The Wire

A move by the New South Wales state government to open up more state forests to recreational hunters has raised some concern that hunting could become a more frequent phenomena in places normally associated with bush walking and camping. The National Parks Association of NSW has reacted with alarm to the state government’s move to place 46 more parks on a list designated for recreational hunting of feral animals such as pigs and deer. In 2002, legislation was passed to allow the problem of feral animals in state parks to be culled by recreational hunters. The Game Council was set up to oversee recreational hunting, but the parks association says it is too dominated by hunters. The Wire spoke with Andrew Cox, executive officer of the National Parks Association of NSW, to find out his concerns. In a statement The Game Council denied its members deliberately introduce feral animals for hunting into parks and stated state parks that hunters will wear bright orange clothing whilst hunting and their presence in forests will be notified by signage.