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Blind fishing the Tongariro hot spots

By Ross Baker

Toni Marks

If you ever want lessons in night fishing, Toni Marks from Mt. Victoria in Wellington is the man.

He learnt all the night-time tricks from other old masters - firstly John Milner, who used to own “Anglers Paradise” in Turangi back in the good ol’ days.

The number of ten pound plus browns JM landed down the lower Tongariro in the middle of the night is legendary.

I can already hear you asking “Which Pool?” Dan’s Pool!

The first real pool up from the Delta. I can safely tell you as - on last report - the pool has gone now.

The huge browns are still there every night feeding on koura but you need to be able to handle the dark conditions like Toni... But I digress.

Toni’s other mentor is Jim Gosman.

Jim was the well-known cop at National Park for many years and became a fishing guide - particularly targeting the Wanganui (it didn’t have an “h” back then) and Whakapapa Rivers. Jim now lives in Turangi.

But what we want to explain is Toni’s special advantage. He has a distinctly almost unfair technique over all you other night anglers.

He does it all by “sound” and “feel”.

As you can imagine on a dark

night on the Tongariro there is no other way. Any headlight or torch will immediately spook the trout to ruin any chance of snaring a BIG brown. So Tony has tuned his other senses to perfection to rely more on ‘sound’ and ‘feel’.

One of the problems in the dark of night is to know where the other bank is or how far can one cast without snaring willows. Any over-cast results in the loss of all your gear in the willows, blackberry, what-ever. Again Tony has refined his skills to re-tie on a new rig by ‘feel’ alone.

He is an expert at tying his flies in the dark - woolly buggers - using his tongue to gauge the progress of the knot. Toni advises that the tongue becomes a magnifying device when tying flies in the dark.

Try practicing that with no light...

Tony started trout fishing career in his mid-forties when his favourite pool for swinging a wet line was the Swirl Pool (which is another that has now disappeared under the blade of a WRC - Waikato Regional Council - bulldozer when they excavated the canal from the Braids to the Reed Pool). The images clearly illustrate his latest favourite pool where the canal rejoins the main river at the top of Reeds Pool.

Another favourite is Major Jones not from the beach but by wading way down where few are prepared to venture almost joining the Island Pool. From there it is a long deep wade back up against the strong current but Tony manages it easily.

Toni is known as a particularly strong wader.

At the Hydro Pool it was not un-

common for him to cast and swing his fly across to mix it with the lines of nymphers that used to gather at the mouth of the Mangamawhitiwhiti Stream.

Toni’s skill for fishing at night was proven beyond doubt on a fishing trip many years ago up into the Whakapapa Gorge.

Night time arrived quickly while they were still trapped in the gorge and Toni confidently provided the lead to his guide through and out of the pitch black gorge, quite unconcerned using his unique skills that make him one of the Tongariro’s famous sons.

But that just added to the challenge for Tony.

Rob reports he is the most companionable fishing mate with such a great sense of humour and endless perseverance.

He never minds sharing a room and is the sort of mate who never minds if Bob wants to read late into the night.

There is a reason which you might have picked up from the photos. Have a careful squiz at Tony’s “wading pole”.

It is a special custom designed model with a curve at the end (fitted with a small sledge that has a memory true) so that he can feel the bottom contours. Tony is completely blind...

So next time you start feeling weary or want to complain about the conditions and how hard the fishing is, just think of Tony. He is the complete inspiration. If he can catch trout in such negative conditions, so can you.

Photos were taken by his fishing mate Rob Irwin (who is

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2

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Creating a cold smoke

Editor Graham Carter mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz 021 02600437 Graphics: Astro Creative Photography: Sandi Tuan Regular Writers: Graham Carter James Speedy Ben Hope Frank Henry Dick Featherstone Tony Orman Rhys Smith John McNab Fishing and Outdoors is published by Ashwood Grove Ltd. All editorial copy and photographs are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions or comments expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the contributors, editor, staff and management or directors of Ashwood Grove Ltd. ISSN 1179-5034 Unsolicitored editorial, letters, photographs will only be returned if you include a stamped, self addressed envelope. www.fishingoutdoors.org Copyright © 2011 Fishing Outdoors Newspaper, All Rights Reserved.

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Having a couple of days off ahead, I was planning on a sport of night fishing around the Rotorua Lakes.

Making an enquiry with my cousin Steve to determine his availability was probably the dumbest thing I could have done as he said to me – if you’ve got bugger all to do come and help me pick my avocados!

Being invited over to my cousins for a spot of avocados picking wasn’t on the agenda but having never done that before I knew my conscience would get the better of me so over to the Bay I went to get on site before they kicked off at 10 am, allowing time for the dew to dry.

Steve is a great hunter gatherer and I knew he would be looking after me tucker wise as he was always pulling something tasty out of the bag.

He is an avid smoker of our wild game animals and I could sense something yummy was on the cards when I saw a wee plume of smoke coming from one of his

two smokehouses.

He has a cold smoker and a hot smoker which he had built from plywood; both were large enough to hold a full leg of venison with ample room for a couple of dozen good sized fish.

Steve had fitted the UFO Cold Smoke Creator to the door of his cold smoker which enabled him to produce a cold smoke to flavour any amount of tasty foods.

The key to getting a good smoke is to have the food ready for the smoker beforehand.

Put some larger wood chips of your preferred flavour into the UFO cold smoker creator, and light the chips using the UFO jet lighter; add extra pellets once the chips have caught, and turn on the AC Pump for Cold Smoker and place the hose onto the stainless steel nozzle.

The range of Smoke chips is pretty good with pohutakawa, apple, oak, honey suckle, tawa, beech, rewa rewa and the old favourite manuka.

Once the food items for receiving a smoke flavour have been placed in the smoker shut the door firmly and leave shut.

With a large crew of pickers on deck to harvest his trees Steve was generous enough to cater for them with an array of smoked foods which disappeared quicker than you could say smoked trout.

Cold smoking might seem tricky or unsafe, but it’s easier than you probably think and well worth the effort.

Cold smoking is a means not of cooking but of preserving food using smoke. This means that there is no heat on the food items.

Food (more specifically meat) is usually cured before smoking, as the curing process draws out the moisture that bacteria need in order to grow, and this promotes the

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absorption of the wood smoke.

We are after this smoke flavour, but the penetration of the smoke into the food also creates a barrier to pests and bacteria. Very little hardening of the outside surface of the meat or casing occurs Cold smoking is a bit trickier than hot smoking, because it’s important that the smoking temperature is not less than 60 degrees celsius.

With a little care this is achievable, but it usually means that any heat source used to get the wood product to smolder must be kept separate from the smoking chamber. If you get this wrong, the food can start to cook and will lose its preserving qualities. Higher temperatures will also provide exactly the conditions in which bacteria thrive.

This is where the UFO cold smoker creator comes into its own as the device is fitted to the outside of the smoker and the heat is well away from the food.

It may seem self-evident, but different types of wood will give you different flavours. There are some woods to avoid, specifically softwoods such as pine or douglas fir, as their high resin and tar content will spoil the taste of your food.

A couple of smoke flavoured recipes well worth trying out for buffet style catering are: Smoked Cheese Place your cheese on the rack inside the UFO Smoke Box. Start up the UFO Cold Smoke Creator and smoke for 45-120 minutes. The longer you smoke, the stronger the smoke flavour will be through the cheese.

Serve with pickled onions and crackers.

Smoked Sausages 8-10 sausages for four people Lay your selected sausages of your choice on your smoking tray.

Place your tray of sausages into the smoker and leave to smoke for 45-120 minutes and then leave to stand. Remove your sausages and plate as required.

To serve cut the sausages into sections and serve with a bowl of to-

mato sauce, salsa mix or guacamole made with tomatoes, newly picked avocados, a drop of Worchester sauce and onions all chopped finely and mixed well. Have some freshly cooked potato fries on hand as well.

Smoked Venison Jerky 2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce 2/3 cup Soy 2 tbls Honey 2 teas Cracked Pepper 2 teas Onion Powder 1 teas Red Pepper Flakes 2 tbls Sea Salt ½ t DMD Instacure composed of 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt Venison strips cut ½ in thick or you can cure a whole quarter.

to prevent food poisoning. Botulism spores are found in every type of meat or vegetable. They are harmless and cause no problems. Lack of oxygen, low acidity, proper nutrients, moisture, and low temperatures are where the problem begins. As wild meats are consistently smoked in these temperature ranges, the meats are moist, and the smoke or heat Mix the ingredients togeth- eliminates the oxygen, creating er and soak the meat in the perfect conditions for food poimixture for several days. soning if you do not use cures.

Probably the least – understood Curing is the addition to meats of subject in the world today is the some combination of salt, sugar, nicuring of processed wild meats. Ref- trite and/or nitrate for the purposes erences to the use of nitrate as a of preservation, flavour and colour. cure can be traced back several Some publications distinguish the hundred years. When using nitrate use of salt alone as salting, cornto cure meat, it combines the pig- ing or salt curing and reserve the ment of the meat to form a pink word curing for the use of salt with colour and flavour the meat as well. nitrates/nitrites. The cure ingrediFor example: A leg of wild pork, ents can be rubbed on to the food better known as ham to most peo- surface, mixed into foods dry (dry ple. This leg when roasted is roast curing), or dissolved in water (brine, pork, or when hot smoked to inter- wet, or pickle curing). In the latter nal temperatures of 95 degree C. processes, the food is submerged in is known as pulled pork. However the brine until completely covered. this very same leg, when injected With large cuts of meat, brine may or pickled in brine, it becomes also be injected into the muscle. The “ham” after being boiled or slow term pickle in curing has been used cold smoked in a smokehouse. to mean any brine solution or a brine It is the nitrate that has the abil- cure solution that has sugar added. ity to impart special flavours. With- Consumers are recommendout it, there would be no hams or ed to do some research and bacons, only cooked or roasted check out recipes thoroughly. pork. Also, nitrates help prevent rancidity in the storage of meats from botulism. Botulism poisoning is the most deadly form of food poising known to man. Botulism can produce its deadly toxin even without a foul odour or other sign of contamination.

