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Conservationists are concerned the Department of Conservation is standing by as wild animals such as deer, wild pigs, tahr and goats wreck havoc on New Zealand's biodiversity.
Conservation group Forest and Bird says the number of wild animals on conservation land is out of control and overflowing onto farms, private land and Forest and Bird's own reserves.
The group says DOC's new wild animal management strategy, Te Ara Ki Mua, aimed at "improving monitoring, delivery, and evaluation of wild animal management" does nothing to address the issue and fails to do anything to cut down on carbon emissions.
Forest and Bird's own report found controlling feral browsing pests would increase the carbon sequestration of native ecosystems by 8.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year, around about 15% of New Zealand's net emissions.
Meanwhile the Game Animal Council says the strategy has got the balance right, and provides a balanced framework for conservation and hunting.
Susie Ferguson speaks with DOC's operations director Ben Reddiex, Chair of the Game Animal Council, Grant Dobson and Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki.
