Fiordland Wapiti Foundation/With Wild | Environmental Leadership and Innovation in Business

Fiordland Wapiti Foundation carry out one of the most successful deer management programmes in New Zealand, undertaken in the Wapiti area of Fiordland.
Historically 1,000 deer are harvested annually to benefit conservation and recreation. The programme was hit by Covid, which stopped all venison exports and a lot of tourism to Fiordland. At that time the Foundation’s deer management was financed by venison exports and its conservation projects were sponsored by tourism. To survive, the Foundation had to innovate to provide venison to the urban market in New Zealand. They found a like- minded partner in a new business called With Wild, who wanted to invest in sustainable wild game and conservation. The Foundation linked up with Burger Fuel, one of the largest burger chains in New Zealand.
During 2022/23 With Wild have taken 70 percent of the deer harvest, with around $300,000 coming back to Foundation’s conservation projects. This is funding deer control in Fiordland, as well as and stoat, rat and possum control, helping the preservation of native species. The Foundation has been able to invest extra money into its Nitz Valley predator control programme, doubling trap numbers. Whio (blue duck) numbers have been boosted significantly as a result.