Latest news with #Fish&Game
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Listen to The Country online: Duck debate with Fish & Game CEO, Corina Jordan
Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan talked to Jamie Mackay about ducks on today's show. Photo / Warren Buckland Today on The Country radio show, host Jamie Mackay catches up with Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan, who has responded to Dr Jacqueline Rowarth's piece on ducks and the environment. On with the show: Richard McIntyre: Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to deliver on National's pre-election promise to change KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the farming ladder. On the eve of the 2023 election, National pledged that, if elected to Government, they would allow young farmers to use their KiwiSaver to buy their first home, farm, herd, or flock, says the Federated Farmers dairy chair.
NZ Herald
13-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Protected bird euthanised after found with shotgun pellet injury
X-rays revealed a shattered wing joint where shotgun pellets were found. Based on veterinary advice, the bird was euthanised. 'The bird was quite underweight so we believe it may have been injured for several days before it was found,' Langman said. Royal spoonbills are protected under the Wildlife Act, and hunting or killing a protected species can result in a fine of up to $100,000 or two years in prison. Fish & Game Auckland / Waikato chief executive David Klee said shooting protected birds was unacceptable. 'Hunters must clearly identify their target and there is no excuse for shooting a royal spoonbill, which bears no resemblance to waterfowl species that can be legally hunted. 'Our Code of Conduct states licence holders must ensure they can accurately identify and distinguish game birds from protected species. 'We have very few incidents like this, but it can bring everyone in the hunting community into disrepute.' Fish & Game compliance officers have been working alongside DoC staff since the opening of the duck hunting season to ensure hunters are following the rules. A team is on call at weekends and will investigate any incidents. Royal spoonbills are a mobile species found in increasing numbers around New Zealand, and are identifiable through their unique bill, long black legs and white plumage. They feed by distinctively swishing their bill from side to side, while wading through shallow water. People who have information about the incident in which the bird was shot are urged to call 0800 DOC HOT, or email wildlifecrime@ and quote case number CLE-9126.
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Shooters' opening weekend mixed bag
Oamaru duck-shooter Matthew Williams holds a mallard duck and paradise duck harvested from All Day Bay Lagoon near Kakanui on opening morning. PHOTO: RHYS ADAMS/FISH & GAME It was a mixed bag for North Otago duck-shooters at the start of the season at the weekend. On Saturday, the opening day of the 2025 game bird shooting season, a team from Central South Island Fish & Game was operating in the Maheno area, south of Oamaru. "Opening-day weather was pleasant for hunting and socialising with clear skies and a moderate breeze from the west, helping to put movement in hunters' decoys and direction for the birds to land," a Fish & Game spokesperson said. "In comparison to last year's drought conditions, which left many ponds dry and hunters out of options, the wet autumn provided great water levels, and many hunters were out enjoying their opening. "Farmer Mike Holland, of Waianakarua, hunted his farm pond with family, including 4-year-old grandson Franklin Attfield and their canine companion. On Mike's second farm pond, several visiting and local hunters enjoyed their morning, harvesting a mix of mallard duck, paradise shelduck and Canada geese." Nearby, in Maheno, three generations of the Hunt family enjoyed their first opening on the pond of their new property. Of significance was 5-year-old Douglas Hunt's first opening-day experience. He really enjoyed helping gundog Charlie retrieve the ducks that fell behind the pond into the paddock. Oamaru man Mathew Williams hunted the Fish & Game-owned All Day Bag Lagoon near Kakanui with success. Mathew was one of three parties who were granted opening weekend hunting rights to the lagoon through an annual ballot administered by Central South Island Fish & Game. "Rangers checked on 28 hunters, a mix of local and visiting hunters. Although the majority of hunters were fully compliant with the hunting regulations, three hunters were found offending, being in possession of lead ammunition, while hunting within 200m of open water. "Hunters' harvests were mixed, with most harvesting a mallard duck or paradise shelduck by noon on Saturday. "Preliminary data from the game bird harvest survey indicates hunters across the region harvested about nine mallards and three paradise shelduck each, on average, for the weekend [two days]." The occasional black swan, pūkeko and New Zealand shoveler duck were also harvested. "Central South Island Fish & Game has issued 2282 combined adult and junior 2025 game bird hunting licences. This is a moderate number and up by approximately 10% on last season which was impacted by drought with many dry ponds resulting in reduced hunting opportunity." The main game bird season is open until July 27. Day game bird hunting licences are on sale from Monday. The Central South Island region includes the Waitaki Valley and areas North of Shag Point and including the Waianakarua and Kakanui catchments. The Otago Fish & Game region extends south of Shag Point. Hunting regulations vary between Fish & Game regions and hunters are reminded to check the game bird hunting regulations before going hunting. Any clarification should be sought from a Fish & Game office. — APL
NZ Herald
07-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Former Central Hawke's Bay mayor says Fish & Game rangers ruined duck shooting's opening day by showing up
