Shane Ardern MP
National Party Biosecurity Spokesperson

28 June 2007

Didymo in the 'too hard' basket

If you are looking for eradication or even control of Didymo, then don't look to the Biosecurity Minister for help, says National's Biosecurity spokesman, Shane Ardern.

"Today Jim Anderton admitted to the Primary Production Select Committee that they were no further ahead in the battle to fight Didymo.

"This comes despite having had several years to deal with the problem. Mr Anderton told the committee that he expected that Didymo was here to stay.

"This is bad news for our waterways, especially for the North Island which is becoming vulnerable.

"Didymo continues to spread rapidly in the South Island, with 26 rivers testing positive in the first six months of 2007.

"In fact the figures are so embarrassing that Biosecurity NZ have stopped releasing new finds in the hope that the issue will die away."

ENDS

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