filled out the form and hope everyone else will do the same, I think hunting people should stick together wherever you are to preserve what we all do. In my opinion it is under serious threat with legislation and one thing and another, good luck in getting this sorted I sincerely hope they don’t wipe them out, regards Wayne

 

[CuseHunter]

Sad to hear about this happening but I’d like to hear both sides. Definitely has to be a reason behind their decision to spend $$ and resources towards killing off the Tahr

 

[Theringworm]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I am fairly certain that the Non-native New Zealand Possum causes a much greater impact to flora and fauna than the Tahr? I guess when your eradication efforts fail with one species you punt your losses and blame it on another one. Just my opinion but that seems to be the spin here.

 

[mereside]

Just read a high court has ruled in favour of not destroying the population which is good news Although the DOC can do 125 hours of culling is still not good, let’s hope the the Tahr foundation and anyone else who’s been campaigning can steer the DOC into culling the right animals, regards Wayne
We've won the battle but not the war!

The Tahr Foundation is proud to announce that the High Court has recently ruled in our favour against DOC's devastating 2020/21 control plan, and is requiring DOC to reconsider the plan after consulting with the Tahr Foundation and other stakeholders.

Although this is a great start and is definitely a win for the hunting community and the essence of proper consultation, we are still concerned that DOC is allowed to undertake 125 hours of culling in the interim until a new agreement is reached, which includes targeting all animals/bulls in National Parks.

We will be reaching out to DOC immediately to provide advice on where and what the 125 hours should target in order to reduce hunter conflict, and we hope they consider our suggestions in good faith before commencing any of the control work.

If DOC does go ahead and target bulls in National Parks before a new Tahr Control Plan for 2020/21 is agreed upon, they will kill not only thousands of Tahr, but also hundreds of jobs and a multi-million dollar industry.

We really hope this a step in the right direction of rebuilding the trust and relationship between hunters and the department. Fingers crossed for a sensible outcome, well done guys and thanks for your ongoing support.

Please see our Press Release below regarding the High Court's decision:

TAHR FOUNDATION WELCOMES LANDMARK HIGH COURT DECISION ON DOC’S CONTROVERSIAL EXTERMINATION PLAN

10 July 2020

The Tahr Foundation is welcoming the High Court decision halting DOC’s controversial plan to kill thousands of tahr through the Southern Alps.

The Foundation asked the High Court for a judicial review of DOC’s plan to exterminate all Himalayan Tahr in national parks and sharply reduce tahr populations in other areas.

The application was heard in the High Court in Wellington on Wednesday and Justice Dobson has just released his decision this afternoon.

In the decision, Justice Dobson says that DOC is to reconsider its decision to proceed with the 2020-2021 plan after consulting with interests represented by the Foundation and other stakeholders.

Until consultation and a further decision have been completed, DOC can only undertake half of the 250 hours provided for in the 2020-2021 plan.

Tahr Foundation Spokesman Willie Duley is welcoming the decision as a victory for common sense.

“This is a landmark decision. It recognised the considerable gaps in DOC’s process, the lack of consideration for stakeholders affected and will stop the decimation of the tahr herd and save jobs,” Willie Duley says.

“Just as importantly, Justice Dobson recognised that recreational hunters are legitimate stakeholders and have the right to not only be properly consulted by DOC, but also have their views properly considered.”

“DOC tried to ride roughshod over the commercial and recreational hunting sector and their token consultation was a sham.”

“If they had been allowed to get away with this, future consultation on any issue would have become meaningless and that has serious implications for all conservation stakeholders and outdoor recreation groups.”

He says public support to stop DOC’s cull is soaring.

“The petition to stop DOC going ahead with the tahr kill is approaching 50,000 signatures while the Give a Little campaign has raised $135,000. It shows the depth of feeling there is against this senseless slaughter.”

Willie Duley says in the wake of the High Court decision, the Tahr Foundation is offering to work with DOC and the Game Animal Council, the statutory body responsible for game animals like tahr, to come up with a suitable tahr management plan.

“We have always accepted the need to properly manage tahr numbers and recreational hunters have made a huge contribution to reducing populations, even though DOC refused in court to acknowledge that,” Willie Duley says.

“Hundreds of jobs and a multi-million-dollar industry rely on tahr, let alone the recreational aspirations of tens of thousands of recreational hunters.”

“We just want to be listened to and are happy to sit down with DOC, the Game Animal Council and others to thrash out a workable tahr management plan.”

ENDS

 

[ewescue]

This is absolutely fantastic news. I have kept up to date on this throughout the entire process and did what I could to help. I was un-optimistic I will admit.. but am extremely pleased to see proper management being ordered now.