In a bid to revamp wildlife management in New South Wales, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party has put forth a comprehensive proposal that could reshape hunting practices across the state. The plan includes the establishment of a new governing body dedicated to overseeing “conservation hunting
” activities.
The initiative aims to strike a balance between recognizing cultural hunting traditions among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities while promoting responsible pest control measures using modern technology. Under the proposed reforms, recreational shooters would be encouraged to utilize advanced tools like silencers and night vision equipment for more efficient pest species elimination.
According to Shooters Party leader Robert Borsak, the envisioned council comprising seven members would prioritize ethical public land access and introduce a Conservation Hunting Licence framework. This framework is designed to streamline policy development and enhance humane pest control efforts on both public and private lands.
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The bill supports a new licensing framework…to manage ethical public land access and encourages the use of advanced technology for humane and efficient pest control,
” explained Borsak, emphasizing the potential benefits of integrating modern tools into conservation hunting practices.
Moreover, the proposal advocates for offering bounties on key pest animals such as pigs, feral cats, and foxes as a cost-effective strategy to supplement government-funded pest management programs. By incentivizing hunters to target these invasive species, the initiative aims to curb their population growth and mitigate environmental damage caused by unchecked proliferation.
However, critics have raised concerns about the efficacy of conservation hunting in achieving tangible biodiversity outcomes. Some argue that recreational hunters may have conflicting interests with wildlife preservation goals, potentially perpetuating or exacerbating pest issues rather than resolving them.
Jack Gough from the Invasive Species Council cautioned against empowering hunters with undue influence over forest management decisions. He warned that granting public resources for promoting recreational hunting activities could inadvertently impede more scientifically proven methods of pest control like aerial shooting or baiting.
Opponents also point out historical challenges faced by similar governance models in wildlife management. The ill-fated Game Council of NSW serves as a cautionary tale of regulatory overreach and operational deficiencies that ultimately led to its dissolution following critical assessments of its performance.
Greens MP Sue Higginson criticized the newly proposed Hunting Authority as a dubious attempt by the government to curry favor with lobbying groups at the expense of evidence-based policymaking. She denounced what she deemed as “
science denialism” underlying claims that conservation hunting alone can effectively address biodiversity threats posed by invasive species proliferation.
As debates over wildlife management strategies unfold in NSW’s political arena, stakeholders are grappling with diverging perspectives on how best to balance conservation imperatives with recreational interests in sustainable ecosystem stewardship. The outcome of these deliberations will undoubtedly shape future environmental policies in the state.
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