Views sought on rabbits

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 19

Views sought on rabbits

A current review of weed and animal pest management legislation provides an opportunity to legalise the commercialisation of wild rabbits, says a discussion document prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture. The discussion paper suggests the issue of rabbit commercialisation should be addressed by

all parties involved in pest management.

The commercial use of wild rabbits is prohibited by the Agricultural Pests Destruction Act. Periodically suggestions had been made that commercialisation should be allowed because rabbits were a potential resource and commercial hunting

would help to control the rabbit population. Opponents of commercialisation were worried that hunters would reduce the effectiveness of mass poisoning operations, and that the sale of wild rabbit meat could lead to a ban on 1080 poison. The paper says commercial hunting could, with legislative provisions,

be limited to areas where 1080 was not used. “This already occurs for game animals under the Game Regulations 1975. It would be necessary to ensure that rabbits are not ‘poached’ from areas where poison is used.” The commercialisation of wild rabbit furs would not have the same problem, says the paper.