He contacted Hawke's Bay Today to say the experience had turned sour when two utes arrived at 8.25am on Saturday, carrying four men – two Fish & Game inspectors and two police officers. The vehicles stopped within 75m of the dam, stopping the hunters from shooting, Butler said. He claimed inspectors and police then threw 'health and safety out the door' by walking across a paddock with bulls in it, towards the maimai. 'I don't know what would happen if they'd been dealt to by the bull, whether it would be on our neck I'm not sure,' he said. Jordan said while it's sometimes necessary for rangers to cross paddocks, they're trained to assess risks and, wherever possible, avoid areas with known hazards, such as livestock. Butler said he 'got real grumpy' and came down from his house to confront the inspectors and officers before they could reach the dam. He claimed it would take inspectors more than two hours to check every bit of ammunition, gun, and maimai and effectively ruin one of the two days a year the dam is used. 'It's like going to the races and someone standing in front of the horses for two hours so that you can't race a horse,' he said. 'If they've got a job to do, they've got to find a better way of doing it because what they're going to do is interrupt people shooting every bloody year.' Butler said he felt a way around it might be for the rangers not to go out until after lunch, especially on opening day. Jordan said Fish & Game had the legal authority to undertake compliance checks under the Wildlife Act. 'We are investigating this particular incident and liaising with New Zealand Police. 'We take any refusal to allow rangers to carry out their duties extremely seriously,' Jordan said. 'Opening weekend is the busiest time of the year, and an important opportunity to ensure everyone is hunting safely and legally, along with gathering data for game management purposes. 'Compliance checks are not about catching people out – they are about protecting the integrity of the season, promoting responsible hunting, and ensuring public and hunter safety.' Jordan said rangers always aimed to take a constructive and respectful approach when interacting with hunters and landowners, and in most cases, people were co-operative and respectful. A Fish & Game spokeswoman said rangers in Hawke's Bay issued four non-compliance tickets to duck hunters over the opening weekend. Three were issued for use of a lead shot and one for not having a licence.
Otago Daily Times
05-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Local Māori oppose expansion of NZ's largest gold mine
Oceana Gold's Macraes mine showing the underground pit, front left, processing plant, front right, and open cast pit right rear. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Local Māori have opposed the expansion of New Zealand's largest gold mine, north of Dunedin, saying not enough is known about its long-term or cumulative effects on the environment. Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou — submitting as Kā Rūnaka — said OceanaGold's application to expand its Macraes Gold Mine did not adequately address "the magnitude, severity and ongoing impact" of the effects arising from their plans. "Furthermore, the conclusions contained in the application regarding the effects arising from the application have been reached without an assessment of the cultural impacts of the project endorsed by Kā Rūnaka," the submission said. "It is not possible for the applicant to conclude that the effects are of an acceptable level without cultural input into their assessment." OceanaGold applied to the Otago Regional Council, Waitaki District Council and Dunedin City Council for consent for the site-wide expansion of mining activities at Macraes, requesting public notification. Seven submissions were published on the regional council website yesterday. A hearing is set down for July. Kā Rūnaka's counsel said the mining company's application lacked detailed information on the proposed expansion's effect on a range of matters including the mine's cumulative effects on water quality, the provision for appropriate and meaningful management of long-term environmental effects and the ongoing and long-term nature of its effects. Questions remained about the expansion's cultural effects, its land restoration requirements, and its economic impact on Kā Rūnaka. More needed to be known about the "durability and sustainability" of the offsets and mitigation measures proposed, the submission said. The applications also lacked a "credible long-term environmental management plan". "Kā Rūnaka has little choice but to oppose the consents sought." Forest & Bird also opposed the application and said the proposed expansion would result in significant adverse effects on indigenous plants, animal habitat, wetlands and freshwater ecosystems. The environmental organisation called upon the regional council to decline the application in full. Or, if the council was of a mind to approve the application, to include "significant changes to effects management, mitigation and compensation" to account for the significant effects on indigenous species and habitats. Otago Fish & Game also called for consideration of the long-term effects of the mine. "Fish & Game submits that the decision-maker should be very certain that there is an extremely robust mechanism to ensure any proposed rehabilitation work — including future adaptive management actions which are not now currently known — will actually be undertaken. "With that said, Fish & Game is not clear exactly how this could be achieved on a project which spans hundreds of years and into perpetuity, affecting countless future generations." "In the face of such dramatic uncertainty, it may be that adopting the precautionary principle would be a helpful place to begin," Otago Fish & Game said. Fire and Emergency NZ submitted a neutral submission but called for assurances there would be an adequate water supply available for firefighting activities as well as emergency vehicle access. The Department of Conservation noted the application was missing an ecological enhancement area management plan as well as the cultural impact assessment. "This means that at the time of lodging this submission there can be no certainty that the combination of conditions and management plans will be able to adequately address effects on the environment," the department's submission said. One neighbour opposed the expansion, citing concerns about noise, air, water and light pollution. Another raised concerns about what he described as historic consent breaches. OceanaGold has been approached for comment.