Therefore cures are critical in the manufacture of cold smoked meat

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Hauraki Gulf Forum is completely dysfunctional – rascism at its best I was a little surprised when reading the minutes of the Hauraki Gulf Forum meeting recently.

There seemed to be lots of people representing various councils at these meetings. The really scary thing is these people are actively setting about to make amendments to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000, without having the authority to do so.

To be clear when you amend an act, effectively you are changing the rules.

That brings up the question, who are you changing the rules for? The Treaty of Waitangi got a mention of course.

John Tregidga Chairman of the Forum moved the first motion to reduce the number of members on the Forum committee to 16.

This was suggested as 8 Maori representatives, five appointed by the Minister of Conservation and three from council bodies.

The proposed new structure is unconstitutional, to say the least.

To be properly democratic the split if it goes ahead should be 4 iwi, 4 recreational, four commercial, 4 councilors representing business.

The second motion was put up because the first motion was Ultra vires (meaning beyond the powers).

It was ultra vires because the Chair and the deputy chair were acting outside the brief of the legislation.

This means that they don’t understand the role, responsibility and functions that they already have because if they did they wouldn’t have put up the motions that they did.

The second motion was put up to the correct the first motion and the intent was to set up a small group of about 12; who

are not politically elected to represent the people to decide on a new makeup for the forum.

At least Councillors on the forum are required to go back, consult with their councils and then feed back into the next forum meeting.

In fact it was suggested in the minutes that particular attention is paid to treaty settlement processes.

That effectively hands governance of the Hauraki Gulf to Maori.

This will mean Maori and don’t forget that includes the catchments that mean that virtually all of the Thames Valley and Hauraki districts and to the skyline of Auckland city.

Effectively if Iwi hold the majority, they could ban all recreational fishing from within the Gulf.

This is a very real possibility and practically impossible to undo once bought into law through amendments to the HGMP Act. These people are effectively changing the number and face of the committee members to suit their own purpose. How did this back handed rat’s nest of unconstitutional corruption get to this stage?

At this level of democracy, if you could call it that, everything goes past the chairman of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, who is John Tregidga the Hauraki District Mayor.

That’s right an elected public official paid for with rate payer’s money.

We could not find on the Hauraki District Council website where stabbing one’s constituents in the back were part of their services provided.

Something else which is extremely serious is that the Forum is believed to be proposing to introduce a recreational fishing licence.

This is preposterous as fishing is

our birthright and this ridiculous idea has to be stepped on firmly.

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Mayor of the Hauraki District Council.

People need to find out about this and make a big noise as this is such a significant issue that will affect all ratepayers and users of the Hauraki Gulf.

Fortunately some responsible constituent councilors have delayed the issue until the new Council is sitting. So at least we have someone representing us that know what they are doing. Hopefully the new councils will see through this facade and deal with it accordingly.

Bill Cashmore said: “at the last HGF meeting the staff proposed governance model was left to lie on the table due to the substantial opposition from Auckland Councillors who are on HGF. There is little support for a co governance model. Should the Crown wish to peruse such a model it should amend the Act that set up the HGF.” “I understand that the HGF at its next meeting will recommend that this issue continue to lie on the table subject to the outcomes of the Sea Change work programme.

There is a strong political position around no taxation without representation and as Auckland rate payers are the largest funder of the HGF they should logically have

Another issue is that none of these minutes which are public minutes with the completed motions ever get back to the people affected by them What they have got is a spin-doctors version of it all to make it look good and palatable and reasonable that the Council has not even attached recommendations to as it appears that they don’t think they have realized that they have to get a mandate from the Council to feed back to the Regional Council for their next meetings.

The Forum Deputy Chair Ngamane is representing the rest of iwi and of course they want co-governance, but it’s not just co-governance for the water part of the Gulf, because the Gulf includes the Gulf and all of its catchments including everything you can see up the skyline and all the way down to nearly Morrinsville. This means they’re talking about the whole of the Thames Coromandel and Hauraki districts and catchments into co-governance.

So out of a proposal of 16, you get 8 Iwi, 5 DoC, and 3 TLAs. by Graham Carter Now who in their right mind would accept this, its Ultra vires and completely illegal as the chair and deputy chair are proposing to put in place a complete change of governance restructure which is ultra vires.

Why do we want people representing us that don’t understand their roles and responsibilities, and are acting illegally?

The Hauraki Gulf Forum is completely dysfunctional.

John Tregidga should resign, from both the Forum committee and as

a proportional representation.”

“The Sites of Value UP discussion ended up with the IHP position being upheld. There will be a collaborative work stream next term around what is high value and what does protection look like.

That discussion will have to include property owners in my view.”

Unfortunately I was overseas when the last meeting of the Forum occurred but Paul Walden, Chair of the Waiheke Local Board, who stood in for me did a superb job of asking some of the questions you raise below. In doing so he has successfully caused the Chair to take stock of the scope of the governance review recommendations that gave rise to some of your concerns. Paul and I share those concerns which question the powers of the Forum to alter its membership make up, and its powers and functions which are clearly spelled out in the HG Marine Park Act.

Councillor Mr John Meeuwsen states: “There will be a further opportunity to provide views on the review to the Forum membership at its September meeting and I will take the points you (FAO) raise into account when we consider

the Waiheke Local Board view I will take to that meeting. Notwithstanding that, the Chair has confirmed that no substantive decisions are intended to be made until a new term of office of the Forum’s Council appointed members in Oct/Nov. As things stand, the Powers of the Forum, are so circumscribed and its membership so prescribed in the legislation that I would not get too excited about recommendations for change that can have no effect without changes in that legislation. Fundamentally the Forum can only recommend and report - and the review should have focused on whether that is sufficient, given the declining ‘state of the gulf’ reported by the Forum since the Act was passed, or whether it should have more than just an advocacy role.

Mike Lee said: “I completely agree.

When I objected to this I was roundly abused by Mr Majurey as a ´racist’. This is completely unacceptable.

One of the few people that understand this issue is Sandra Goudie, Councillor Thames Coromandel District Council.

You can read the minutes at: http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2016/06/ HGF_20160620_MIN_6390.htm

Book your spring fishing trip

Happy fishers on the Joint Venture

With warmer waters and big fish still being caught around the mussel farms people are projecting good fishing continuing right through to Christmas.

Word of mouth works best so we asked around and were told that Coromandel Fishing Charters offered the best value for money and they are the most popular fishing charter operating out of Coromandel.

“A snapper fishing trip on Coromandel Fishing Charters is your best choice for hassle-free safe and comfortable fishing adventures.”

Both the charter boats, Joint Venture skippered by Jordan, ‘Hombre’ and ‘Rubin Jack’ skippered by Lawrence are 15 metre Precision Westcoaster’ hulls and have 650hp Detroit diesel motors.

They run ‘four hour’ charters through the summer months as they have found that after that the fishers want to go home and sort out the fish already caught. This involves an early morning excursion, one around lunchtime and an evening fish.

Who were we to argue? A quick phone call to the 0800 number, had our party booked.

Experienced skippers ‘Lawrence and Jordan’ together with crew know all the great fishing spots in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf, focusing on the Coromandel side and the mussel farms.

The Coromandel provides fantastic scenery and we were able to watch dolphins playing around as we sped down to the fishing area.

Fishing at any level is a load of fun and that’s what we were on board for. We only wanted a good feed, so the focus was on fun rather than the option of filling the bin.

They cater for experienced or novice angler wanting the joy of catching a good feed of fish to take home, targeting mainly Snapper, but our anglers frequently catch many different species such as Trevally, John Dory, Kahawai, and Kingfish.

Looking for the best fishing trip

Coromandel has to offer? Get on the phone and give Tom a call.

Both charter boats have similar facilities, like a clean modern sit down toilet, covered fishing area, along with a BBQ for breakfasts, lunches or dinner meals, hot water for coffee or tea facilities with plenty of room for fishing rods, ice bins etc.

Coromandel Fishing Charters is a family business with many years involvement in the maritime industry and have operated thousands of successful day trips from Hannafins Wharf, Coromandel.

Snapper is one of New Zealand’s most popular species for recreational fishing and the Coromandel is the town of choice for so many anglers that all too often the motels, holiday parks and camping grounds are booked out.

Snapper belong to the sea bream family and the average fish around the mussel farms and Coromandel area measures between 30 - 60cm in length.

The term ‘bottom fishing’ is the main method of catching fish from Charter Boats and was derived from species such as snapper as they remain just above the seabed.

They are strong swimmers and hence provide a rather challenging fish to catch and as such are easily the nations most popular and sort after recreational table fish.

Catching snapper on charter boats is relatively easy with anglers mostly using dropper rigs or stray lining.

Shellfish are the obvious bait choice, or packaged frozen bait, such as trevally, squid, or pilchards work well.

These baits are available through the local Salty Towers Bait Shop who also provide tackle, salt ice and the popular berley bombs which are made with various mixes of mussels mixed with fish oils and kina.

Hook size, hook type, line strength, sinker weight, are paramount when fishing on a charter boat, as many tangles occur when a fisher uses lighter sinkers than his neighbours and the currents twist the lines together on the bottom, lighter sinkers also allow fish to swim around more also causing tangles.

