No DOC decision on tahr cull

A Tahr in the South Canterbury high country. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery.

The Department of Conservation says no decision has been made on details surrounding its controversial proposal to cull 17,500 Himalayan mountain tahr across the Southern Alps.

Despite a meeting earlier this week with the Tahr Liaison Group, Doc's lead operations director for tahr control Andy Roberts said an operational plan had not yet been finalised.

"The recent Tahr Liaison Group made good progress but Doc has not finalised any plan".

The Tahr Liaison Group consists of 13 organisations, including the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, New Zealand Tahr Foundation, New Zealand Game Animal Council, Federated Farmers and Forest & Bird.

The Game Animal Council claimed its "new tactical plan" to cull tahr was agreed at the meeting, but Forest & Bird disputed any overall agreement, as did Doc.

Mr Roberts said an operational control plan would be discussed with the Tahr Liaison Group before being adopted by Doc.

Tahr numbers are estimated at 35,000, or three times the permitted levels, and while no groups dispute tahr need culling, the hunting groups want it spread out over up to three years, and trophy animals should not be indiscriminately killed.

Mr Roberts said Doc would undertake further monitoring of the tahr population and vegetation condition "over the summer", while the effectiveness of the initial operation would be reviewed with the Liaison Group in early 2019.