Thread: Southland F & G meeting 9 October 2014

Just home now from tonights meeting. Was actually a pleasure to be able to sit around the table and have a meaningful input into our sport rather than joining in another meaningless forum debate (hint, hint, if you want to make a difference get off the keyboard and go stand at next year's election).

Anyway tonight we covered a range of things, these being:

- A record high number of game bird licence sales this year in our region.

- A hunter harvest of some 100,000 plus ducks in Southland for the season.

- Auckland/Waikato having the second highest harvest at 60,000. Surprisingly for me this was 50% higher than CSI (Is there really a shortage of ducks in A/W or is there just too many hunters?).

- An update on the great work our staff have been doing on the mallard research project.

- Discussion over the future funding of the mallard research programme and the need for regions to push for national based funding.

- Possibly reducing next years hunting season length and a desire to work with other South Island regions on consistency of regulations e.g. season length, bag limits, mag capacity.

- Our opposition to the second attempt of the Southland District Council to run part of their 'Around the Mountain Cycle trail' down a small section of the pristine wilderness area that is the upper Oreti River valley.

- 1080 and trout (and the fact no one down this way has found the 'biblical plague' of mice and rodents that was predicted by DOC).

- NZ Council update after their last meeting.

Do you only talk about ducks and trout?

jeez mike you sound just like your mate. what no reconsiderations of the 20g issue???

Originally Posted by Mike H

(hint, hint, if you want to make a difference get off the keyboard and go stand at next year's election).

What's involved in that? I reckon they could do with a dairy farmer on the board

Originally Posted by Rich007

What's involved in that? I reckon they could do with a dairy farmer on the board

Will post up something next year when they call for nominations. You do have to be a licence holder though so if your a owner occupier with an exemption for duck hunting and you don't fish you'll need to buy a licence before then.

Originally Posted by kotuku

jeez mike you sound just like your mate. what no reconsiderations of the 20g issue???

No kotuku. We lost that battle. Its water under the bridge now.

Good to see a positive report. It's important for everyone to remember that Fish and Game councilors are elected. Therefore all those who moan about what these guys do are actually the minority.

Again, good to see folk getting off their ass and getting to the meetings.

Originally Posted by Mike H

- An update on the great work our staff have been doing on the mallard research project.

- Discussion over the future funding of the mallard research programme

How does the mallard research project manifest itself...what does that actually imply or refer to.

What it refers to is that we (Southland) initiated the research through putting up $300,000 of our reserves. This was needed because someone had to get the ball rolling.

We're looking at the need for this project to continue and to do that it needs funding as no one has it in their forward operational plans as far as I know. The money will soon dry up unless other Councils get in behind this and push for national based funding.

I have spoken to a fly fishing guide down there Mike H,he is not a happy camper. So what was F&G view on 1080?

What was the guide unhappy about? The cycle trail or the 1080?

Regarding the 1080 I believe further research has determined that 1080 is now not a risk to people who eat trout from affected areas. At least thats according to Lou Sanson from DOC.

Both.

Originally Posted by Mike H

What was the guide unhappy about? The cycle trail or the 1080?

Regarding the 1080 I believe further research has determined that 1080 is now not a risk to people who eat trout from affected areas. At least thats according to Lou Sanson from DOC.

Lou Sanson is sprinkling Pixie Dust on the problem. Trout and eels are still above the maximum allowable limit. We are not worried about lethal doses they talk about but sub Lethal doses where parts per billion may harm the unborn child.

The World Health Organization states quite clearly that 1080 should nor ever enter a stream especially where drinking or washing water is taken from. There is of course very good reasons why these rules were put in place. The Americans and the Japanese who both developed 1080 as a weapon of war suffered some horrific casualities among there own civilians when they began to use it as an insecticide on their crops after the war.

Originally Posted by Mike H

What it refers to is that we (Southland) initiated the research through putting up $300,000 of our reserves. This was needed because someone had to get the ball rolling.

We're looking at the need for this project to continue and to do that it needs funding as no one has it in their forward operational plans as far as I know. The money will soon dry up unless other Councils get in behind this and push for national based funding.

Every year our licence fee is increased and is invariably 'justified' for the need for funds for 'research'...all I want to know is what research...clutch hatch percentages, duck to drake ratios...what is it that is being researched...and as we have been paying the increases for how long now, are there any results yet and if not why not... This "increase for research funds" is getting a little worn...

Furthermore, what models are 'we' basing the research on...US, UK, EC?? If a model is being used, do 'we' have a link to it so that we can at least appreciate what the findings of any such model can be.