Thankyou for so much encouraging feedback confirming the silting problems in the Tongariro River plus other issues around the Taupo fishery. There are too many to share them all, but this one from Garry Scrimgeour in particular deserves to be posted. His comments have also been sent to the Taupo MP and the Ombudsman to back up the submissions requesting an independent review.

He writes: This deliberate environmental degradation should not be tolerated. It is a clear example of profit over environmental health by maintaining exceedingly high water levels that compromise the ability of the river to transport sediments naturally. The inability to move sediments causes the build up of sediments that clough the river and reduces fish habitat. The current practice and that which has occurred for decades needs to be the subject of an independent review and legal action so that a habitat compensation program can reverse lost habitat. NZ is far behind how the rest of the word deals with rectifying loss of fish habitat. In North America any development, including hydro-schemes would demonstrate how their operations have avoided or mitigated loss of fish habitats. A habitat compensation program for many Lake Taupo tributaries is needed to offset habitat losses. Keep the pressure up Ross.

In TRM’s library I came across this same Garry Scrimgeour featuring above when the Troutfisher (www.troutfisher.co.nz) published a special edition after his reunion with the Taupo trout in 2015. As he was wearing the same gear I suspect the photo is of the 2015 version. Also in the article is a younger photo of him above with a 6 pound brown trout from the Western Bay of Lake Taupo in 1984.

Although Garry is a Kiwi who lives in Canada, we suggest the comments confirm his qualifications. Garry confesses in the magazine that he has survived TRM’s dogs since 2015, and his background experience as a freshwater biologist is reflected in the quality content of the articles.

So this has been posted separately to reinforce his comments, with his fishy qualifications added, and to trust the viewers and the Ombudsman, or whoever considers TRM’s submission, will appreciate the seriousness of the issues. And in case you merely perused it, we repeat:

The current practice and that which has occurred for decades needs to be the subject of an independent review and legal action so that a habitat compensation program can reverse lost habitat. NZ is far behind how the rest of the world deals with rectifying loss of fish habitat.