My Thoughts …

The momentum of positive change is still moving in our direction with steps being taken to nominate the sika herd as a Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) – the driving force being a partnership between the Minister for Hunting and Fishing and the Sika Foundation, which is proving successful. A herd declared HOSI is an interesting case study in enhancing conservation goals through mutual respect and partnership with the main stakeholders. It also recognises the value and benefit of the game animal to all New Zealanders.

In parliament, Minister McKee’s regulation changes to the Firearms Act to redress the overshoot rushed through by the previous government are nearing completion at the time of writing, and there’s been a raft of other wins for sectors within our community of firearms owners/hunters.

With all the success of the last few years paying off, something’s been on my mind of late, and that’s the plight of the diminishing salmon runs in Canterbury and the wider South Island. For all the success and focus we’ve had in some areas, are we neglecting other aspects of outdoor recreation like the declining salmon fishery? I’m by no means an expert on the fishery or salmon as a game fish; however, I do have eyes and ears, and what I hear and see does not bode well for the future of the fishery. There are a lot of theories as to why our salmon are not returning to our shores to spawn; surely the correct action is to cease fishing for salmon until we know more about the issue? Especially if we’re charged each year with a fee, albeit small, for the privilege to fish for wild Chinook salmon even though the fishery is in such a terrible state. Do we not value our salmon as we do our game animals/birds?

Look to our next issue where Fish and Game will update us as to where things are at now and their plan to address/protect and improve our salmon fishery, which has been here well over a hundred years. While we have this momentum in other areas of outdoor recreation, let’s use it to look at our activities across the whole spectrum of our outdoors activities.