Minister of Conservation to attend New Zealand’s largest Hunting event

Taupo, 28/09/2018 - The Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage MP, intends to spend Saturday morning at the Sika Show and Competition in Taupo. The Sika Show, now in its 25th year, is New Zealand’s largest event for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Thousands of hunters and their families look forward to the two-day event each year, and more than 6000 people are expected to visit this weekend.

The Minister of Conservation has been heavily criticised recently, particularly for a lack of engagement with stakeholders and the New Zealand hunting community. Although her intention to visit the show at such short notice has come as a surprise, event organiser Mark Bridgman-McMillan and his team are neutral when it comes to politics.

“We do not favour one MP over another, and representatives from several political parties will be present this weekend. Minister of Police Stuart Nash MP will be attending, as well as National MPs Chris Bishop and Todd McClay. The New Zealand Outdoors Party will be at the show, too,” says Sika Show spokesperson Martine Pierhagen.

“As an organisation, we strongly believe in protecting the sustainability of our New Zealand hunting resources and in constructive dialogue. This is especially important when issues arise, and a cohesive approach is more needed now than ever before,” she adds.

“Together, our voice is stronger. We encourage visitors to the show to join one of the organisations that support recreational hunting and the hunting community, whether it is Hunters & Habitats, their local NZDA branch, Safari Club International NZ Chapter, or the Sika or Tahr Foundations. These organisations can’t perform miracles, but they work hard behind the scenes to make our voice as hunters heard.”

Although the Minister’s presence at the event could potentially create a challenging environment, the organisers of the Sika Show believe and expect that people will remain respectful and civil while she is onsite. To anyone that would like to have their say their advice is to talk to, and join, one or more of the clubs mentioned above.

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About the Sika Show:

The annual Sika Show & Competition is the largest outdoor trade show of its kind in New Zealand. The two-day event has been running for 25 years in Taupo, New Zealand. The Sika Show attracts more than 6000 hunters and their families as well as others with an interest in recreation, wild animal management, and wild food flavours. They come to enjoy the competitions, taxidermy, and to discover the latest innovations in hunting and outdoor-related products and services.

While the show focuses on the Sika head competition and other categories of hunted animals, the organisation is keen to use the event as an opportunity to promote other messages to the thousands of people who visit the show each year. One of the many aims of the Sika Show is to educate people about responsible and ethical hunting practices, especially to young people new to the sport.

An important element of the Sika Show since the beginnings in 1993 has been the collection of jaws. The jaw collection data gathered by Hunters & Habitats and the Sika Show provides valuable information on the population, demography, and condition of Sika in New Zealand.

More on www.sikashow.co.nz

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