Every day TRM have anglers calling in asking if this is true?  They struggle to believe it is real.  How can the authorities, who are appointed to protect the environment, allow this stupidity to continue.  The same bureaucratic mentality that allowed the Trout farm proposal in Turangi are now backing a carp farm at Taupo…  This is madness?  The last time one of our inmates appealed to Minister – Maggie Barry – she labelled him a conspiracy theorist.  Another suggests she has been led up the garden path by her Department of Conservation?

i.e. Latest correspondence from a journalist on this Carp Farming issue:

Sent: Tuesday, 9 February 2016 4:25 p.m.
To: Hon Maggie Barry
Subject: Potential environmental catastrophe – breeding of Silver Carp near Taupo

Dear Minister

I was horrified to read that approval has been given for the breeding of silver carp at Taupo when billions of dollars are being spent in the USA trying to rid this noxious and dangerous fish from rivers, lakes and streams.  In fact, according to an NZ Herald report (link below) the US Army Engineers is now involved in the project and President Obama has been asked for help.

Conversely, it is incredible that here in New Zealand we are spending millions on bio-security at airport and ports striving to keep noxious pests out of the country – while the Minister of Conservation, Department of Conservation and Fish & Game have given approval for the same noxious and dangerous Silver Carp to be bred here – a fish that will pose a significant injury risk to boat owners, water-skiers, jet skiers, kids on inner tubes being towed by boats etc – and also threaten New Zealand’s highly lucrative trout fishing tourism industry. (DoC estimates the Taupo trout fishery brings in at least $90 million annually to local economy alone).

You will note that the noxious Silver Carp was introduced to the USA from fish farms also – no doubt with the same “guarantees” to those being given by the farm operators here. Similar assurances were given by DoC many years ago that introduced catfish would never spread in the cold waters of Lake Taupo – but they have and are now present throughout the entire Waikato River system.

Please don’t believe me, but please simply spend a little time looking at the website links below – including reports from the BBC – about the potential disaster in the making that is about to be visited on New Zealand via the breeding and transportation of Silver Carp here.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11580712

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species/Asian-Carp.aspx

http://fox2now.com/2015/08/31/pleasant-hill-man-injured-by-flying-asian-carp/
http://stopcarp.org/the-problem/

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11569295

Anything that can be done to reverse this unwise decision and protect our “clean green” New Zealand image would be appreciated by all recreational water users, boat owners and anglers.

Regards

CT
Auckland.