Rec hunting a dangerous and ineffective feral species strategy

The Wilderness Society today labelled a strategy to introduce recreational deer hunting into national parks, including World Heritage-listed parks like the Walls of Jerusalem, a sham pest-management strategy that is more about pandering to a small single-interest sector in the wake of the abandonment of gun law reform than credible feral species eradication.

Implementing the policy would require a change to the weakened Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan and shock many visitors to Tasmania for whom the notion of recreational hunting in a dedicated conservation reserve would be an anathema.

“Deer are well established in Tasmania due to poor management and the fact they are a part-protected feral species with strict rules and regulations regarding their control,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.

Deer well-known to be an increasing problem in parks and reserves and something does need to be done about them, but introducing recreational hunting is a dangerous and ineffective strategy to manage an out-of-control feral species problem.

The need for lethal control of deer populations in parks and reserves is well understood and widely accepted, but only a considered, comprehensive and professionally-led strategy should be developed and implemented, with regular monitoring with regards to animal welfare and population control success.

Allowing recreational hunting in national parks is new for Tasmania and panders to a small set within the gun lobby.

The timing of this looks like a knee-jerk reaction to the recent abandonment of Premier Hodgman’s policy to weaken gun laws.

Aside a population survey, the Hodgman Government yesterday failed to detail a single new ‘professional control measure’ that will help manage the deer population and the massive environmental problems that come with them.

Until now, animal culling programs in national parks like Maria Island have been conducted by professionals and the entire park is closed to all visitors for a short, specific period.

Recreational hunting is not a credible or effective feral pest management strategy.

This policy is a land grab for recreational hunting that will do nothing to contribute to a genuine, strategic and successful strategy to managed feral deer across all land tenures.

Tasmania needs a holistic, professionally-led approach to deer control that is about real land management, not vote-generation.
Vica Bayley Tasmanian Campaign Manager The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.