Hon Todd McClay
Minister for Hunting and Fishing

A collaborative effort between hunters, landowners, and conservation organisations has successfully removed 12,935 wild goats during the second annual National Competition, Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay announced today.

This marks a 22 per cent increase from last year.

“This is fantastic result demonstrates the importance and benefit of strong partnerships across the hunting community in addressing the damage wild goats cause to farmland and native ecosystems," Mr McClay says

Spearheaded by DOC and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA), with support from Federated Farmers, Hunting & Fishing NZ Ltd., and Te Tari Pūreke Firearms Safety Authority, the competition connected over 800 hunters with landowners, improving access to private land and significantly impacting wild goat populations.

The competition, also saw $70,000 in prizes donated by the hunting and outdoor sector, highlighting the commitment of all parties to protecting New Zealand's great outdoors.

“Prize winners have been announced today on the competition webpage and via NZDA and DOC’s social media channels. I look forward to next year’s competition and wild goat hunting becoming a regular feature in the hunting calendar.”

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