The Benefits That Hunting Provides For The New Zealand Environment
Believe it or not, if hunting were to decline throughout New Zealand and fewer people were taking up this fantastic sport and pastime, then the environment would suffer as a direct result. There are those who think that hunting is cruel but without these hunters out there controlling animal populations, we here in New Zealand would be experiencing a lot more problems than we currently are. If there was no hunting, it would lead to a considerable growth in the deer population for example and the environment would end up being damaged.
This is why it makes perfect sense to allow guided hunting in NZ because it plays a very important role when it comes to preserving the natural resources of New Zealand and it is also excellent for tourism as well. If you are still firm in your attitude that hunting shouldn’t be allowed then maybe the following benefits that hunting provides might help to change your mind.
- The control of animal populations – As was mentioned briefly before, if the deer population was not controlled in some way by hunting, then these animals will end up eating everything in sight and this will really damage the habitat for many other animals and birds who live in the area. It would lead to massive overpopulation and disease would be a result of that. We need to reduce the pressure on the land and on our water resources and so hunting helps to control that.
- It benefits all of the wildlife – Throughout New Zealand, we are constantly reading about certain species that are in danger of fading away because they are being hunted down by their natural predators. In order to be able to keep these animals alive and well in our country, hunting helps to keep predator numbers in check.
- It is completely natural – Hunting just didn’t begin 20 or 30 years ago in New Zealand and it has been around for many hundreds of years if not thousands. It actually helps in New Zealand’s conservation efforts and believe it or not, people who hunt have a huge respect for nature. Many are always active in their efforts to protect wildlife habitats and they are there to humanely kill an animal that is suffering from a disease and even starvation.
- It’s great for tourism – There are a lot of people out there that regard hunting as a hobby and a sport. If New Zealand can offer the opportunity to hunt these animals, then many issues can be addressed at once. The populations are controlled, wildlife benefits and many businesses associated with such things also benefit as well. It has a knock-on domino effect that adds value to tourism while also doing the environmentally right thing.
Hunting is a part of our heritage here in New Zealand and it is something that we should all take pride in, every single day. There are not many sports where the environment benefits and an enjoyable time is had by all but hunting provides these two things.