Fiordland Wapiti Foundation technical advisor Cam Speedy from Turangi, (left), donates free-range Fiordland wapiti venison mince to representatives from Taupō Foodbank and Taupō Women's Refuge.
Fiordland Wapiti Foundation technical advisor Cam Speedy from Turangi, (left), donates free-range Fiordland wapiti venison mince to representatives from Taupō Foodbank and Taupō Women's Refuge.
A deer cull 1440km from Taupō has provided high-quality protein meat for local families in need.
Normally sent to Europe as a prime product, this year the venison from 1000 deer culled in Fiordland National Park is going to foodbanks around New Zealand.
Two weeks ago 140kg venison mincemeat wentto the Taupō foodbank and 100kg went to the Tūrangi foodbank. Last week each got 200kg of venison mince.
Fiordland Wapiti Foundation technical advisor Cam Speedy, who is based in Tūrangi, said each year deer are culled from the Fiordland National Park in a bid to manage their numbers in the conservation estate. Exporting the venison was a no-go for the next few years because of Covid-19 and, unable to face wasting the venison, Speedy said the decision was made to give the meat to New Zealanders in need.
"So far the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, working with Department of Conservation [DoC], has removed 600 deer and processed 18,000kg of free-range wild Fiordland venison into 1kg mince packets."
Wapiti deer in Fiordland National Park. Photo / Fiordland Wapiti Foundation
Mr Speedy siad the cull was still under way and more than 6000kg more mince was expected.
"It sure beats leaving them [the shot deer] on the hill to rot. Processing the deer into venison mincemeat and distributing to foodbanks adds value to New Zealand.
"Hunters don't like waste and we care about other people and families in need. There are the environmental benefits to the national park, it adds to the welfare of the deer herd for hunters, and it helps people," said Speedy.
Fiordland Wapiti Venison Mince one kg pack for donation to foodbanks around New Zealand. Photo / Fiordland Wapiti Foundation
The Sika Foundation paid the Invercargill-to-Taupō freight bill and Safari Club International (NZ), New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, Central North Island Sika Foundation, Tahr Foundation and NZ Hunter Magazine are helping with transportation and promotion costs.
Mr Speedy said the annual cull was a partnership between the wapiti foundation, DoC and the game council, who are also managing the venison donation to foodbanks scheme.
A charitable supply chain distributor will send the venison to foodbanks around the country.
Game council general manager Tim Gale said the meat will feed thousands of New Zealand families but also has other benefits.
"With the loss of venison export markets, this will assist with keeping meat processing staff employed and help local helicopter operators while providing protein to Kiwi families in need. Managing the impacts that deer have on Fiordland is a win-win for recreation and conservation," said Mr Gale.
Mr Speedy said wapiti has a mild flavour and said food writer Nadia Lim had prepared some recipes for anyone needing some inspiration for cooking.
Celebrity food writer Nadia Lim has prepared a venison recipe for the free-range Wapiti venison mince. Photo / Doug Sherring.
Megan George of Taupō Community Foodbank said the meat had gone to residents at the Taupo pensioner flats, families with large numbers of children, into food parcels and to partner agencies such as Te Whare Oranga Wairua, the Māori women's refuge, Toi Ohomai for students in need and to the Salvation Army for food parcels.
Food donated to Taupō Foodbank. Photo / Supplied
She said foodbank donations dropped over lockdown and the venison enabled the foodbank to save money processing donated beasts.
Megan said foodbank clients were also excited to receive the meat, which is usually a gourmet product.
"Protein-wise [the venison] is a high-quality meat and it's wonderful at this time. This is probably one of the largest donations we've ever had and we're over the moon."
DoC chief of governance Mervyn English said the department and game council were looking at working with the recreational and commercial hunting sectors in other parts of the country to expand the programme to other parts of New Zealand.
