Dear Department of Conservation,

Under the Official Information Act, I request:

The annual cost to DOC of pest animal control for each of the following species, for each of the past 5 financial years: deer, pigs, goats, tahr, chamois, wallaby, and possums.

DOC's estimate of the number of pest animals (by species) removed by recreational hunters annually, and any assessment of the monetary value of this pest control contribution.
Any analysis by DOC of whether enabling the commercial sale of recreationally hunted pest animal meat would increase recreational hunting effort and thereby reduce pest animal populations.

Any analysis of whether the current prohibition on private sale of recreationally hunted wild game meat acts as a disincentive to recreational hunting effort.

Any correspondence, submissions, or briefings between DOC and MPI regarding the commercialisation or regulated sale of recreationally hunted wild game meat.

Any assessment by DOC of the TB risk from wild deer and wild pigs, by region — specifically, whether the TB-free status of Southland's wild deer population supports a differentiated regulatory approach to wild game meat sale.

Recreational hunters remove significant numbers of pest animals annually at no cost to the Crown. Enabling a regulated pathway for local sale of pest animal meat would increase the economic incentive for hunting, potentially reducing the Crown's direct pest control expenditure. I am establishing whether DOC has assessed this co-benefit.
If any information is to be withheld, please specify the grounds under the OIA for each withheld item.

Yours faithfully,

Hayden