I have been advised by the Minister of Conservation that DoC are currently processing three concession applications for heli hunting in parts of the South Island. The applications will be publicly notified in the near future, so this is our chance to have a say and show our distain for these activities.

Once a single concessions has been granted a precedent has been set and things will never be the same again. We all lose! This really is our chance to squash these activities before things take off.

I would expect the NZDA and Game Forest will be submitting with all their might against these concessions.

I will try and find out when these applications are being publicly notified and post it on here.

The Minister also advised the following with regards to tightening up of the WARO permits. Make of it what you will.

I can also advise some background about the process for the renewal of the Wild Animal Recovery Operation (WARO) permits. Over the last five years, WARO permits have come to be used for a wide range of wild animal activities using aircraft. Some of these activities now go beyond the scope of what the department had intended at the time these permits were issued. Greater clarity is now required, which can only be achieved by separating out the different types of WARO activity and permitting them accordingly.

In the past, WARO concessions have allowed helicopter operators access to large areas of public conservation land for the hunting and recovery of wild animals. This removal of substantial numbers of introduced grazing animals was seen to have a nature conservation benefit for our forests and grasslands. The situation today is more complex. WARO permits have been used by some concessionaires to support activities that are more of a recreational nature, such as “helihunting” (or aerial safari hunting as you refer to it in your letter) and the positioning of recreational hunters.

The national process for reissuing WARO permits will cover only the activities which are considered to be of a “nature conservation benefit”. It will be limited to helicopter operators who are certified to supply by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) and who hold a supply contract with the NZFSA approved processor. In the past, there have been compliance issues with WARO permits. To overcome these issues, a new draft permit has been developed by my department’s legal advisers.

Other aircraft activities for which the benefit is primarily commercial or recreational, such as helihunting, the capture and conveying of trophy animals, and the positioning of recreational hunters will be expressly excluded from the WARO permit. This does not mean, however, that helihunting will not be permitted by means of a concession, as it is not an illegal activity. It is only illegal if it does not have an approved permit. The way it has been conducted in the past was outside of the scope of the WARO permit.

how many members are there on the forum alone? would be quite a big voice if we could coordinate something

Exemptions can be obtained for almost anything CreepingDeath.

Thanks Charles,
Did you write to the minister specifically regarding "helihunting"? 
Without the detail of what they intend to do I'm hesitant to comment but this might be a move in the right direction.  The biggest beef most of us have had is the indiscriminate manner in which WARO operators have worked.  Commercial hunting is a legitimate activity and we have to live with it.  If this stricter regime takes out the operators supplying meat to local outlets it would be a good thing.  If it meant their operations are restricted to certain areas at certain times of year that would be a good thing.
I'd like to see DOC consult with the punters on this as it would be good for DOC and the hunters to get it all out in the open and layed on the table.  Of course there is no compulsion for them to do what they agree too but at least we would have record of their treachery if that came to pass

CAA have already said its nothing to do with them and the cops have better things to do than chase poachers!
Sorry mate but there's no will on the part of DOC to pursue the issue as the costs eat up their meagre budget and the courts won't support them.  The Mt Hutt case recently clearly showed we might as well piss in the breeze.......

Maybe this season we could fund a couple of teams of guerillas and stake out the heli hunters favourite hunting areas.  Once on the ground confront them and their clients with a veiw to arrest and detention for a breach of section 38 of the conservation act.
If DoC won't sort it out why don't we, be a good news story and might even shame the arseholes at DoC into action. 

ahhh just a thought  

Weathered wrote on Feb 20^th, 2009 at 10:26am:


Like your style there W
Seems that that breach is about to be addressed by the minister!  Make it not a breach and he's away laughing.....  He's a smart cookie but maybe pointing out this sneaky way round the Conservation Act might embarrass him somewhat

I'm starting to think empowering NZDA to the level of lobbying strength that F&B has is the only way to see change occur.  Its worth fighting for though, I've got three kids and I'll do everything I can to make sure they can "Hunt the hills" like we have done without being harassed and disadvantaged by a select few!

This is the reason I joined NZDA last year, and have been active on the submissions/concents identified by them also.  A united voice, at the appropriate level. 
There's no point complaining to somone that can't fix your problem...