11. Question No. 11—ConservationSARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of ConservationQuestion No. 11—ConservationSPEAKER: Question No. 11 Sarah Dowie and with a warning that I've been informed by the Minister's office that this answer might be longer than normal. 11. SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of Conservation: On what advice has she based her recent decision to cull Himalayan tahr from the Southern Alps area and what procedures has she used to implement this decision?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Thank you. In answer to the first question monitoring data from aerial counts was independently analysed for the Department of Conservation. It highlighted that tahr numbers had increased to an estimated population of more than 35600 animals on public conservation land alone. That is more than double what is allowed by the long-established Himalayan tahr control plan a statutory plan approved under the Wild Animal Control Act.In answer to the second question the department raised concerns with the tahr liaison group in 2015 about increasing tahr numbers and the damage they were doing to our distinctive indigenous alpine and subalpine vegetation. The department met with the tahr liaison group recently to discuss the proposed control operation. Further discussions are occurring with stakeholders and a further meeting of the tahr liaison group is planned. Sarah Dowie: Is she aware that recreational hunters have raised over more than $100000 in just four days to stop her wholesale cull because they have not been properly consulted? Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Yes I am aware of that but the member should go back to the statutory plan the Himalayan tahr control plan and in the foreword to that plan the former Minister of Conservation the Hon Denis Marshall notes that the objectives of the plan include—and I quote—To facilitate control by the Department of Conservation where thar are not being held at or below target levels." The plan sets a level of 10000 animals. Sarah Dowie: Will she halt the cull announced to start this weekend and acknowledge the value that recreational hunters play in tahr control or will she continue to run her ideological line of "She knows best."? SPEAKER: Order! No the member's going to rephrase the question. Sarah Dowie: Will she halt the cull announced to start this weekend and acknowledge the value that the recreational hunters play in tahr control? Hon EUGENIE SAGE: I acknowledge the value that recreational hunters play but they are not able to control sufficient tahr. The population is well over the level in the plan. The control operation needs to start to avoid the tahr population exploding further with another breeding increment. After the control operation there will still be thousands of tahr for Kiwi hunters to hunt. Hon Tracey Martin: Supplementary. SPEAKER: Tracey Martin. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Supplementary question. SPEAKER: Tracey Martin. Hon Tracey Martin: I'm sorry I—SPEAKER: I'd called Tracey Martin before the member called. Hon Tracey Martin: I stood up first sorry. Supplementary to the Minister: can she confirm that there have been no changes or amendments to the control plan in the last nine years? Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Mr Speaker I can confirm that the plan has existed since 1993 and there have been no changes under this Government or the former National Government.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can the Minister possibly advise the House and the questioner as to the level of consultation that occurred in 2015 when the National Party was in Government?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Mr Speaker the tahr liaison group was let go; it has been recently re-established. The former National Government did very little monitoring. The department is now—SPEAKER: Order!Hon EUGENIE SAGE: —consulting with stakeholders.SPEAKER: Order! I think that members know that we can't use supplementaries from the Government to attack the Opposition in that way."