For a brief historical overview of heli-hunting, go to
http://www.kiwiopinion.com/ Someone mentioned the diff betw legalised and wanting to legalise.
My understanding is that our regulatory bodies have granted certain helicopter operators the go-ahead to heli-hunt under their existing wild animal recovery operations (WARO) concessions. WARO is typically the shooting & recovery of venison for export to overseas markets - but due to the nature of using aircraft for the activity, DOC thought that was the best concession process to tack heli-hunting as an acitivity to cover their a$$e$. So for some operators, the activity is legitimate according to Dept Of Conservation.
For the majority of other helicopter operators and hunting outfitters, they are pushing to legalise heli-hunting, which
IF it's granted, will be sanctioned under a different concession (namely a heli-hunting concession). From then the temporary permits to heli-hunt which currently exist for a handful of WARO concessions holders will cease, and all applications will have to made under what is currently being developed as "specific heli-hunting concessions". If that makes sense?
Basically our regulatory bodies realised, "oh [bleep], some of these outfitters have been doing heli-hunting for years"... as it's been creating a huge public outcry (due to people making numerous complaints etc), and so now that the limelight is on the authorities to "FIX" it...
So they've decided to simply put a bandaid on it by making it legit for the biggest outfitters who rely heavily on the activity for $$business$$ in the interim, and are currrently working towards making the activity legitimate sometime in 2010 after various "public consultation" processes, which to date haven't got us very far at all.
SO instead of putting a halt entirely to the whole thing, they've said, "well, it's been happening (illegally) for years anyway, why not make it legit and turn this money making scheme into a legitimate (albeit unethical & unsafe) means of hunting. And then sell it as a sport / tourism related venture
Makes me sick