The TCDC will be banning parking at Hannifin’s wharf in a short time.

Vehicle drivers will be able to drop off there fishing passengers and all equipment including chilly bins, rods etc, at the wharf then drive their vehicles to a parking facility at the Mussel Kitchen restaurant, where they will then be transported to the wharf and vice versa on the return.

Coromandel Fishing Charters work in unison with Salty Towers Bait and Tackle shop who offer a fish filleting service along with bait, berley and tackle supplies and they have fresh mussels available to take home as well.

Coromandel Fishing Charters offer more than a fishing experience as there is a lot more to the Hauraki Gulf than people imagine.

To Book your Charter or function call Tom or Lorraine on 0800 267624 or 027 8668001 or the office at 07 8668928.

Email: corofishing@gmail.com

Joint Venture out of the water ready for winter maintenance

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Govt picking on freedom campers Local governments the ThamesCoromandel and QueenstownLakes district councils have joined forces with Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) the operators of the Maui, Britz and Mighty rental campervan brands to start picking on campervan rental hirers who break freedom camping laws.

While most of us are disgusted at the actions of some of these filthy beggars there are two sides to the argument.

We frequently take our boat up to the Waikawau Boat Ramp on the Thames Coast and the facilities there and at Thornton Bay are most often extremely disgusting especially at peak times so it’s no wonder freedom campers don’t use it.

Have the local government con-

sidered some focus on the amenities as almost all freedom camping locations especially those that have DoC affiliation or just Council toilets, are extremely poorly maintained, kitchens, rubbish bins, showers and toilets are very poorly kept and maintained. To the extent that toilet paper is wet, the toilets stink, and rubbish bins are If Councils and DoC cleaned up their own act then maybe freedom campers would follow suit and use the facilities then they certainly wouldn’t have any excuses.

While local councils acknowledge the good behaviour of many, the poor behaviour of some freedom campers casts stigma over the whole practice and needs to be addressed. Irresponsible use

of public places, camping where prohibited, littering, incorrect disposal of human waste, and a poor level of knowledge by the campers are just some of the issues troubling local councils.

Incentivizing the right behaviour is proving to be a challenge, as is collection of unpaid infringement fines as the councils are going about it the wrong way.

Local Government Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga has announced the Government is considering ways to improve the management of freedom camping. A review will consider widening the infringement powers available to councils, and will also look at the different approaches councils are taking to freedom camping.

Govt using uncertain science The government is using uncertain science to distract the public from unsustainable bycatch in New Zealand’s fisheries, says an environmental advocacy group dedicated to Māui and Hector’s dolphins.

Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders NZ Inc, is questioning the Government’s motives and its methods, after the release last week of new abundance estimates for Hector’s dolphins that show “an unrealistic increase in the population”.

“After a week where the media spotlight has been on the thousands of seabirds, marine mammals and other species killed as fisheries bycatch, it’s no coincidence that the Government has pulled out these questionable estimates that claim ‘it’s all good news for Hector’s dolphins’, says Māui & Hector’s Dolphin Defenders Chair Christine Rose. “This is a blatant attempt to distract from the widespread environmental carnage occurring every year, in New Zealand’s waters”.

“There are unresolved problems with the McKenzie and Clement report” says Mrs Rose. “The survey completely missed dolphins present in some areas, and probably counted

dolphins elsewhere, at least twice”.

Dolphin Consultant Gemma McGrath explains, “Just three dolphins were sighted in Golden Bay over winter. And from this one group, there is supposed to be over 200 dolphins in Golden Bay alone, which locals know is absolutely ridiculous”. “The survey effort was great at reinforcing offshore distribution and how most of their range continues to be unprotected. However for areas of low density the approach is completely unreliable. It’s dangerous to overestimate such critically endangered subpopulations.”

Three different groups of peer reviewers, including the IWC have all found the same problems. The IWC is expecting the NZ government to conduct a workshop to resolve the uncertainties with the methodology. “Without some of the computational extrapolation of figures in the report, it seems Hector’s dolphin numbers are lower, and the population faces more risk, not less” says Ms McGrath.

A report released by Dragonfly Data Science last week revealed 2,230 seabirds, 390 fur seals, 80 other dolphins and at least 10 sea

lions were killed in fishing nets in the 2013-2014 commercial fishing year. The Government has also been under ongoing pressure in light of under-reporting of bycatch including Māui and Hector’s dolphins, dumping of non-target species and serious lack of observers on fishing vessels in dolphin habitat.

“Until those uncertainties are resolved, we should continue to focus on the state of our oceans, and the real and present danger from set and trawl nets to Māui and Hector’s dolphins, seabirds and other marine mammals”.

“This politically expedient use of uncertain science should not blind us to the reality that fishing impacts are unsustainable for many marine species, and Māui and Hector’s dolphins in particular”.

“The Government should face up to its responsibilities to address by-catch and install 100% observer coverage in Māui dolphin range, as promised in 2012, and ramp up observer coverage elsewhere.

They also should make resolving the problems with these latest dolphin estimates a priority”

Survey shows higher numbers of Hector’s Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have welcomed a new survey showing the number of Hector’s dolphin is higher than previously estimated.

“A three year survey commissioned by the Minister for Primary Industries indicates the population of Hector’s dolphin is about 15,000 – this is up from previous estimates of around 7,000,” says Mr Guy. “The survey has been independently peer-reviewed and endorsed by scientists at the International Whaling Commission.

This gives us an assurance the numbers are scientifically robust.

“The results of the survey will be one consideration in the ongoing risk assessment for the species, and will factor into the Hector’s and Maui’s dolphin Threat Management Plan which is due for full review in 2018,” says Mr Guy.

The aerial surveys had two observers on each side of the aircraft independently searching for Hector’s dolphins. The surveys involved 675 hours of flying and covered a total of 26,000 km.

The Hector’s and Māui dolphin Threat Management Plan (TMP) has been in place since 2008, and is a non-statutory document that identifies human-induced threats to the populations and outlines strategies to mitigate those threats.

“The Hector’s dolphin, along with its North Island subspecies, the Māui dolphin, is one of the world’s smallest dolphins and while this new population estimate is encouraging, the Government remains committed to ensuring we have adequate protections in place for both species,” Ms Barry says.

“Since 2008, the Government has extended the range of protections for the Māui dolphin. In

2013, set net restrictions were extended by 350 square kilometres.

“There haven’t been any confirmed Government observer sightings of Māui or Hector’s dolphins outside the protected area off the west coast of the North Island despite mandatory observer coverage on all set net vessels operating around Taranaki and a continued increase in observer coverage in the trawl fishery.

“A rigorous survey of the Māui dolphin population carried out by DOC, MPI and researchers from Auckland and Oregon State Universities over the past two years has now been completed and a revised population estimate based on this work will be published around October.

“If new information on threats to either species emerge, the Government could bring the TMP review forward if needed,” says Ms Barry.

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kiwi preys on invertebrates and the 178 species of native worms.

In applying 1080 to forests and wilderness. how will government avoid killing falcons, keas, wekas or moreporks seizing poisoned distressed dying birds or kiwis eating dying, writhing worms?

How will rats in cities, towns and farmed countryside be exterminated?

In announcing the “Impossible Dream”, Prime Minister Key and Conservation Minister Barry threw figures around with reckless gaiety 25 million native birds killed by pests a year and a $3.3 billion cost each year, to the nation due to “pests”.

Where did the 25 million bird figure come from? $3.3 billion? How were they calculated?

Probably plucked from the air to suit policy and perhaps calculated by pencil on “the back of a cigarette packet.” That phrase “on the back of a cigarette packet calculation” was how a senior scientist of Landcare Research agency termed DoC’s 70 million possum population figure which the department used for some 20 years to justify departmental aerial blitzing of public lands with 1080.

There never were 70 million possums.

It was “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

Landcare scientist Graham Nugent said, even using the absurdly high 70 million figure, possums would consume just 15% (one-seventh) of the daily foliage production of forests. Seeming oblivious to this, Conservation Minister Barry declared possums were defoliating forests.

She also incorrectly said possums were fast breeders. Possums generally have just one ‘joey’ a year.

The other pest targeted (i.e.rats), have been in New Zealand for “just 200 years,” Maggie Barry declared.

Again she was wrong. Rats came some 800 years ago with Maori migrants introducing the kiore rat.

Predators are simply part of the food chain. As one African conservation organisation said “Predators are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. Predators cull vulnerable prey, such as the old, injured, sick, or very young, leaving more food for the survival and prosperity of healthy prey animals. Predators will catch healthy prey when they can, but catching sick or injured animals helps in natural selection and the establishment of healthier prey populations as the fittest animals are left to survive and reproduce.”

Birds, mice or lizards dying slowly from 1080 are easy prey.

Rats as predators, were absorbed into the New Zealand ecosystem just as happens anywhere in the world. During my decades of exploring, fishing and hunting in wilderness New Zealand, native birds from 1950-90 were abundant - but now have largely gone.

The only birds one might hear now in 1080 blitzed areas are nectar feeding tuis and bellbirds.

The disappearance of most bird species, began about 1990 when the newly formed Department of Conservation in existence for three years, embarked on an accelerated, obsessive aerial 1080 campaign.

After 1080 drops, I observed robins, falcons, kea and other birds were suddenly gone. I fished a wilderness trout stream following a 1080 drop

and it was like a morgue - deathly and eerily silent. Places I frequent with camera or occasionally rifle, after 1080, are deathly quiet. One favourite valley used to have falcons, tomtits, fantails and robins in abundance. They’ve gone and it takes years for them to recolonise from adjacent non-1080 areas.

