With rising numbers of feral animals hammering farm pasture, fences and native bush, Federated Farmers is calling for a national pest strategy.
“Farmers are constantly reporting bigger mobs of feral deer, wild pigs eating lambs, and huge flocks of Canada geese and ducks fouling farmland and waterways,” Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Richard Dawkins says.
Federated Farmers has asked Parliament’s Primary Production Committee to set up a joint agency briefing to clarify the scale of New Zealand’s pest problem, what it means for climate change, and where the current governance framework is falling short.
“We need action that covers all pest species, all land tenures, and brings every stakeholder into one coordinated effort.”
Dawkins says the current fragmented approach, with responsibility divided by land tenure and function, is holding back progress.
“One example – the Department of Conservation (DOC) is tasked to manage pests on public conservation land, but its statutory responsibilities don’t extend to private land.
“This leads to pests moving freely across public estate boundaries and imposing massive costs on farmers.”
Regional councils, Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI), the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and OSPRI (targeting TB vectors – mainly possums), all have roles.
“Responsibility is split across these multiple agencies, with no central leadership or clear lines of accountability,” Dawkins says.
“The result is gaps, inefficiencies, and inconsistent coverage – and productive land pays the price.”
He says farmers are particularly angry that some forestry companies and investors – particularly carbon forestry speculators who blanket the land in pines and walk away – leave it to farmer neighbours to suffer the pest consequences.
“It is hugely damaging and only appears to be getting worse.”
There’s also uncertainty about which agency and Minister are responsible for pest pressures that primarily affect the productive sector, especially outside of conservation land.
Similar to DOC’s different priorities, forest owners often invest in pest control until trees are no longer vulnerable to browsing damage.
“The forests become habitat for pest species. These then travel across boundaries and wreak havoc.”
Last year’s inaugural Federated Farmers National Pest Survey of more than 700 farmers left no room for doubt on the scale of the problem.
One finding was that, at a conservative estimate, farmers are spending almost $74 million on pest control each year, and shouldering another $139 million a year in costs from damaged fencing, pasture consumed and loss of trees.
“Our survey was a great start, but it’s past time that agencies worked together to build a national pest inventory for an accurate picture of where we’re at,” Dawkins says.
“There’s no consolidated national dataset to confirm or quantify just how fast pest animal populations are rising, and what regions are worst affected.
“There’s truth in the saying ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’.
“While there’s no doubt that is important, we also need action. We need lead in the air, we need to eradicate these problem species.
“It’s not overly productive spending most of our resources on monitoring and planning. It’s also up to every landowner to play their part.”
Climate change and emissions factors are another reason Federated Farmers wants action.
“Our food producing sector is being asked to make big cuts in emissions, but what about the methane and nitrous oxide coming from pests like deer, goats and pigs?
“That’s surely having a serious impact on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas inventory, especially when you consider that feral animals are also smashing our native forests, regenerating scrub and grasslands.
“We need data on how pests are affecting the carbon dioxide sequestration ability of this vegetation.”
The potential for greater sequestration across DOC-managed native bush is considerable.
“Instead of replacing productive sheep and beef farms in monoculture carbon forestry, we should be looking at other opportunities.
“The eight million hectare DOC estate surely presents better opportunities for improving and measuring carbon capture.”
Wilding pines and other weeds also need to be part of cross-agency campaigns, Dawkins says.
“Federated Farmers has consistently warned that we’re losing the battle on wilding pines – an ecological crisis is unfolding on that front alone.
“We have presented cost-effective alternatives such as streamlining the grazing consent process, reintroducing crown pastoral leases, tactical burning and the use of new technology and techniques for wilding control.
“We need a pest animal and weed strategy, and cross-party support for long-term action.
“As time goes on, these issues only become larger and more expensive. The time for action is now.”
