Wapiti hunt could be last for Fiordland foundation

The final briefing for hunters heading into the hills for this year’s wapiti hunting season was held in Te Anau yesterday, and the foundation that runs the ballot hopes it won’t be the last.

This year’s annual wapiti hunt is overshadowed by the Forest & Bird Society’s decision to ask for a judicial review of whether wapiti should be in Fiordland National Park and the agreement allowing the Wapiti Foundation to control deer numbers there.

Earlier this month, Forest & Bird said it considered that the agreement between the foundation and the Department of Conservation does not comply with the National Parks Act 1980, which prioritises the protection of indigenous ecosystems over introduced species.

It says the agreement is inconsistent with the act because it provides for herd management of an introduced species within the national park.

Foundation spokesperson Roy Sloan said the legal action was disappointing as it would divert much-needed money away from conservation work.

“We just don’t know which way it will go and we are at the mercy of people in a court room,’’ he said.

“I’d like to think that this won’t be the last time we organise a ballot, but it’s not outside the realms of possibility that that could happen. The Wapiti Foundation is a conservation organisation, not a hunting group, and our work is a great example of hunters giving back to conservation and the wider community.”

It has started a fundraising campaign to meet legal costs for the judicial review.

About 150 hunters gathered in Te Anau for a compulsory briefing yesterday, and around 450 hunters have attended briefings over recent weeks. About 50 wapiti had been shot this season so far, Sloan said.

If the agreement was terminated, it could open the wapiti blocks up to hunters with helicopter consents who could take any animal, he said.