Media release from Fish & Game NZ

Freshwater concerns ignored, says Fish & Game

Fish & Game NZ is pleased to see the production of a National Objectives Framework for Freshwater released today, but cautions that there are some matters of detail which depart from the Land and Water Forum (LWF) recommendations.

The National Objectives Framework is intended to provide suitable standards for life-supporting capacity and recreational use of our freshwaters nationally, to be implemented by regional councils.

“The framework follows LWF advice, but some of the details raise questions about the regime’s effectiveness,” says Fish & Game’s resource management coordinator Neil Deans.

“In particular, the current absence of any standards for key life indicators – such as for aquatic insects – is a concern which has been repeatedly raised. We would welcome their inclusion.

“Fish & Game is also concerned that ‘the exceptions regime’ provides a ‘get out of jail free’ card to regional councils – that is, it may provide for regional councils to decide that they don’t need to adhere to the national objectives.

“But perhaps of greatest concern is the absence of ‘key indicators’. We know that some water qualities don’t yet have suitable numerical standards, but regard tight narrative definition of such standards as essential to ensure that regional councils are required to clean up poor water quality, even if this takes a long time. We have to get started to reach improvement.

“Without this there is grave risk regional councils may still develop varying or inadequate standards and our water quality may continue to decline, especially in our lowlands.

“The key test of the effectiveness of this regime will be that water quality in lowland rivers improves and becomes suitable to sustain life, including fisheries and amenity which relies on that.”

ENDS

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