The Foundation has been working flat out over the last few days to keep ahead of the Minister's plans. There has been a lot we can’t share publicly just yet but today we can finally give you a bit of an update!
Firstly, we have secured agreements from most of the ammunition suppliers that they will not supply DoC with the necessary ammunition ‘til they have heeded the alternative plan being proposed by the GAC. They are all wholeheartedly on board, and any company which broke ranks would be solely responsible for the destruction of the herd – and incur the wrath of thousands of very upset tahr hunters!
As reported by the Otago Daily Times, DoC have recently switched to using non-toxic shot only, as during the Zero Invasive Predators trial in the Perth catchment Kea were found to have highly elevated levels of lead, ingested as a result of DoCs decades of culling with lead buckshot. This means only non-toxic projectiles and buckshot ammunition may be used going forward.
Secondly, a meeting has now been sought by the Minister and is going to take place on Monday in Christchurch. The NZTF has been invited to this, and at this meeting the alternative plan proposed by the tireless team at the GAC will be considered. DoC have assured us that no culling will take place before this meeting.
Thirdly, a second letter has been served to DoC by our legal team, and progress on an injunction is dependent on the outcome of Monday's meeting.
A huge thank you must go out to the incredibly generous donors, we wouldn’t be in such a strong position without your generosity, if nothing else the huge amount of money raised has made politicians sit up and take notice.
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