The after effects of 1080 on fast breeding species like rats is catastrophic. As Landcare Research has shown, within three years of a 1080 drop, surviving rats explode back towards four times their original population size. All 1080 has achieved is to stimulate, within a few short years, a super-plague of rats with 1080 applied again and again to directly poison birds, insects, deer and other life.

The victims will not be the rats in the long-term, but the native birds swamped by successive 1080 drops and stimulated plagues of rats. Meanwhile the New Zealand people finance the insane, unrealistic, impossible dream of predator-free New Zealand - and having their public land poisoned.

Footnote:Tony Orman is a Marlborough-based conservationist, outdoorsman and farming journalist.

South Island bush robin - gone after 1080

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.

The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though a whale is a very large mammal, its throat is very small.

The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human, it was impossible.

The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah”.

The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?”

The little girl replied, “Then you ask him!”

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Maggie’s “Impossible Dream” - Predator Free

by Tony Orman

The New Zealand government plan to make New Zealand predatorfree by 2050, is like the song, “The Impossible Dream”. To achieve the target the New Zealand government’s own factory will sell the poison to agencies to aerially topdress hundreds of thousands of hectares of public wilderness lands with an ecosystem poison.

The words of “The Impossible Dream” describe the futility:- “To dream the impossible dream - - No matter how hopeless - - without question or pause, to be will-

ing to march, march into hell---”.

It may well be an ecological hell with periodic stimulated rat plagues.

A complete cynic, would say government sees the adoption of its “impossible dream” as a smart political ploy, to divert attention from crucial issues, such as China free trade bungling, unchecked immigration, housing crisis and a sagging economy with a debt reputed to be $115 billion.

In selling the concept of a “Predator Free NZ” on television, Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry revealed an appalling lack of understanding.

Predator-prey relationships are simply nature as David Attenborough’s TV programmes visually illustrate.

Trying to eradicate all predators, ignores ecological reality. Doing it by top-dressing with toxins is ecological disaster.

Predators already exist in native populations. The native falcon preys on tui. The morepork preys on large insects, small birds, especially native waxeyes, the kea preys on other bird species including Huttons Shearwater, both chicks and eggs. Wekas are predatory and the

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Letters to editor Appalling Reading

Dear Sir The minutes of the Hauraki Gulf Forum make appalling reading for recreational fishers. It’s the intent that’s the scary bit. They are hell bent on a restriction of recreational fishers in one form or another, be it Recreational licences, dropping the bag limit or a total ban from the Gulf.

Yes, you or your group can have a say or make a presentation, but the HGF don’t have to take a blind bit of notice. This is a very familiar strategy practiced by MPI, and they even have a name for it, it’s called consulting.

A good example of this is when John Key rang IWI on the phone the night before announcing the Kermadec reserve and said guess what I’m doing tomorrow. There was a recommendation to put the day limit of snapper for recreational fishers down to 3 per person per day. This woke up all the sleepy recreational anglers on a grand scale.

Minster for Primary Industries Nathan Guy was forced to relent and only reduced the recreational day limit from 9 to 7. The most relevant point is they did not reduce the commercial catch by the same 20%, as the recreational cut and that will never be forgiven or forgotten by recreational fishers because that restriction exists every time they go fishing.

On the plus side, the plan for MPI to restrict recreational day catch so they could allocate an extra 500 tonne of quota to commercial fishers didn’t happen either, and realistically that was the purpose of the whole misguided exercise by MPI in its attempt to double the exports by 2025.

The very real threat of a Snapper day limit reduction to 3 still exists as well as monitoring with cell phones and recreational licensing. These recommendations are where they have always been, and that is the brainless conservationist who has the time and ability to lobby to get both allout reserves and day limit catches for recreational fishers put-down.

But they don’t and never will have the power or money to put down the commercial quota. These recommendations seem to be supported by some district councilors as well.

It doesn’t matter who brings in any of the recommendations, and the recreational fishers will be so wound up that the government will pay the price regardless. The recreational anglers won’t accept any government trying to pass the buck to local government to get their dirty work done for them.

A message for government both local and national. Go right ahead do something else stupid, please.

Every time you do another 100,000

recreational fisher’s wake up for recreational anglers and the commercial fishery ownership gets undermined just a little bit more, and piece by piece returned to its rightful owners the recreational and customary fishers of NZ. Rhys Smith Thames

Is 1080 responsible for Lake Taupo’s fishing demise?

In my area of Lake Taupo, where I have been a trout guide and angler since 1980, I have seen a disturbing decline in the whole aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem that I can only attribute to the long term effects of 1080.

I know for a fact that DOC and the government lie on many levels when faced with questions regarding 1080, and in many recent cases refuse to front up to concerned citizens groups.

Way back years ago, forestry workers I knew told me that they witnessed firsthand DoC employees, whose task was to count dead possums after a 1080 drop, and finding only a few dead animals, intentionally entered a figure into their records far greater than the actual count, a lie intending to make 1080 use more attractive. This was a regular occurrence over decades to help the government justify increased 1080 usage, all based on - Lies!

In the 90’s we would invite DoC staff to speak at our Turangi Trout Unlimited Club. When asked many times if 1080 killed birds, the answer was always no, a blatant lie!

The Taupo area when I arrived had huge hatches of green and brown beetles, cicadas and many other aquatic and terrestrial insects, which have declined to almost extinction now. The Delta area was swarming with baby native NZ frogs at times, now disappeared!

Recent evidence by many anglers and longtime lake users report a decline in many native species of galaxiids, bullies and smelt!

In fact after an “accidental “ drop of an entire helicopter load of 1080 pellets directly into Lake Taupo about 7 to 8 years ago, our area suffered a 5 year decline in trout size, which drew anglers and visitors away from Taupo, costing our area many millions in revenue, which in my opinion was a cost for which the government should have been accountable! Recent claims by many long time anglers and lake users report a decline in both the native Koura and mussels, which I view as indicator species warning us all of a big problem in our area!

We have been lied to from the get-

go, and no one knows the long term effects of this poison not only on our animal life but on human life as well.

This is a travesty occurring in NZ on a daily basis and if the average Kiwi doesn’t wake up to this fact and protest, loudly, these bastards will pursue this agenda forever, because it provides the funding to pay for many DoC and government employees, most too afraid of losing their jobs to speak out.

There are many cleaner and safer ways to control pests that could be used effectively, but as long as this cash cow is in the hands of our government, they will persist and deny and lie for decades to come!

Rise up and revolt! Stop 1080.

Louie the fish Turangi Ed: Everyone has an opinion and I agree that DoC staff will hedge around issues and deliberately distract one from the truth. However I do doubt some of Louie’s comments as there are many factors that could be affecting the issues around the poor performance of Taupo trout.

We are attempting to ascertain some of the facts however getting accurate and truthful info from DoC is like getting blood out of a stone.

DoC twists

The whole 1080 debate is full of lies. A major one is of predators killing birds.

There were plenty of birds in the years before DoC was formed and 1080 began in earnest.

But DoC are masters of the artful twisting of facts. They say the decline in native birds is due to predators, but the predators have been around for 100 years and more. The Maori rat came about 1300 - 8 centuries ago.

The ship rat 200 years plus Stoats, weasels, ferrets have been here over 120 years and there were plenty of birds up till about 1990 and thereafter as DoC began 1080 and in recent years their mega-sized 1080 drops for Environment Minister Nick Smith’s “Battle for the Birds”.

It should be “Battle with the Birds” because Nick Smith, conservation minister Maggie Barry and DoC have poisoned thousands and thousands of birds. Now if you dear reader or me poisoned or killed one bird, we would be up in court.

How come ministers and public servants (that’s a bad joke) can get away with no prosecution?

Zachary Walton Wairarapa

DoC not doing the dunny business

Sir The Department of Conservation’s focus on putting the 28 million on dumping 1080 poison around hunting areas deliberately targeting wild pigs and deer would be better spent building better facilities and camping areas for Freedom campers.

The government should be welcoming freedom campers and doing its best to encourage young people to adopt better camping practices rather than putting a tax on them.

The greedy greens and idiotic outdoors party have suggested a tourist tax which is pretty stupid.

The New Zealand Outdoors Party have been pushing for a tax for sometime which has been ignored by the mainstream parties and media and the Greens have now seen fit to adopt the Outdoors Party policy.

The current charges for DoC camping grounds versus the quality of the facilities are the real issue, which DoC is not dealing with.

Meanwhile the costs are borne by Councils who tax residents through rates. Camping facilities require a manager that will look after and keep the facilities clean and attended.

You can’t blame campers when toilets are disgusting and rubbish bins overflowing DoC are the ones that need to clean up their act.

Our wilderness areas are groaning under a sea of rubbish over banks from campers and a lot of

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roadside areas, camping grounds and walking tracks are littered with toilet paper and excrement. Doc has the appropriate funding but it’s just not spending it wisely.

John McTaggart Wellington

DoC’s native bird eradication programme

Dear Sir I’ve never heard of so much rubbish and waste of taxpayers’ money in my life with DoC’s plan of being pest free by 2050.

I was a pest destruction man myself for a few years back in the mid 60’s in charge of 67,000 acres in the back of Huntly and north of Raglan Harbour.

I put a huge hole in the rabbit and possum populations using a top pack of dogs and many thousands of hours spotlighting from the back of a landrover. I also trapped and poisoned possums on the side for skins for a bit of extra cash. My area had the best of silver grey skins you could ever get.

I’ve recently spoken to many people myself plus several possum trappers about this pest free business and they all said that ‘it’s the joke of the century’ and the expense is absolutely ludicrous, a total waste of taxpayers’ money.

