The Tahr Foundation is condemning the Department of Conservation for what it describes as DOC’s “sham consultation” over plans to kill thousands of Himalayan tahr.

DOC’s kill operation is due to start today but the final version of its plan was only released just before midnight, minutes before it came into force. The plan confirms that DOC aims to exterminate tahr from national parks and kill thousands more through the Southern Alps.

The Tahr Foundation says that is outrageous and confirms that the already suspect consultation process was a farce.

Foundation spokesperson Willie Duley says DOC’s tactics are cynical.

“This is a slap in the face for the outdoor community. We were already upset that DOC dumped the original plan on us without notice and limited the consultation to two days,” Mr Duley says.

“To then drop the final unchanged plan on us minutes before it was due to come into force is unacceptable and proves the so-called consultation was nothing more than a scam designed to exploit our goodwill.

“DOC’s actions are an abuse of good faith.”

Willie Duley warns that there will be a backlash over DOC’s actions.

“The whole hunting community is incredibly angry over what DOC is doing. We are supposed to be stakeholders and have already proved our willingness to work with DOC, yet that collaborative approach is being thrown back in our faces,” he says.

“This betrayal just confirms that DOC has been developing an extermination policy behind our backs. What’s worse is they have been misleading the public by deliberately using false tahr population numbers to try and justify what they are doing.”

The Tahr Foundation says it now even more determined to challenge DOC’s actions in court.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the outdoor community donating money to fund our fight. We owe it every donor to challenge this outrageous and underhanded decision in the courts,” Mr Duley says.

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