Goal and Guiding Statements for Deer Control

Legislation

The legislative framework for managing deer impacts is provided by the Wild Animal Control Act 1977.

The Wild Animal Control Act provides for:

"The control of wild animals generally, and for their eradication locally where necessary and practicable."

and for coordination of commercial and recreational hunters,

"To ensure concerted action against the damaging effects of wild animals on vegetation, soils, water and wildlife."

Goal

The Department's over-riding goal for deer control is:

To reduce the impacts of deer, along with other threats, on public conservation lands so as to maintain and enhance forest regeneration and indigenous ecosystem protection.

To achieve this goal the Department's management actions will be guided by the following:

First concern

The department's first and over-riding concern is the protection of New Zealand's unique indigenous biodiversity, which takes precedence over the recreational and commercial value of deer as a hunting resource. This policy statement supports objective 1.3 of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy (February 2000), which is to Prevent, control and manage plant and animal pests, to maintain or improve the condition and health of habitats and ecosystems important for indigenous biodiversity.

Scope of this policy statement

This policy statement applies primarily to deer control on public conservation lands but also includes actions to restrict the feral range of deer, which will occur across all lands.

Role of commercial and recreational hunting

The department recognises that commercial and recreational hunters value deer as a hunting resource and that commercial hunting in particular provides effective control in those areas that are most suitable for hunting by helicopter.

Access for commercial and recreational hunters

The department will continue to encourage both commercial and recreational hunting on public conservation lands where this is consistent with management for conservation. Commercial and recreational hunters will generally have open access to public conservation lands.

Integration of deer control with management of other threats

Over the next two years, the Department intends to move towards more integrated decision-making for managing threats to biodiversity. A generic decision support framework is being developed which will assist managers to set priorities for control of conservation pests including deer on a site by site basis. In time, this decision support framework will replace or integrate the single species plans and priority ranking systems that are used at present for possums, goats and thar.

Maintaining effective working relationships

The department will seek to maintain effective working relationships with commercial and recreational hunters, conservation groups, farmers, other landowners, and other agencies with an interest in deer control such as regional councils and the Animal Health Board.

Consulting with iwi

The department will consult with iwi to give affect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi:

• To act reasonably and in good faith;
• Make informed decisions;
• Consider whether active steps are needed to protect Maori interests;
• Avoid actions which could prevent redress of Treaty claims.

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