DoC say 26 million birds die from pests every year. There aren’t 26 million birds in NZ and a lot of these ‘off a box of matches figures’ have been killed through 1080 poison drops.

When you consider that we have had 60 years of 1080 poisoning and there are still millions of rats, mice, stoats, weasels, ferrets and possums.

Hunters, like myself, that spend a great deal of their lives in the bush, have the brains and the bush knowledge of what’s happening and the real damage that 1080 has done and is doing to millions of our native birds.

Before 1080 was first used our forests were full of bird song but they are dead now and have been for many years. An example is ‘moreporks’ that could be seen and heard everywhere, every night. Now they are silent in most places which is a total disgrace.

Unfortunately I won’t be around in 2050 so I won’t have the chance to protest and march on Parliament to tell these brainless idiots running this fiasco, we told you so. There are simply too many places for these vermin to live especially near our towns and cities.

I believe that this campaign has a deliberate and calculated focus on wild pigs and deer, and this also affects our trout populations.

Another thing that these clowns haven’t thought of is the vermin on boats, yachts, launches and other vehicles.

Tuhoe stopped DoC spreading this stuff in the Ureweras so where are the rest of Maori?

This plan will fail ‘mark my words.’

Fish and Game, seems to care.

Then we have Federated Mountain Clubs with the new president Peter Wilson praising 1080. His predecessor Robin McNeill lauded 1080.

“I see said the blind man” but of course he didn’t see.

I cannot fathom out how accepting of government spin, the heads of these organisations seem to be.

Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry recently had an article about her “predator free NZ” plan. Her idea is completely wacky and will waste at least $30 million of public money and in doing so, will kill thousands and thousands of birds, invertebrates, deer and everything else which ingests the toxin directly or indirectly by secondary poisoning when preying on a poisoned bird or scavenging a poisoned carcass.

Falcons swooping on struggling birds will be killed. 1080 developed in 1927 was an insecticide. It kills invertebrates and insects which many species eat.

Maggie Barry should go back to secondary school and do a 5th form biology course. She would learn falcons prey on this and any other birds. Fantails and robins prey on insects. Kiwis prey on worms and grubs. Predators are everywhere. It is elementary biology.

Maggie with a dose of “exotic phobia” will blame rats and possums.

Rats were introduced by Maori about 800-900 years ago. Possums, ferrets have been in NZ for 100 or more years. Can Maggie Barry explain why in 1769, Captain Cook found dawn choruses “deafening”- that is almost 250 years ago and 600 years after rats were introduced?

Jim Percival Canterbury

Maggi Barry should be jailed

Dear Sir I was interested in the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust (SHOT) asking for an apology from Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry for reportedly saying in a women magazine that “anti-1080” people are guilty of putting 1080 in infant formula.

The arrest of an Auckland businessman and conviction shows

her well wide of the mark.

She has defamed the public who don’t like 1080 for very good reasons.

This Maggie Barry claims that 1080 poison is a safe substance.

Yet she decries the anti-1080 people and says they will stop at nothing and put the same “safe substance” in baby formula.

Yet it was someone in her own 1080 industry that did it.

Why Maggie is it safe for you to use but a crime when someone else uses it?

Maggie orders and uses tons of this dangerous poison to be dropped indiscriminately. The one who was jailed only threatened to use it.

Am I missing something? No Maggie is - commonsense, fairness, integrity and a duty to the environment and public.

Percy Parker Marlborough

New Zealand is Tb free

Dear Sir By all international standards, New Zealand is Tb free and has been so for years.

On the 25th July, the Advertising Standards Authority released their decision regarding an appeal on my original complaint to them (Complaint 16/127 and Appeal 16/006).

It was that Ospri’s claim that nearly half of all Tb infections in cattle result from transmission by possum. As around 10 years of testing showed Tb was almost non-existent in possum and in fact, in many years, no Tb at all had been found in possum, so I argued, possum could not have been contributing to bovine Tb in cattle.

The case was not upheld, but the decision was a majority one only and not robust, plus further evidence supporting the case had come to hand. On this basis, an appeal was lodged and subsequently upheld.

Possum are not a vector in Bovine Tb! In the course of assembling the appeal, a lot of new evidence was found, and further evidence was obtained from the Ministry of Primary Industries by MP Richard Prosser and his staff. Salient points are! · Ospri have established no validated path of transmission from possum to cattle.

Dick Featherstone Thames

Lack of Fight

Dear Sir There are organisations which should be fighting 1080. The NZ Deerstalkers’ Association should be. NZDA has a fine past, but has become a non-event, ineffective and impotent. Instead NZDA has attached itself to the new Game Council which is tied by a parliamentary act to the Minister of Conservation. Game Council will prove, I predict, to be a gummy old tiger.

A kindred body is Fish and Game. How does 1080 affect trout and freshwater ecosystems? The Graf Boys excellent videos showed koura taking toxic baits back to its lair, eels at baits and eating toxic possum carcasses. Galaxies at poison pellets, mayfly nymphs on pellets too. What is the effect on trout, eating koura, galaxids etc? No one knows. Yet Fish and Game’s only concern about trout eating mice after 1080, was for anglers’ health.

What about the effect on trout?

1080 is an endocrine disruptor meaning it makes whatever consumes it to become infertile after a 1080 intake. Does 1080 affect male trout’s fertility and ability to spawn?

No one knows, no one among

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· Ospri claim, via the Minister Nathan Guy, that determining the source of infection and the pathway of exposure is “not considered an efficient use of time and resources”. · Ospri release deliberately Tb infected possum into the wild.

The 12 possum admitted to MP Trevor Mallard in the Rimutuka Forest Park to turned out, on further investigation, to be 256 infected possum over 10 years. · Office International des Epizootes (OIE) is based in Paris, also known as the World Organization for Animal Health. It is an affiliate to the UN with a country membership including New Zealand in the hundreds. It is the world standard accepted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) for international trade in livestock products. The world standard for “Tb free” is 0.2% for Tb infected herds and 0.1% for infected cattle. · At the time of lodging the appeal, I had incomplete figures, but they showed New Zealand to be Tb free. Since then MP Richard Prosser’s office were able to obtain national totals which showed New Zealand rates of Tb infection were so slight at around a hundred times below that required by world standards – that New Zealand must be one of the world’s most Tb free countries. By world standards, even possum are Tb free! · As OSPRI are in effect, in trade.

Therefore their claims can then be considered “False and Misleading” under Fair Trading Act. · Up until this year, Ospri was getting $80 million a year to fight non-existent Tb. The whole pantomime of herd testing, of slaughtering of thousands of false positives, of “pest control” – is all just that – a pantomime! The $80 million a year is made up from farmer levies, tax payers via the MPI and ratepayers. Starting August 2016, the next four year funding cycle is $62.5 million a year made up by 60 % farmer levy and 40% taxpayer funds. There is suggestion that there are some additional

taxpayer funds as sweeteners for the current reduced funding cycle.

For the last 10 years, first the AHB and later, Ospri have known that by all international standards, New Zealand has been Tb free. They have kept this information to themselves while continuing to use millions of dollars a year in farmer levies and taxpayer dollars to maintain their careers and benefits. I think this is something that both tax payers and the farming community would like to know, and do something about.

If you or I were doing this, I suspect the serious fraud office would have long since been involved – as indeed the police are in Australia over the chillingly similar phantom fox affair in Tasmania.

Best regards Bill Benfield

Weasel Words

The momentum takes the population past what it was before 1080, and upwards and upwards. Landcare research studies (Ruscoe, Sweetapple and Nugent) show numbers will be 3 to 4 times original number.

Where does DOC lack of knowledge come from? It should know the Maori settlers in 1350 brought rats and liberated them - 750 years ago. Within 50 years, i.e. 1400, the Maori rats would have become part of the food chain. Nature achieves her own balances, predator to prey.

By causing rat populations to jump to 4 times their before-poison number, DOC is messing with the food chain. Rats flourish so stoats preying on rats and mice flourish.

DOC ends up “increasing” fourfold rat and then stoat numbers.

Of course in the process of aerially topdressing with poisons, DOC kills numerous birds, insects, deer and probably aquatic life. If you chance to see the Graf Boys videos/u-tubes watch the one showing freshwater crayfish dragging toxic baits back to its lair. Eels have, I am told, 11 times safe levels of 1080. What are levels in crayfish? Does DOC know? Does Fish and Game know?

What is it with these bone headed idiots in DOC, OSPRI and other places where poisons are God and 1080 is worshipped?

When you point out how in a 1080-nuked valley, it is deathly quiet and like a cemetery, the Thomas McCaughley blind fools say “Oh the opera- Hawkes Bay tors have wiped out the birds.”

Weasel words.

Well on a trip down South, I fished a tributary stream in the Inangahua Valley after a 1080 drop and it was LOOKING FOR A “deathly quiet.” It was eerie and I got BOAT RAMP? out of there as quickly as I could.

But on the other bank of the InanCheck out our website gahua was a stream which I fished www.fishingoutdoors.org and the valley was had birds and deer tracks and was a joy to be there.

For New Zealand’s most The predator-free-by-2050 dream comprehensive of Minister of Conservation Maggie Boat Ramps Listings Barry is so futile and foolish. Extermination will never be gained. Rats for example breed like crazy, a female starting at two months of age and capable of producing 40 or so a year.

When you knock back populations, Nature counter attacks, producing a super-charged increase in numbers.

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Mark Skelton his team with Jake in front of his new leased building in Taupo.

Doctor in Dublin A doctor in Dublin ​wanted to get off work, so he approached his assistant​, and asked. ​“Murphy, I am going fishing tomorrow and don’t want to close the clinic. I want you to take care of the clinic and take care of all me patients”.

