The New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association (NZDA) is reporting on some alarming and alarmist rhetoric and plans coming out of the Department of Conservation (DOC). Using language that will be all too familiar to Australian deer people, New Zealand's Conservation Authority (NZCA) released an agenda item that proposed "ramping up" deer control based on the usual boogeyman claims about wild deer transmitting Foot and Mouth Disease, Lyme Disease and Bovine Tuberculosis.
Key points:
- The New Zealand Conservation Authority was caught out using alarmist rhetoric to advice the Department of Conservation (DOC) on "ramping up" deer control
- The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) took decisive action to bring DOC to the table for proper consultation
- A notable change of tone and cooling of rhetoric in recent days
The NZDA ran through the claims, comprehensively debunking them.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
NZDA pointed out that it is not currently in New Zealand. They also pointed out that MPI (another NZ Government Department) states that although FMD poses a threat, it would arrive from imported products. Backcountry game animals would be the last to be affected. The ADA regularly faces similar claims about FMD in Australia. In a series on 'management myths' a couple of years ago, we outlined several pertinent facts about the disease with regards to wild deer:
- Deer do present a 'potential' FMD risk. Most wildlife does.
- More than one hundred wildlife species worldwide have been infected with FMD, either naturally or experimentally, and all seven of the FMD serotypes have been found in wildlife.
- All serotypes are endemic to domestic wildlife except for the SAT types in African buffalo.
- Fallow deer are a known carrier of FMD for up to 77 days from infection – But carrier status does not equal source of infection, and carrier animals are shown to have five hundred times lower virus levels than clinically ill animals.
- Except for African Buffalo, carrier status wildlife has never been documented to have infected a susceptible animal.
- In the vast majority of situations, wildlife does not play a significant role in maintaining FMD infections.
- Scientific evidence indicates that outside of the sub-Saharan Africa situation, effective control of FMD in domestic livestock will result in the protection of livestock and wildlife.
- A paper published in 'The Veterinary Record' in October 2003 examined the verified infection of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo with FMD in a zoo in West Bengal in India. Two days after the appearance of clinical signs of infection, the animal was dead—a far more dramatic outcome than has ever been seen in deer.
Lyme Disease
NZDA explained that The Ministry of Health, another Government Department, has confirmed that there aren't any cases of people catching a disease from a tick bite in New Zealand. The primary diseases of concern in some other countries are not currently present in New Zealand.
Bovine tuberculosis (TB)
NZDA showed that possums and stoats, ferrets and pigs can contract TB through scavenging an infected carcass. Authorities do not consider wild deer as catalysts of spread. It's widely known deer are not the vector for TB.
Possums are the leading wildlife carriers of bovine TB in New Zealand, and contact with infected possums is the leading cause of herd infection. Wild deer and pigs can also get TB from possums, but they are 'dead-end' hosts — meaning they can't spread the disease themselves.
NZ farmers and authorities have been working to eradicate TB, and the plan is it will be gone from New Zealand within the next decade.
The NZDA campaigned hard, fast and publicly to correct the misinformation and elicited a swift and conciliatory response from DOC
Following up from the Department's statement, DOC has confirmed that they will correct and update the Conservation Authority Public Papers - we'll be on the look out and share this with you. This will be amended and the public record corrected.
The meeting being on the 9th and 10th that contains the agenda item of concern, will now be held in a public forum.
NZDA has intervened at the right time and moment, ensuring that any misinformation and unjust statements are highlighted from the pit rather than mid-race.
It's a big success that NZDA's balanced view on conservation and game animal management are being acknowledged within the Department of Conservation.
DOC has admitted its delivery of information was amiss. They've acknowledged that their poor choice of words and imagery was misleading.
We have brought attention to the biodiversity strategy where our game animals are listed as valued.
We have highlighted the importance and role of the Game Animal Council.
DOC currently has no intentions to irradicate our deer.
However, we will continue to press for consultation with NZDA, Treaty partners, whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori organisations, hunters, and other stakeholders.
The ADA commends the NZDA on their excellent work on behalf of wild deer and hunters on their side of the ditch.
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