New Conservative believes that game animals must be treated as the valuable resource they are.

Game animals underpin a buoyant commercial sector which contributes greatly to our economy and supports hundreds of Kiwi jobs. Hunting is embedded in our national psyche, our culture, and our heritage. It attracts diverse people from across New Zealand who appreciate wild game as valuable and healthy protein for hunters, their families, and communities.

Hunting is a challenging pastime which should be encouraged for the lifestyle, fitness, mental well-being, environmental awareness, cultural connection, knowledge, character development, and shared experiences it provides, particularly for our young people.

It offers a way for people to get out and experience the most remote parts of our backcountry.

New Zealand is a sought-after destination for foreign hunters who come here from all over the world, contributing massively to our economy. They are some of the highest value visitors to the country.

As New Zealanders we are able to harvest large game for the table without the strict seasonal restrictions and bag limits that exist elsewhere. Hunting is accessible to all, with a range of species envied the world over. We’d like to keep it this way, but we want to improve the management of our game species to preserve this privilege for future generations.

Proper management of our game animals can improve environmental outcomes for native flora and fauna, improve herd quality and health, and still preserve opportunities for recreational hunters.

New Conservative seeks to foster collaboration between stakeholders who are integral in maintaining a healthy balance between game animal preservation and the protection of our native environment.

This management comes at a financial cost and the greatest share of the burden should sit with central government.

New Conservative supports:

• the Game Animal Council
• a game trophy export levy,* and
• further establishment of herds of special interest.

*We would see this levy set at a nominal rate to reflect the small proportion of trophies which come from public land. In that way no undue burden is put on commercial operators who source animals on private land and won’t benefit from this revenue. The rate should also not be significant enough to reduce our competitiveness on the global market.

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