Venison supply drops as live captures rise ?

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 18

Venison supply drops as live captures rise ?

Wellington reporter AU six big game-packing houses in New Zealand are experiencing drastic reductions in the quantity of wild venison they are receiving for processing. High prices for live wild deer. and diminishing numbers of wild deer, have encouraged hunters to try netting or shooting with tranquilliser darts. The monthly quantity of venison in some gamepacking houses is down substantially on the volume processed at the corresponding time last year. As deer farms become ntore established. New Zealand can expect that farmed deer will be available for slaughter and marketed as venison, according to the director of the Meat Division of the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr J. D. McNab). There were no premises in New Zealand licensed for the slaughter of farmed deer, but the Ministry

expected proposals soon ondlher modifications t<t existing premises or th< building of new premises,which would permit the yarding, inspection, and humane controlled slaughter required tot marketing farmed venisonand other related to those countries whichk demanded inspection beforqand after slaughter, he' said. During the transition? the Ministry would conv tinue to react strongly to the offence of shooting wild deer and having then*,, processed as wild gain** without proper tion. Delivering or processing animals that had died durap ing live capture was also? an offence. Tranquill isei' drugs in game were w’ health hazard. Both these could place the exportindustry in Jeopardy, an<r meat inspectors had been alerted and would take any necessary action agains| offenders, said Mr McNabe