Game and Forest defends defamed game

Media Release: 13th September 2002

Game and Forest defends defamed game

The Game and Forest Foundation has condemned a propaganda campaign Forest and Bird has launched on New Zealand’s popular game animals.

Game & Forest executive director Garry Ottmann reacting to material being circulated by the Royal Forest and Bird Society, said the information was “lies and propaganda.”

“Forest and Bird’s so-called ‘fact sheet’ about New Zealand tahr is a toxic mixture of misused facts, baseless opinions, and outright lies stitched together to masquerade as the truth,” said Garry Ottmann.

“Tahr are successfully managed under a statutory plan for years and recent research shows that tahr aren’t having a significant impact on our environment. Yet Forest & Bird ignore the facts and continue to hoodwink the NZ public about game animals.

“Forest and Bird’s propaganda just doesn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny. We asked Dr Ken Hughey, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Design at Lincoln University to evaluate their so-called ‘fact sheet’. He said:

If informed debate about this animal is to progress then it is important that the most up-to-date research findings are made available to the public and that balanced interpretation is provided. The fact sheet prepared by Forest and Bird appears to meet neither of these criteria.

“The truth is that Forest and Bird can’t attack tahr management with facts so they’ve resorted to attacking them with lies,” added Garry Ottmann.

Game & Forest is so concerned about misinformation about game animals that it will be preparing its own briefing papers for interested members of the public. A briefing paper on tahr is at the top of Game & Forest’s priorities.

Game & Forest is an independent non-profit foundation representing New Zealanders who value our game and forests. Game & Forest promotes sustainable management of game animals as a valuable economic, social, cultural and conservation resource.

ENDS

Contact: Garry Ottmann, Executive Director
025 2218337 or G.Ottmann@gameandforest.co.nz

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