“Yes, sir!” answers Murphy.

The doctor goes fishing and returns the following day and asks: “So, Murphy, how was your day?”

Murphy told him that he took care of three patients. “The first one had a headache so he did, so I gave him Paracetamol.”

“Bravo Murphy lad, and the second one?” asks the doctor.

“The second one had indigestion and I gave him Gaviscon, so I did sir” says Murphy.

“Bravo, bravo! You’re good at this and what about the third one?” asks the doctor.

“Sir, I was sitting here and suddenly the door flies open and a young gorgeous woman bursts in so she does.

Like a bolt outa the blue, she tears off her clothes, taking off everything including her bra and her knickers and lies down on the table, spreading her legs and shouts: ‘HELP ME for the love of St Patrick! For five years I have not seen a man!’

“Tunderin’ lard Jesus Murphy, what did you do?” asks the doctor.

“I put drops in her eyes,” and sent her to Spec savers.

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What the users groups want?

By Graham Carter and Rhys Smith

New Zealand has a vast expanse of ocean. In that water is something called fish.

The SIX groups of people who would like to use this fish can’t even agree on what to call it.

The customary group call it kai moana; this shows there intent of use and how they value fish as seafood.

The recreational groups call it a recreational catch. This implies it’s more about the enjoyment of catching the fish rather than eating it. This is evident when a recreational fisher catches and release’s a fish, whereas a customary fisher hunting for food is unlikely to release an edible fish.

The commercial fishers see fish as a product for profit, whether fishing for local trade or export. This view puts them miles apart from either recreational or customary fishers, as they don’t put a monetary price on fish. Furthermore they get offended when somebody else does.​ The conservationist sees fish as things we should all take photos of and consider reserves that none of the user groups can use. They put themselves further away from all other groups with this stand.

However the conservationists can afford to stand alone because they are well funded and unlike any of the other groups they seem to gather support from many other environmental protest groups.

The politicians see fish as an economic resource. The entire region of New Zealand’s territorial water is called the EEZ or economic zone.

The consumer sees fish as a healthy source of protein or in the case of a can of Tuna at their supermarket, a cheap and fast easy meal.

What do we at this paper and why.

Firstly if you look at that list of users, you will see that all of them have good reasons for wanting more fish. You could say that each one has a conflict of interest when it comes to fishery management.

So we represent the fish. We have and will continue to attack all those in this list of users groups who fail to recognize their potential to do harm to the sustainability of the NZ fishery.

Some of our readers have been upset at attacks on individuals and stakeholder groups we have punished in print. There is too many international examples of fishery collapsed to write about. Hindsight tells us clearly when one of these groups gets control of the fishery self-interest means the fishery is doomed.

Sadly we can see clear evidence of this happening here in NZ. The customary fishers have on occasion been granted access to fisheries closed to all non-cus-

tomary fishers for that stock to be rebuilt. That is ridiculous if the fishery has been overfished close it, e.g.: toheroas in Northland.

The recreational fishers must recognize that with increasing numbers and better equipment they have the potential to be destructive to the fishery. If you are caught with a boat full of undersized fish, don’t expect any sympathy from us. We will write stuff about you that when you read it, your eyes will bleed.

If you are a commercial fisher and you trawl along our holiday beaches, take our fish then waste a heap of them, you are a selfish moron and if we find out the name of your boat and a photo, we will show the world we think you are a mixed breed without hesitation.

If you are a radical conservationist who believes that the only way to save the fish is to stop us fishing at all you have been smoking too much pot. A reserve is not management it is closure and akin to bullying. Unless you can force the other groups to stop fishing altogether, you will only cause the destruction of the smaller water space left to the other users.

The politicians who manage the fishery for economic growth must have been dropped on their head as babies. Why does this paper hate John Key so much? Because the ‘double the export value’ by 2025 should never ever been applied to the wild fish stock of NZ on the fishery.

That policy is exactly how other countries politicians destroyed their own fisheries. He did it because it makes a lot of money for the corporates, before the fish have gone.

After they have instigated this destruction they simply leave the spotlight and the rebuild to some other sucker and all users have to endure a lengthy rebuild of the fishery, while the politician in question progress there career to an ambassador’s position or a UN office. All the while still promoting that their economic policy was a good one.

The consumer has to take their share of the heat as well. Tuna is getting depleted all over the world because of you. There is so much evidence of bi-catch and total destructive fishing practices around Tuna and yet the consumers still buy it. If you really want to save a large number of species from a horrible death don’t buy Tuna.

Did we miss anybody? The fish only have mouths so they can bite stuff. They are defenceless against the six user groups.

The fish must have a voice and that is us.

We have developed a solution which will benefit all six user groups but most of all the fish.

The trick is to stay focused on the health of the fishery and this way everybody will win.

Our system will cost tax payers but will increase the growth of the fish stock by about 8% per year.

At the moment MPI is allocating fish stocks to commercial as soon as they appear abundant according to their analysis.

This is like cutting the top off a small pine tree and then wondering why you don’t have a christmas tree. So this is why we take no prisoners when we write about self-interest user groups.

I hope this explanation is understood because we have no intention of changing our stance.

Be assured if there is evidence from a group that is positive for the long term sustainability of our fishery we will openly support it.

For example the NZ First Fishing policy is ‘good news’ especially for the fish. If it wasn’t we wouldn’t say so, http://nzfirst. org.nz/policy/primary-industries.

So let’s all work together to make some more good news.

NZ First Fishing Policy The determination of the limit of a recreational inshore fishery and the exclusion of trawling and other bulk commercial fishing methods within that determined inshore limit.

The exclusion of all bulk commercial fishing methods from areas of high juvenile abundance and the preservation of existing marine reserves and species protection areas.

There has to be an independent fishery department in NZ that is independent of all self-interested user groups.

The purpose of that department would be to assess how much fish can be allocated to the users. We have a system designed for NZ to have the healthiest fishery in the world by 2040,​ so people tell us on FB, who would you trust to implement it?

This would allow us to basically increase for inflation allocation to the users every 3 years.

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Opinion

Barry should be placed on trial Maggie Barry’s disgraceful ‘war on pests’ shows what a cold hearted calculating person she is. I have yet to see any of these pest animals bearing arms which really shows how childishly stupid she is.

Her incompetence is overshadowed by this malicious and deliberately calculated crusade to tell kiwis that care for our bush and wild animals to ‘stick it’.

She is not in the slightest bit interested in listening to those folk that make their living from these pests.

She has turned her back on New Zealanders as she hypocritically shuns what most people want, the ban of ‘1080’ and a better less risky method that doesn’t kill the birds, animals and poison waterways. And there are plenty of them and that’s not counting the trappers and kids that get stuck in on weekends in their own time catching these critters.

Her short sighted plan ‘feel better’ campaign has failed to recognize that governments attempted to rid our countryside of many introduced animals and pest plants at great expense to this nation and every single one has failed.

And another interesting ques-

tion – where is iwi on this issue?

They are very strangely quiet when you take into consideration all the ‘sacred areas’ like Mt Taranaki which is about to have the snow replaced with 1080 pellets?

While her department continues to lie and deceive the general public her ultimate fall from grace will stay with her name into eternity as she continues this militant manner of forced her way on the populace.

Her war on wildlife has amounted to a series of enormous turds: at first satisfying, but the smell lingers. She’ll never wipe them out.

In the early years the government waged war or introduced deer herds and was outsmarted in this dismal campaign by wild animals.

Since then the government has attacked many other introduced species from hedgehogs to sandflies, gorse to magpies, wasps to wallabies, without taking into account the hundreds of pest plants which they have failed at controlling.

They will never win against nature it’s that simple.

Her PR campaign to win the hearts of many conservation groups shows how fickle many are as it

appears their opinions and support has been bought by Barry.

Time will tell and Barry must be held accountable for this nonsense and waste of public money, when this doomed plan fails as it will – she should be jailed.

Our worst enemy is people like Barry who get placed in positions of leadership then go against the people that nurture and care for our back country.

Every single one of her comrades at arms should be put on trial but none of our politicians, some who are as corrupt as she is, have the gonads.

This is so much more to this failed strategic plan that will shock this country to the very core when exposed, as so many well-meaning folk have been hoodwinked by Barry’s very clever PR Campaign.

Many of these pest animals live in and around our city areas, in roadside curbs and ditches, and for Barry’s campaign to succeed she will have to dump tons of the stuff where live.

She must think that the average kiwi is pretty stupid to be so totally sucked in by her stupidity, as most possums, rats and stoats are found across 94 per cent of our land area.

Ma was in the kitchen fiddling around when she hollers out, “Pa! You need to go out and fix the outhouse!”

Pa replies, “There ain’t nuthin wrong with the outhouse.”

Ma yells back, “Yes there is, now git out there and fix it.”

So Pa mosies out to the outhouse, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin wrong with the outhouse!”

“Ma replies, “Stick yur head in the hole!”

Pa yells back, “I ain’t stickin my head in that hole!

“Ma says, “Ya have to stick yur head in the hole to see what to fix.”

So with that, Pa sticks his head in the hole, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin wrong with this outhouse!”

Ma hollers back, “Now take your head out of the hole!”

Pa proceeds to pull his head out of the hole, then starts yelling, “Ma! Help! My beard is stuck in the cracks in the toilet seat!”

To which Ma replies, “Hurts, don’t it?!”

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FIRST BOATING

By Steven Waerea

Gurnard and snapper caught from the deeper waters around Cape Kidnappers in our blue dingy.

I would’ve been four when my parents moved back into business in the Hawke’s Bay, they sold their boat to concentrate on work and family (1988), we’d caught a ton of mullet and kahawai from the beaches and rivers of Hawkes Bay over the years, sometimes baby snapper in the warmer months, with the occasional gurnard.

