Media Statement
Wednesday, 16 November

Is trout farming on National’s agenda? Not on our watch - Dunne

UnitedFuture and freshwater anglers are astonished at speculation National is to put trout farming back on the agenda, says UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne.

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley revealed at the Aquaculture New Zealand Conference last week that National would attempt to remove ‘roadblocks to the development of new freshwater aquaculture enterprises' and 'ease restrictions on the use of freshwater for fish farming’.

“It seems as though National are considering riding roughshod over New Zealand's angling community and lucrative angling tourism industry,” said Mr Dunne.

”It was National who agreed to shelve trout farming back when Robert Muldoon was Prime Minister, it seems National is considering reneging on that promise.”

“UnitedFuture is totally opposed to trout farming or any commercialisation of trout and other freshwater species. Such practices must remain illegal in order to preserve our freshwater fisheries for recreation and tourism.”
“I can guarantee UnitedFuture will not allow National to pursue trout farming,” said Mr Dunne.

“National should know better than to pursue this issue,” says UnitedFuture candidate and professional fishing guide Alan Simmons.

“The highly debateable economic benefits from trout farming are far outweighed by the damage the industry would do to the highly lucrative sport fishery, which is worth tens of millions of dollars a year to New Zealand,” said Mr Simmons

“Diseases that stems from trout farms have the potential to irreversibly damage the wild trout population, while poaching and dilution of the wild gene pool present a real risk to the recreational and economic benefits derived from sport fishing.”

”It is imperative that fisherman New Zealand-wide party vote UnitedFuture so that we can keep National honest and once again consign trout farming to history,” said Mr Dunne.
ENDS

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