New Zealand’s ecology has been profoundly altered by human settlement, habitat loss and introduced species. This article argues that effective conservation must begin with protecting habitat, understanding ecological relationships and using evidence-based management. It also examines the growing role of hunters in practical conservation, including wildlife monitoring, population management, track maintenance, pest control and the sustainable use of wild animal resources.

According to OSPRI, the organisation responsible for controlling bovine Tb, 10 years of research have demonstrated “that 1080 can be used to control pests without harming native birds” (Media release, 1/8/23).

For decades now, DoC (NZ’s Department of Conservation) has been finding that nature is very fast to fill a void. DoC uses widely broadcast, broad-spectrum poisons in its battles with unwanted mammals (mice, rats, possums and stoats).

Kea have been in the news again, with TV1 viewers on Wednesday night (9/2/22) treated to the story that tradespeople are sought to help in kea habitat, replacing lead in rooves. This follows last October’s worrying Stuff News headline: “This Is How It Ends: As old as the Southern Alps, kea are on the edge of extinction” (Vance, 2021).

On April 2, like a belated April Fool’s joke, the Otago Daily Times reported that NZ’s Department of Conservation (DoC) intended to poison a large chunk of virgin rainforest in Fiordland this month.