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Petition update

A letter from Kathy White Waikato Regional Councillor for Taupo

26 Feb 2016 — Just in case my letter to the editor about the carp farm never makes it into the Taupo Times, here it is here ….

“Some consents for the carp farm have been granted. Others are pending. It’s a highly controversial consent and yet there was no presentation about this proposal on any Waikato Regional Council agenda before the media announced DoC consent approval. Waikato Regional Councillors have requested information from DoC but it is too little, too late for something that needs a comprehensive risk assessment and public discussion.

I note that Richard Clark, the carp farm applicant, said in a statement last week: “Detailed research on the species has been undertaken by NIWA and MPI [Ministry for Primary Industries] that proves grass carp and silver carp cannot breed in the wild in New Zealand conditions. New Zealand rivers do not meet the temperature, flow rates and length required for reproduction.”

And yet on 4 Feb, after I sent a few emails, NIWA aquatic ecologists replied to me: “We too are concerned by the proposal. Based on an analysis of the potential for silver carp to breed in NZ waters carried out several years ago, there is a high chance that a large escapement of these fish into the Waikato River could result in their successful breeding in the river below Karapiro ….”

Two Waikato University scientists have told me they are particularly concerned about silver carp, and that grass and silver carp should be considered separately. Silver carp have ended up in US waterways via escapes from fish hatcheries and aquaculture facilities, so this venture should not go ahead without government and local government being absolutely sure that this ‘accidental release’ isn’t possible.

The cost of sorting this kind of problem is always borne by taxpayers and ratepayers, no matter what consent conditions say about the costs being borne by the farm.

I want to attract business to Taupo and to the Waikato, but only if the risks to our existing flora and fauna, to our waterways, and to our valuable tourism can be protected. No one has yet been able to reassure me of that.”

Kathy White
Waikato Regional Councillor for Taupo

STOP the development of The Silver and Grass Carp farm at Taupō!!!

A petition is circulating looking for more support… It reads:

We, the people, strongly object to the approval of The Silver and Grass Carp Farm proposed by Golden Harvest Holdings Ltd for the purpose of breeding Carp near Taupo. We have an interest in this application because we care about our pristine clean Great Lake, and are deeply concerned with the negative effects and consequences of Carp escaping or breaching systems and entering the waterways around Taupo.

We want to STOP THIS BEFORE IT STARTS in order to preserve our Great Lake and Environment for our future generations! We are also concerned with Golden Harvest Holdings LTD Director, Richard Clark saying that there is zero risk of the Carp entering the waterways around Taupō from a breach in the system, as we believe this is just laughable! Just as Catfish ended up in Lake Taupo and multiplied, so will the Carp.

We have found that in the past there have been all the assurances in the world and they’ve still escaped, “Technology can fail, people make mistakes, sometimes people do things deliberately. Birds can take and then drop small fish. Floods can cause ponds to overflow into rivers” it’s simply too much to risk.

We believe the ‘intensely invasive’ fish is a threat to New Zealand’s waterways and bio security. This concern comes after viewing the devastation of Silver Carp caused in the United States. Our Great Lake is what holds Taupo together, and this could be detrimental to the health of our Lake. Maggie Barry it all starts with you, we object to the proposed Grass & Silver Carp farm near Taupo, the risk is far too great, that no recovery cost could ever cover.

LETS STOP THIS BEFORE IT STARTS.

Letter to

Minister for Conservation Maggie Barry

General Manager – Golden Harvest Richard Clark

Taupo Mayor David Trewavas

STOP the development of The Silver and Grass Carp farm at Taupō!!!

Response to fishing world.co.nz article released today.

Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry has “given provisional approval” for silver and grass carp to be farmed at Taupo.

(This story has been amended and updated. It should be noted that no “final approval” has been given from the Minister of Conservation)

This has been met with significant opposition from members of the angling community, who sight the ‘intensely invasive’ fish as a threat to New Zealand’s waterways and bio security.

In response to this, a spokesman for Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry has today released a statement that offers some clarification over the decision.

“The Minister has given provisional approval for carp to be transported to the proposed farm, under her statutory responsibility: however, the approval deed still needs to be signed and details, including cost recovery for breach of approval conditions, are being worked out between DOC and Golden Harvest Aquaculture. In addition, the farm would require a fish farm licence, which would be considered by the Ministry for Primary Industries, and would then be required to go through the resource consent process. Decisions such as this are only made when they are based on the best quality, proven scientific advice available, and as Minister of Conservation, Ms Barry takes a particular interest in the importance of the ongoing health of the Lake Taupo/Waikato River fresh water angling and fishery.”

The proposed carp farm would be sited on Rakanui Road, in an industrial zone about 6km away from the Taupō township, and 2.5km away from the Waikato River. It will primarily raise Grass Carp (95% of annual production) with the remaining 5% of Silver Carp used to control algae.

The primary function of the farm is to supply Auckland restaurants, however there is a future plan to turn the farm into a tourist attraction. “In the near future, we hope to be able to offer a tourism experience at the farm,” says Golden Harvest Aquaculture general manager Richard Clarke.

In reply to negative public feedback over the the proposed farm Mr Clarke says, “We have looked at impacts on the NZ ecosystem, potential impacts and risks of the carp reproducing in NZ river systems, and provided all this research to MPI and DOC as part of our consenting and licencing process,”.

As mentioned in the statement from Hon Maggie Barry’s office, the carp farm has by no means been given ‘final approval’. This is an ongoing process that certainly requires public debate. Please go through and read some of the information linked below and continue to have your say in the comments section.

Please have your say in the comment section below

For more information on silver carp check out these links;

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=11584399

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7539888/Fish-farm-on-track-for-net-profit

http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/51HansQ_20160210_00000012/12-freshwater-management—release-of-silver-carp

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1602/S00142/developers-response-to-concerns-about-carp-farm-in-taupo.htm

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

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Petition update

A letter from Kathy White Waikato Regional Councillor for Taupo

STOP the development of The Silver and Grass Carp farm at Taupō!!!

Response to fishing world.co.nz article released today.

Sign this petition