Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,

Under the Official Information Act, I request:

MPI's current legal position on whether a person who takes a wild deer, pig, goat, tahr, or chamois during recreational hunting may lawfully sell the meat to a consumer, and the specific legislative provisions that govern this.
Any assessment or analysis of the food safety risks specifically associated with field-dressed and butchered wild game meat, as distinct from the food safety risks of commercially processed meat.

Any analysis of the pest control co-benefits that could arise from enabling the commercial sale of recreationally hunted pest animal meat — specifically, whether enabling an economic return on wild deer and pigs would reduce the cost of pest control to the Crown and regional councils.

The annual cost to the Crown (DOC, regional councils, OSPRI) of pest animal control for deer, pigs, goats, tahr, chamois, wallaby, and possums, for each of the past 5 financial years.

The number of recreational catch service providers currently licensed under Part 5B of the Animal Products Act 1999, and the volume of wild game meat processed through these providers annually.

Any submissions, correspondence, or briefings received by MPI from the Game Animal Council regarding the commercialisation or sale of recreationally hunted wild game meat.

Any assessment of whether the current prohibition on private sale of recreationally hunted wild game meat is justified by actual food safety evidence, or whether it is a legacy regulatory position that has not been reassessed.

The Game Animal Council's December 2023 strategic paper advocated for improved wild deer meat recovery frameworks. DOC and regional councils spend millions annually controlling pest species. I am establishing whether MPI has assessed whether enabling a regulated pathway for local sale of pest animal meat — with appropriate food safety safeguards — could deliver pest control co-benefits while improving food access.
If this analysis does not exist, that is the finding I am documenting.
If any information is to be withheld, please specify the grounds under the OIA for each withheld item.
If this request requires substantial collation or research, please contact me to discuss narrowing the scope before refusing under section 18(f).

Yours faithfully,

Hayden