We were on one of our weekends away in Wellington, staying at a motor camp somewhere in Lower Hutt for a couple of nights. We went to the speedway as well as did a bit of fishing from the rocks around the Wellington harbour entrance, catching a few small terakihi, cod and kahawai. We released all of them to grow bigger. On the drive home, down state highway one on the Kapiti Coast, there was a garage sale, mother just had to have a look (mum likes garage sales).

There was a ten foot aluminium dinghy at the garage sale. It didn’t have a motor, just some oars and a screen, no trailer. Mother bought this dinghy, loaded it into the back of the van and we were back on the road to Hawke’s Bay with the greatest toy a kid could hope for.

We used it a few times without a

Purchased after Jessy Jane, went back to basics, to access remote fishing locations in our 13 footer powered by a 25hp Mariner.

motor, rowing a ten foot dinghy with my brother wasn’t ideal for going too far out as young teenagers. We wouldn’t go much more than a stone’s throw out from the beaches. Sometimes we would row as far as the green buoy out the front of Napier. We always got a few kahawai and gurnard on our basic fishing gear. We never knew how deadly flasher rigs could be in the Bay until a later stage.

The beauty of the small dinghy was that we were able to launch off pret- Hannah... IRB came after our blue tinnie, ty much any beach with the right great small vessel for surf zone. conditions. It leaked a bit, we would have to bail the water out manu- Pedro and dad never used things ally after a couple of hours playing like fluoro beads, fluoro tube, flasharound. Somewhere along the line er rigs or berley; they kept things my brother managed to save a few pretty simple. We’d also get out on dollars and bought us an outboard a few charter boats in Tauranga and motor from the marine shop in Napier, also fished with some school Hastings. It was a 7.5 hp Johnson, mate’s dads out on their boats. it doesn’t sound like much but she Pop had a wooden 13 footer he used got us up on the plane pretty easily. in the lakes with the odd occasion in We’d got some plastic tube from the the ocean. Dad and my brothers did local plumber which we sawed into a bit of trout fishing from this old rod holders, these were screwed to girl and a bit of netting in the estuthe seats, and we got a decent chain ary around Tauranga. My uncle still and an anchor rope. With the motor has this little gem in his shed on the we were able to get out to Pania Reef farm. When we had the aluminium where we caught all kinds of fish. dinghy we found Pops old 25hp outMy favourite place to go over sum- board in the corner of the shed not mer holidays was the Clifton Motor seeing much use, so we grabbed it, Camp, where we could launch from cleaned it up, got her running, then the beach there and be out off the would slap it on the back of the tincape in deeper water pretty quickly, ny just to go hooning up the Clive or we’d shoot across to Te Awan- River, or out in the chop of Napier. ga chasing schooling kahawai. Highly impractical for fishing as One time I was pulling in a kaha- when sitting at rest there was only wai off Te Awanga, as it got near an inch or two from water coming the boat a kingfish nearly as long over the stern. Man she would booas the dingy was chasing it up. gie like a cut cat with that motor, It freaked me out a little bit as a remember you’d have to turn round kid, seeing a fish the size of your on hard acceleration to turn air fuel vessel makes you think twice. ratio nob sticking out of the engine Occasionally we would go out on cover, classic old school 2 stroke my dad’s mate’s boat. Pedro, half power (Evinrude). How we didn’t aborigine chap, mad keen hunter drown ourselves is beyond me, but fisherman type. He bought himself we always had to wear life jackets. a 16 foot Fyran on a floating trailer powered by twin 35hp Johnson’s.

This also leaked pretty well too.

Those tinnies with rivets in the bottom are not the greatest idea. He would launch his Fyran off Clifton and fish out off Cape Kidnappers in the deeper waters. I remember catching some fish but not in great numbers back then, the fishing gear we used was pretty basic, just Jessy Jane my 21st present, many story’s hooks, nylon, sinker and a swivel. surround this boat, untold and unheard.

Would a Rear Vision Mirror Help?

By David L. F. Smith

I can only presume your neck is in a brace, Or why else could you not see what is in your wake.

I have a mirror you can borrow so you can see all the fish you refused to take, Now just treats for the sharks.

And what about your quota is that is all ship shape and above board, Or should I arrange for a visit for you to see your fishing future.

I know you can look forward even with your brace on.

How about your ethics are they the ones you started out in life with?

Or have you used undue influence to get a better quota.

If you have the time to talk, there is solution so our grandchildren’s children can still get Fish and chips.

A new kind of net a smart Kiwi invented which lets the unwanted and wrong sized fish Swim back out.

You will even notice the fish that you catch will be less bruised and better to eat.

This new net may even save you some maintenance costs so you can lower your quota.

For the sake of our grandchildren’s children.

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9

Olympic lead ban overturned An attempt to ban the use of lead ammunition in Olympic competitions has been defeated.

Last year, conservation groups put a motion forward to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), seeking to replace lead with “non-toxic alternatives” in time for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

IUCN policies are not legally binding, but they do have influence on the union’s 1,300 member organizations, which include DEFRA and other government agencies.

But the specific clause regarding the use of lead at the Olympics has now been dropped thanks

to lobbying by BASC and FACE (European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation). This decision comes at the same time as a DEFRA ruling that lead ammunition does not need to be banned in the UK (News, 20 July).

Dr Conor O’Gorman, BASC’s policy development manager and a member of the IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods specialist group, commented: “This was a back-door attempt to foist a lead ban on sport at a worldwide level; I am proud that BASC has led from the front to block this part of the motion.

“Our arguments against an unsub-

stantiated ban on the use of lead ammunition for Olympic shooting have been listened to and acted on. Competitive target shooting is confined to small and contained areas. These areas can be managed following evidencebased risk management practices.

“The Scottish Government actually lifted its lead shot ban in wetlands for the coastal shooting venue at the 2014 Commonwealth Games on the basis that the mitigation measures in place would ensure there was no significant environmental impact.”

Global fish stocks overfished Concerned UN agencies have released the global status of fish stocks which reveal that 89.5% are fully fished or overfished, while OECD forecast a 17% rise in fish production by 2025.

The SOFIA report, which is considered a check-up on the world’s fish supplies, has identified an alarming trend, showing falling fish stocks, the result of vast overfishing on a global scale.

Oceana regrets the new findings, which place overfished and fully-fished stocks at 89.5% in 2016, compared to around 6268% in 2000, which effectively means that there is now have a

fifth more global fish stocks at worrying levels than in 2000.

The global environmental impact of overfishing is incalculable and the knock-on impact for coastal economies is simply too great for this to be swept under the rug any more.

In a parallel report published earlier this week on agriculture and fisheries, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) forecasts a growth in fish production of up to 17% by 2025.

However, due to declining fish stocks, only 1% will come from fisheries, with aquaculture becoming the driving force behind this growth.

Oceana believes that aquaculture is

not the solution to meeting an increasing global demand – it stresses that we must first address the unsustainable exploitation of wild fish.

In fact, the OECD stressed that the rise in fish production hangs in the balance of environmental factors and productivity in fish stocks.

The figures speak for themselves.

Overfishing will knock wild, everyday fish from our dining tables replacing it with aquaculture and other seafood. Only through sustainable fisheries management and by ending overfishing will we really able to increase fish in our oceans and ensure seafood can be put on a plate for millions of people.

How many is too many tourists?

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment report on Tourism Infrastructure, which identifies the effects on National Parks of too many tourists, is the tip of the iceberg according to the NZ Outdoors Party. The Outdoors Party advocates for outdoor values including environmental stewardship,recreationandfoodgathering.

Co-Leader David Haynes said “Conservation Boards, academics and recreation bodies have recognised for a number of years that there is a limit to how many people can experience our unique outdoor des-

tinations beyond which that experience becomes compromised by overcrowding and destruction of the very environment that attracts.

The predominant vista when walking the Tongariro Crossing, for example, is the backs of the multitude of those ahead of you.”

Although the report has identified the issue of unsustainable visitor pressure on our public conservation estate, solutions are thin on the ground.The Outdoors Party is very concerned that New Zea-

land could be yet another “eco-destination”, like Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, whose decline in popularity is caused by too many tourists.

The Outdoors Party is calling for a Futures Commissioner, appointed by Parliament but independent of any political party, to look at this issue for the long-term, along with the wider capacity limits of our environment and infrastructure to support population and economic growth, whilst maintaining our ecological and cultural identity.

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View the newspaper online at www.fishingoutdoors.org – and advertise online with us

A passion for hunting managed to regain some muscle flickers in both biceps. We are hopeful this may develop into being able to use a joystick to control his wheelchair but he has a long way to go Brian Neilson, Maureen Coleman and Dale McGuire supervising to achieve this. For now, Elliott is able to Elliott on the range.

