Fish & Game updates:

Murray & cowsBut they are not alone.  The continuing ‘dirty dairying’ issue described in the article below is not confined to just the South Island.
In this scenic wonderland, aka central plateau region, with world class trout rivers, where the world trout fishing championships were held recently, we have had the same issues with similar lack of policing by the regional councils and DOC…
The dairy farms and cows have been established in this region much longer and so many more rivers have been polluted by them despite anglers complaints for years.
IMG_6520Fortunately with greatly improved communications via facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. there is more publicity about it than ever before.  Anglers are pleased that even the definition of ‘clean water’ has become an election issue.
Next week we are looking forward to a visit by a West Island inmate on his regular crusade to fish the winter spawning runs on the Tongariro.
However SWMBO is nervous about his usual visit, as he also enjoys exploring other rivers beyond Turangi, such as over the hill to the Wanganui River, where we know he will find the same poo problem again spoiling any fishing opportunities with cows wandering down to the river to relieve themselves.
IMG_4746They are probably the same cows that he complained about three years ago.
So this is just to crank him up for his visit.  These fishing tourists are gold to NZ and the local economy, and deserve to be treated as such.
He has been regularly visiting the Tongariro for over twenty years, staying a couple of weeks each time, often two or three times a year, so he has a good knowledge of the regional quirks.
They cows are always very picky about where they poo – always just above where we planned to fish.  They even patiently wait until we arrive before they wade out.
That is why, if we are to change it,  TRM Daily Reports and Facebook have to get ‘shitty’ and ‘political’ to expose these unfortunate preventable situations and locations.
TRM could remain blind and say nothing like many others but at some stage, like after three continuous years of abuse followed by complaints from visiting tourist anglers, we are obliged to complain on behalf of such guests.
Lizzie & ChrisAbout a month ago, early May, I sneaked over there with Chris & Lizzie Miller and they were similarly amazed that ‘dirty dairying’ had been allowed to pollute this beautiful river for so long.
That time it was almost entertaining how the cows followed us to the river to pollute it.  Inevitably their lasting memory will not be the scenery or their guide (?) or the fishing, but the herd of cows…
No wonder we did get a nibble – apart from one small trout to Lizzie playing it above…  We had to use Tongariro trout for their photo on left.
All we – TRM – can do is continue to whine and publish it until someone is concerned enough or embarrassed enough – like their job relies on it – to do something about it, but I would not hold my breath.  Full marks to Fish & Game… again.

Fish & Game calls for Ecan to lift performance on protecting waterways

 

Fish & Game says it’s high time that Environment Canterbury (Ecan) met its obligations to the region’s ratepayers – after failing dismally to provide effective responses to many reports of cattle damaging waterways.

North Canterbury Fish and Game Council says that as managers of the freshwater sports fishery and habitat, it is recommending immediate steps that Ecan should take to meet its obligations to ratepayers.

“As a starting point we have prepared a report using Ecan’s own data sourced via an Official Information request,” says the Chairman Trevor Isitt.

The report titled An Analysis of Environment Canterbury’s Enforcement of Waterway Protection Rules provides evidence that supports the points we have made, and includes recommendations for action.

The North Canterbury Fish and Game Council will be discussing this report and its recommendations directly with Ecan commissioners at a meeting on Thursday May 12.

The report demonstrates that after investigating 382 complaints of stock in waterways, Ecan took enforcement action in only 15 cases, demonstrating a reluctance to set a high standard.

There are also numerous examples of incident response times taking weeks rather than days to address.

At a recent Hurunui Waiau Zone Committee meeting, ECan promoted its compliance efforts by stating that it got better results by talking to land users rather than being overly strict on enforcement.

Mr Isitt understands the merits of working with land users.  “However, in reality, ECan’s approach to controlling serious or repeated breaches of stock access and the resulting degradation of waterways has at best been casual and permissive and at worst negligent,” he adds.

“It is clear from these findings that ratepayer-funded Ecan has failed to adequately protect our streams, rivers and lakes from the negative effects of heavy stock damage,” Mr Isitt says.

“ECan now claim that stock damage in waterways is their top ‘compliance’ priority, yet we see an obvious lack of annual funding and staff to carry out this work in an expedient manner.

“This makes a mockery of the claimed successes under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, when you don’t enforce the fundamental rules in your regional plans”.

Fish and Game knows New Zealanders value their streams, rivers, lakes and sports fishery highly, he says.

“The compounding negative effect of intensive land use practice on our streams, rivers and lakes is undeniable, and was a key factor in our decision to close the winter sports fishery east of State Highway One in North Canterbury. ”

It is time to put ECan on notice that it must account for its failure to properly protect these waterways, and turn over a new leaf, he says.

Mr Isitt says he intends to have a frank and honest discussion with ECan’s appointed commissioners and will be seeking assurances that some positive changes will be made so that breaches of stock access rules are properly dealt with from here on.

A copy of the report can be viewed here: