Fish & Game Otago said in a statement, game bird shooters were being asked to be sensitive to an avian botulism outbreak in Waikouaiti as a nine-day game bird shooting season for paradise shelduck/putangitangi approaches in Otago Fish & Game Region on March 1-9.
More than 1500 birds — many of them paradise shelduck — have died from avian botulism at the Waikouaiti wastewater treatment plant.
However, Otago Fish & Game officer Bruce Quirey said the upcoming ‘summer season’ followed a record 34-year high trend count during annual monitoring of paradise shelducks at moult sites across the region.
In January, Fish & Game staff counted about 26,400 paradise shelducks on 95 wetlands, ponds and lakes in Otago. The trend count compared with 18,180 a year earlier.
The nine-day season aids farmers, protecting pastures and crops, by helping to disperse large flocks of post-moult paradise shelducks.
"This year’s summer parry season comes on the tail of an avian botulism outbreak at the Waikouaiti wastewater treatment plant, which had a significant impact on paradise shelduck at that moult site," Mr Quirey said.
While most of the dead birds collected were native paradise shelduck, other species included mallard, grey teal, black swan, little shag, red-billed gull, pied stilt and black-backed gull, he said.
Health authorities say the risk to human and pet health from avian botulism is believed to be very low. It is not related to avian flu.
"Fish & Game has been monitoring the surrounding area near the Waikouaiti wastewater treatment plant since avian botulism was detected almost four weeks ago," Mr Quirey said.
"Field staff have been collecting bird carcasses outside the wastewater treatment plant perimeter for disposal with the Dunedin City Council, the managers of the wastewater treatment plant where the botulism outbreak was first detected.
"While the outbreak has been largely contained, Fish & Game is continuing to keep watch and liaising with other agencies."
Mr Quirey said the nine-day paradise shelduck season was managed under regulations gazetted and approved by the government about 12 months prior.
The early season precedes the opening of the regular game bird season on May 3.
Shooters require a current 2024 game bird whole season licence or can buy a daily licence from the Fish & Game website.
"Summer-season" shooting of paradise shelduck generally takes place over decoys in paddocks. The season is open to licensed hunters of all ages.
Shooting is not permitted within 200m of open water during the season, which covers all areas in the Otago Fish & Game region. The daily bag limit is five. All other game bird species are protected.
"Shooting game birds on private land requires permission, but this often can be obtained as simply as a knock on a farmer’s door and a polite request," Mr Quirey said.
Otago Fish & Game has been conducting annual moult-site counts of paradise shelduck since 1990, showing the long-term population trend has been generally stable.
Paradise shelduck gather in large mobs on lakes, rivers and reservoirs to moult in late summer.
Traditionally they have tended to congregate at the same sites, but in recent years their moult sites have changed with an increase in irrigation dams and dairy conversions.
A 2025 moult count report will be tabled at the next Otago Fish & Game Council meeting. — APL
