A Northern Tasmanian venison deer farmer fears for the survival of his niche industry if wild deer were allowed to be shot and its meat sold to the public as part of any new state deer management strategy.
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Several recommendations were released by an invasive species Senate Inquiry dealing with wild deer, and one of these called for state laws to support the commercial harvesting of wild deer.
While meat processor Lenah Game Meats welcomed the recommendation, saying that it could instantly create up to 40 jobs, help farmers eradicate the pest species from their lands and eliminate protein waste, the state government has not indicated that it would allow a wild deer meat industry.
Springfield Deer Farm Michal Frydrych said there were a number of issues with allowing wild deer to be shot and sold for human consumption.
He said his biggest fear was the risk of damage to the Tasmanian venison industry's reputation, and the decline in farmed venison's market value.
"Are we proposing that somebody, somewhere will shoot wild deer, drag it to the ute, slaughter it, skin it and then sell it? When you start skinning or processing it is not as easy as people might imagine," Mr Frydrych said.
"All we need is one tainted dinner from a wild deer and that whole reputation of squeaky clean and green venison is ruined for a long, long time, and it will take us down. People will not differentiate wild and farmed deer, they will say venison is venison and I will not be eating it."
He said his animals are provided clean water and the same clean fodder everyday, and processed at an on-farm abattoir.
"We process them at a certain age, we don't let them get old, and we cut the hay on our farm so we know exactly what we feed them...out in the bush you don't know what farm pasture the deer was on and what chemicals and sprays he ate."
In Victoria, wild shot deer started to be sold for human consumption in 2018 under the guidance of its food safety regulator.
Under these state laws recreational hunters cannot sell wild deer meat, only regulator approved "field harvesters" are able to do so, and must hold a certificate to prove their skills of shooting proficiency, and own a licensed game meat harvest vehicle.
They must have written approvals to access private land from landowners, and written approval from the government department to access Crown land.
