IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 26/11/2014

Fish & Game wants more than lip service from agriculture industry

Fish & Game wants to know how the government will ensure the agriculture sector protects the environment after the Primary Industries Minister warned primary sector leaders that environmental sustainability is no longer a “nice to have.”

The Minister, Nathan Guy, told the Primary Sector Bootcamp Programme that environmental sustainability is a necessity for both the New Zealand public and global consumers.

Mr Guy warned the industry leaders that one of their biggest challenges is ensuring they maintain their social licence to operate and that people need to know that they are good stewards of the land and the sea.

He also told them they need to “sort out” the poor performers “dragging the sector’s name into the mud”.

Fish & Game Chief Executive Bryce Johnson welcomed the Minister’s acknowledgment that the industry needs to start doing something to preserve its social capital.

“New Zealanders and Fish and Game are not anti-farming” Mr Johnson said “but they are opposed to anyone who wants to take away their ability to enjoy clean water and a healthy environment”.

“I am pleased that the Minister warned farmers about arrogance and complacency. Water belongs to all New Zealanders and no one is entitled to remove their birth right and convert it into a property right that can be bought and sold”.

“Recent government-backed proposals to dam and divert public waterways for large scale irrigation schemes that will intensify agriculture and degrade water quality are just not on” said Mr Johnson.

He said Fish & Game is particularly interested to know how the government will ensure that the environment is protected so that all New Zealanders can enjoy it.

“It’s no good the industry just nodding at what the Minister says and then blithely continuing down its present path. We want to know what he is going to do to ensure compliance and restore degraded rivers, streams and lakes”.

“Attacking the Resource Management Act’s current environmental protections is definitely not the way to do it”.

Mr Johnson says he looks forward to meeting Mr Guy to discuss the Minister’s proposals in detail.

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