A leading freshwater ecologist, Mike Joy is a powerful advocate for the conservation of our waterways. In The Fight for
Freshwater: A Memoir he o ers a rare fi rst-hand look at the life of a scientist whose research led him to activism.
When Mike Joy’s niece and nephew fell ill after swimming in the Ōroua river in 1997, he started asking questions. A
master’s student in his 30s, he’d studied enough environmental science to know that what was happening in this Manawatū
waterway was against the law. This incident proved to be the catalyst for Joy’s subsequent academic career and activism.
Unfortunately, the state of the Ōroua River has improved little, and in this memoir, Joy vividly describes the
environmental damage he has witnessed in New Zealand’s rivers, lakes, and streams since that key moment. He also writes
about the political challenges he has faced while researching and advocating for waterways, highlighting the vital role
of academic as ‘critic and conscience’ of society, and the threats this role may be facing. This memoir is also a story
of personal discovery, determination and resilience. Prior to academia, Mike was by turns a truck driver, mechanic,
milkman, agent with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, and farm hand – in an industry he would later
critique in his work.
‘Looking back, I can see the progression in my thinking and research from local to global, from the ecology of native
New Zealand freshwater fi sh to the multiple threats to the life-supporting capacity of the planet.’
‘I’m now 64 years old, and although I like the idea of more sailing, gardening and time with friends, somehow I suspect
I’ll end up working on, if only to ensure that all this has not been a complete and utter waste of time. I will be
continuing the fi ght for freshwater.’
The Fight for Freshwater tells the story of an adventurous life, and is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of our
environment.Note:
Dr Mike Joy is the Morgan Foundation Senior Research Fellow in Freshwater Ecology at the School of Geography,
Environment and Earth Sciences at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. He has received several prestigious
awards, including the Ecology in Action award, the Old Blue award, the Charles Fleming Award for Environmental
Achievement, the inaugural Morgan Foundation River Voice Award, the inaugural Universities New Zealand Critic and
Conscience award, and the Callaghan Medal for his research and public communication on freshwater ecosystems.