Groups to discuss wapiti outside courtroom
A chorus of approval has arisen over the pause in legal action over the management of wap iti deer in Fiordland National Park.
The protagonists, Forest & Bird and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, have each welcomed their agreement to pursue progress outside the courtroom.
The Game Animal Council has also puffed out its cheeks in relief, its general manager Tim Gale calling it “really positive news for hunters and all those interested in the conservation of Fiordland National Park’’.
Forest & Bird had earlier sought a judicial review of the management agreement between the Department of Conservation and the wapiti foundation, which allows the foundation to control deer numbers, manage a wapiti herd, and carry out other pest control and conservation work in the park.
On the agenda now was the exploration of the possibility of designating the wapiti herd as a Herd of Special Interest as defned under the Game Animal Council Act.
Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki said there had been inaccurate suggestions that its court action had been aimed at exterminating wapiti, or might even mean the end for all game animals.
The action was only ever intended to clarify the legality of the management agreement, she said.
A solution that protected native biodiversity and maintained the integrity of the national park was one Forest & Bird did not believe would require the extermination of wapiti.
“We expect the herd will continue to provide an important hunting opportunity and the (foundation) would continue its valuable conservation work.”
Foundation spokesman Roy Sloan said it would be disappointing for two conservation groups to end up in court arguing over which had the best solution to protect the environment.
A judicial review would have wasted everyone’s money and time, diverting funding and key personnel from the front line, he said.