Hon James Meager
Minister for Hunting and Fishing

Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has joined the thousands of New Zealanders taking part in the annual game bird hunting season opening.

He spent the morning at Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau / Sinclair Wetlands, a 315-hectare portion of the Lakes Waihola-Waipori wetland south of Dunedin, hosted by Fish & Game New Zealand.

"It was awesome being out there with fellow hunters as the sun rose on opening day," Mr Meager says.

"This isn't just recreation -- it's about sustainably harvesting food, teaching the next generation important skills, and maintaining connections to our heritage that stretch back for generations.”

The game bird season opener saw an estimated 60,000 people head to wetlands and waterways across the country, many travelling significant distances from urban centres.

“Fish & Game regions across the country do a great job managing the game-bird populations, looking after wetlands, waterways and wildlife habitats, and making sure this tradition stays sustainable for future generations,” Mr Meager says.

“My priority is to make it as simple as possible for Kiwis to go hunting and fishing in New Zealand. What I saw today was people from all walks of life coming together to do just that.

"Hunters understand the effort and responsibility involved in harvesting wild food, and there's real value in that knowledge. We back our hunters to be part of the conservation solution and will continue to ensure Fish & Game are a responsible, responsive and collaborative organisation providing value for licence-holders' money.”

Note:

• The game bird season opener is traditionally held on the first weekend of May each year.
• The game bird season for mallards runs for six to 12 weeks depending on the region and can be longer for other species.
• Fish & Game New Zealand issues approximately 38,000 game bird hunting licences annually, with an estimated 60,000 hunters participating when including landowner-occupiers.
• Licence fees support wetland conservation and habitat restoration projects throughout New Zealand.

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