Southern Lakes Deerstalkers Association is opposing plans by
the Department of Conservation (Doc) to allow heli-hunters to
operate this season without concession permits.
Doc has invited feedback on its new concession process for
heli-hunting for Himalayan tahr and chamois on public
conservation land in the South Island.
Submissions closed on the proposals on Friday.
Heli-hunters had until January 15 to apply for a concession,
but the applications would not be decided until July.
"This process will not be completed before the new
heli-hunting season commences, so the department will allow
the activity during the period from February 19, 2010 until
the applications are decided," Doc's website says.
Queenstown deerstalker Shaun Moloney said Doc would
effectively be allowing unlimited helicopter access to areas
of public conservation land around Queenstown and Wanaka.
"It's an unsustainable harvest of trophy animals like chamois
and tahr. We're hoping to persuade the department to outlaw
heli-hunting, rather than permit it," he said.
He said the association would be lobbying Conservation
Minister Kate Wilkinson to show its "growing unease" about
heli-hunting and how Doc was allowing it to happen.
Canterbury Conservator Mike Cuddihy said 16 heli-hunting
applications had been received by the department.
They would be publicly notified by early March.
The public could submit their views and be heard at a hearing
as part of the normal concessions process.
However, heli-hunters with complete applications lodged would
be allowed to operate for the 2010 season while their
applications were being processed.
Any operator who had not lodged a complete application would
not be allowed to operate.
The activity would be restricted to agreed areas, under 11
proposed conditions, including avoiding huts, tracks,
campsites and hunting parties on the ground and liaising with
heli-ski operators.
He said the deerstalker association's concerns were "an
issue".
"We are allowing access to areas heli-hunting operators have
applied for. The reason why that has been done is because the
independent operators have, for some time, operated correctly
under an old concession," he said.
"Pieces of land precisely mapped" around Wanaka and
Queenstown had been applied for, he said.
A letter to helicopter operators from Doc says land without
National Park or Conservation Act general policy,
Conservation Management Strategy or management plan
constraints is available for heli-hunting application and
consideration through the concessions process.
The letter to operators also says some land within national
parks was identified as important to heli-hunting, but is not
open for application.
"The department has, therefore, undertaken to consider
amending the relevant management plans where there is a good
case to do so.
The first to be considered is the Aoraki/Mt Cook National
Park Management Plan."
Submissions on the proposal to allow heli-hunting within
parts of the Murchison, and possibly Godley, valleys closed
on February 1.
The department will consider submissions and consult the
Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board, before deciding whether
to seek an amendment to the plan this month.
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