New Book on Hunting Both Underwater and on Land

Book Review “Further Off the Beaten Track”, subtitle “Epic Hunting Adventures on Land and Sea” by Dave Shaw. Published by Bateman Books. Price $39.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman If there’s one fishing or hunting programme I especially like to watch … Continue reading

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Pause in Wapiti Legal Action a Win for Fiordland

Special report The Game Animal Council has welcomed an agreement between Forest and Bird and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation to pause legal proceedings over the management of wapiti deer in Fiordland National Park.   “Notification that the parties have asked … Continue reading

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Meddling With Nature Can Create Ecological Disasters

by Tony Orman Macquarie Island  halfway between Australia and Antarctica is a prime example of Man meddling with Nature and causing ecological disasters.  In 1985, Australian scientists set about a plan to eradicate wild cats that had been introduced in … Continue reading

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A Religious fervour – Hatred Amounting to “Anti-introduced Wild Animal Phobia”

Opinion by Tony Orman On April 22, Stuff newspapers ran an opinion column by Andrew Shepherd, a senior lecturer in theology and public issues at the University of Otago. In the article Andrew Shepherd told of a tramping trip to … Continue reading

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Angling-Conservation Group Sees Fast Track Bill as Undemocratic

Special Report A national angling conservation group opposes the government’s proposed legislation for fast track approvals for development projects. Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital … Continue reading

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Fishing Industry Under-reporting Dolphin Deaths

Opinion by Rebekah White, “The Weekender” Turns out that we’ve been making decisions based on bad data: the fishing industry has been underreporting deaths of ocean wildlife, and the numbers of dolphins and birds being killed are drastically higher than … Continue reading

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Last Chance

Today is your last opportunity to make a submission on the proposed Fast-Track Approvals Bill. It doesn’t matter what your views are, just make your submission and make your feelings known. You have until midnight 19th April to make a … Continue reading

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Forest and Bird Wants Fiordland’s Wapiti Herd Gone

Opinion by Tony Orman   Forest and Bird according to a recent article in the ”Southland Times” has applied for a judicial review of whether wapiti should be allowed in the Fiordland National Park. The Fiordland National Park has an … Continue reading

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Government’s Fast Track Bill Ignores Democracy Obligations

Special report A government proposal to fast track development projects would further hasten the erosion of democracy and leave public lands wide open for commercial exploitation  according to the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ (CORANZ).  In a written … Continue reading

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Book on Foraging an Intriguing Wealth of Information

Book Review: “Foraging New Zealand” by Peter Langland’s. Published by Penguin, price $50.00 Reviewed by Tony Orman “Foraging New Zealand” by Canterbury’s Peter Langlands is a meticulously researched guide to foraging, i.e. gathering leaves and flowers for eating. Author Peter … Continue reading

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ACT Backs Wapiti Herd and Opposes Forest and Bird’s Call

“Forest & Bird’s threatened legal action against Fiordland’s wapiti (elk) management programme would be a massive own goal for conservation,” says ACT Conservation spokesman Cameron Luxton. “For 13 years, DOC has had an arrangement with the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, in … Continue reading

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Forest and Bird’s Attack on Fiordland’s Wapiti Herd is Nonsense

Opinion by Tony Orman Introduction; In an article on “Newsroom”, Forest & Bird  has challenged the legality of the prized wapiti (elk) herd in the Fiordland National Park.When President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States made a gift of wapiti … Continue reading

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Government 1080 Drops Costly to the Economy and Ecology

Special report Aerial drops of 1080 poison are of high cost to both the economy and ecology says an environmental and outdoor recreation advocacy. The Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust described the frequency of 1080 drops that have recently been carried … Continue reading

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Shane Jones’ Snapper Farming Proposal “Full of Fish Hooks”

A proposal by Fisheries Minister Shane Jones for the farming of snapper has been described by an outdoor recreation organisation as “injudicious and a fallacy”.  Tony Orman, past chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations and the New Zealand … Continue reading

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DoC spent nearly $500,000 to kill one stoat in Fiordland

by Nick James for RNZ The Department of Conservation (DOC) spent nearly half a million dollars on an operation to kill one stoat. In August 2022 a male stoat was identified on Chalky Island/Te Kākahu-O-Tamatea, in Fiordland which has been predator-free since … Continue reading

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United States lifts ban on New Zealand fish exports

Press release   A temporary ban on some New Zealand fish exports to the United States has been lifted in a win for commonsense, says Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.. The United States’ … Continue reading

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Wise Decision-making or Blatant Commercial Bias?

Press release by Legasea Last Friday the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, made his first round of decisions for a range of fish stocks across New Zealand. While we hoped for a positive outcome, we have instead been … Continue reading

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Canterbury Alpine Skyline Peaks a Magnet to Climbers

Book Review “Alpine Panorama” by Andy Buchanan, published by Quentin Wilson Publishing, price $59.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman. On a clear winter’s day Canterbury’s snowcapped alpine skyline west of Christchurch is entrancing and with a magnetic appeal to Cantabrians and … Continue reading

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: The Government’s War on Nature goes Nuclear

Media Release – Environmental Defence Society 7 March 2024 The government’s assault on the environment has stepped up several gears, with the introduction of a new fast track consenting law to Parliament today. This replaces the existing fast-track law which … Continue reading

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Remedy for Troubled Youngsters – Get Them Outdoors

An opinion by Tony Orman New Zealand’s youth suicide rate is the second worst in the developed world at 14.9 deaths per 100,000 adolescents. This rate is more than twice the average among the 41 OECD countries surveyed (6.5 deaths … Continue reading

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