When Elliott Keys and Dale McGuire get move around using head contogether there’s always hi-jinks, rau- trols on his current wheelchair. cous laughter and tom-foolery. They Elliott, now 16, is a past student of have been best friends forever and car- Bethlehem College, but was being ry out most of their activities together. home schooled at the time of his acOn Monday 7th July 2014, aged 14, cident, is looking towards a future Elliott was enjoying a mountain bike as a marine biologist and/or pilot. ride with a friend on the trails in Oropi He is an action man, used to living life Forest, just outside Tauranga, when he to the fullest. He loves the sea and the misjudged a jump, missed his land- beach, enjoying diving, surfing, pading point and fell, hitting the ground dle boarding and kayak fishing. Elliott head first. Elliott broke his neck at obtained his diving certificates at a C4, leaving him a tetraplegic with no very young age, and was Tauranga’s movement from the shoulders down. youngest PADI rescue diver. Equally at The C4 vertebra, being completely home in the snow, Elliott was handy smashed, was removed and replaced on a snowboard or skis and also rewith a bone graft from his hip, held in ally enjoyed ice skating. He played place with a titanium plate and screws. inline hockey for the Tauranga Ducks The past few months were extremely and loved tennis, golf and soccer too. traumatic for Elliott and his family. Af- Elliott had been pestering his dad ter spending four weeks in ICU in for years to get into hunting, so Tauranga Hospital, Elliott was trans- they had just signed up with Tauferred to the Burwood Spinal Unit in ranga Deerstalkers to do an intensive Christchurch for his ongoing care and bushcraft course. The last thing Elintensive rehabilitation. This meant an liott wrote in his own handwriting extended period of relocation for his before the accident was an applicaMum and Dad – Tracy and Mike, and tion to join Youth Search and Resat the time, his two younger broth- cue, a pretty serious commitment. ers Matheson (7 years) and Olivier (1 Those people that know Elliott will year). Not only was this relocation realize that this all makes this injury disruptive for his family but it was especially devastating for a young also an isolating time for Elliott as his man well used to high energy activifriends were unable to visit as easily. ties. Mountain Biking was a favourite Fast forward to February, 2015, and El- family activity and, prior to his acliott has just been transferred back to cident, Elliott spent most of his free his home in Mt. Maunganui. His reha- time mountain biking around the bilitation continues and will definitely local tracks and trails, especially enbe a lifelong commitment, requiring joying trips over to the trails in the dedication and hard work. Through Redwood Forest in Rotorua, with his determination and effort Elliott has family and friends, most weekends.

When staff at the Fishing and Outdoors newspaper found out about Elliott and his passion we stepped up to the mark and discussed Elliott’s passion with Maureen Coleman, the President of the Thames Valley Deerstalkers Association. Maureen talked to her committee and helpers and they rose to the challenge and invited Elliott, Mike and Dale to join up.

The plan is to coach Elliott through a HUNTS Course and then to undertake ‘the challenge,’ helping to solve Elliott’s desire to shoot a deer.

The Thames Valley Deerstalkers Association started their 2016 HUNTS Programme with a bang recently with their surprise guest Elliott as well as Mike and Dale who have also both decided to complete the course as well.

The course is targeted at all age groups and runs over ten weeks, each Monday night.

The course is aimed at any person that wants to learn more about what is required when going hunting and covers, Course Introduction, Ethics and Ecology; Bushcraft, Survival, Gear, Food, Planning for Bushcraft Weekend; Firearms, marksmanship, rifle sighting, reloading; Game Animals and Hunting Techniques; Navigation; River Crossing, and final prep for hunting weekend; Bushcraft Weekend; Butchering night and utilization of the meat/skins/ trophy; Local Goat Shoot; Navigation practical; Final hunting weekend preparation; and a Final Hunting Weekend.

We will be following Elliott through the course and reporting on his achievements.

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Tyler’s Journey – Going bush

Trey (left) and Tyler at out campsite.

For those that recall the fund raising exercise we did a couple of years back, I can assure everyone that the exercise was well worth it.

I recently had the occasion to join Tyler and his Dad Marty on a hunting trip down to Clements Road, near Taupo to spend a couple of night’s hunting. We were joined by Paul and his son Trey.

Tyler’s is pretty much as healthy and getting ahead with his life as any young seven year old and it’s thanks

Progress on removing mangroves

Fresh progress is being made on re-starting mangrove removal at Whangamata.

Waikato Regional Council and Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) have announced work to clear another two hectares of mangroves from Whangamata Harbour.

A one hectare site will be cleared in the Moanaanuanu Estuary and another hectare near Patiki Point.

The background to the re-start is that Waikato Regional Council holds a consent to remove 22.9 ha of mature mangroves from Whangamata Harbour subject to a monitoring plan that sets out trends and triggers that need to be met before Elliott Keys received his HUNTS Course bag subsequent stages of mangroves can be removed. Following the refrom Maureen Coleman with Mike Keys behind.

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to all those that helped with his trip to St Louis USA, to undergo surgery.

Tyler was born 26 weeks premature and required many operations which NZ couldn’t offer.

Watching him run around and enjoy himself was a delight.

We hunted around the flats off Waterfall on the Hinemaiaia river Clements Road and even managed to scare the living day- yone’s guess but there was definitelights out of a couple of Sika Deer ly a shortage as during other trips that scarpered off – very safe. bush robins would land on your rifle There something special about barrel and the fantails would swoop returning to old haunts and down and feed on the insects that reflecting on days gone by. were disturbed by your presence.

The place has however I have no idea if they were poichanged quite dramatically. soned but they were definitely All the old huts have gone along with noticeable by their absence. much of the birdlife. We counted Having suffered a recent snowone bush robin, one fantail and one fall the roadway was littered with night owl around our campsite. Pos- fallen broken and trees, but the sums were scarce as we heard none forest hasn’t changed that much. croaking through the nights when It is still my favourite place previously they were everywhere. and it was a pleasure.

What happened to the birdlife is an-

moval of 11.7 ha, expert monitoring confirmed that the necessary trends and triggers were not met for removal to continue to the next stage.

Since then the regional council has worked closely with the district council, iwi, the experts who undertook the monitoring, stakeholders and the local community to find a way to progress mangrove removal at Whangamata within the bounds of the existing resource consent.

Mangrove material will be mulched and used as compost on adjacent reserves. This will mean temporary closure of those reserves whilst works take place.

Signage will be in place alerting the public to those closures.

Alongside the mangrove removal,

the regional council will be building on local community pest control initiatives in the Moanaanuanu Estuary by extending the current trap line for rats and mustelids so as to better protect threatened wetland birds which breed locally, such as bittern, banded rail and fernbird.

The resumption of mangrove removal follows another positive announcement last month that the two councils had signed a new Statement of Intent (SOI).

The SOI and a joint action plan are giving effect to a shared responsibility approach between the two councils to moving forward on mangrove management on the Coromandel Peninsula.

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Big brother the bully DoC in its infinite wisdom has taken a Taranaki guide to court for showing initiative when it doesn’t have the gonads to support the local Taranaki community, other than by spending millions taxpayer money in its wasted 1080 dumping campaign.

This really shows a government department out of control.

Maggie Barry when her 1080

campaign fails should be put in trial herself for wilful destruction and damage to public property.

Who amongst our rich list vvwould take on this challenge?

Ian McAlpine is being taken to court by the Department of Conservation for a second time this year just to flex its muscle and show what a powerful and out of control department it is.

In January this, McAlpine was prosecuted by DOC after he was caught guiding trampers on Mt Taranaki without the proper licence in which he was convicted and discharged.

DOC had employed two people to pose as visitors and offer McAlpine money to take them up Mount Smith and Barry should be put on trial themselves for wilful damage to public property and cruelty to animals. Who on our rich list will take up this challenge?

Maggie Barry’s “Predator Free NZ” is a Smokescreen

by John McNab

The Government announcement by Maggie Barry, Minister of Conservation that it intends to eradicate all predators by 2050, is a political smokescreen says Bill Wallace, leader of Ban1080 Party.

“With a starting budget of $28 million over four years, it is simply a smokescreen for ever-increasing aerial drops of the toxic poison 1080 over the next 30 years,” said Bill Wallace who has a science degree in ecology. “Following so soon after the extra $20m for the 2016 ‘Battle for Our Birds’ 1080 poison programme one cannot help but be cynical”.

“How refreshing it would be if the Minister of Conservation for the next government was to announce $20m a year for self-resetting kill traps, and the biodiversity division of DoC could direct their share of DoC’s $400m budget to prioritiz-

ing the valleys for deployment where the greatest benefit would be achieved for endangered or vulnerable native species, and each year increase the number of valleys with permanent partial protection.”

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said 25 million birds were killed annually by rats, but many described it along the lines as fanciful stabbing in the dark to justify the political stunt.’

New Zealand conservationist and outdoorsman Tony Orman said it was like the Department of Conservation’s 70 million possum figure which a top Landcare Research scientist told DoC it was “the back of a cigarette packet calculation.”

“The 25 million figure is absolute nonsense,” he said.

Tony Orman also said the Minister of Conservation seemed abysmally ignorant of simple 5th form biology

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Trout Anglers reminded that 2017’s Election Year!

Incoming president for the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers Colin Taylor of Auckland said following the organisation’s recent annual meeting that the trout fishing public should be strongly advocating to political parties on the issues and threats.

“It should not be forgotten that next year is election year and in 2017, anglers should be forthright in seeking the assurances from political parties on protecting the public ownership of trout and rivers while also demanding action on the deteriorating state of rivers both in quality and flow.,” he said.

The New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers has reported on an active and at times successful past year of advocacy activity on behalf of the trout fishing public.

Retiring president David Haynes in his annual report said the Federation successfully urged government to extend the ban on importing trout for three more years.

Another win was generating publicity over attempts to introduce carp farming to Taupo with sponsor Con-

as regards predator relationships.

“Predator exist everywhere. In New Zealand falcons prey on tui and other birds, kiwis on worms, blue duck on aquatic larvae, eels on trout.”

Bill Wallace said the ludicrous plan was ignorant of population dynamics of rats.

“Rats are largely confined to the valley floors and their numbers drop significantly naturally during the winter months (DoC Official Information Act rat data, September 2014), so restricting traps to valley floors and low level ridges, would achieve more than the sporadic, dangerous and indiscriminate aerial application of By Purefly aerial 1080 poison, often into vast areas where rats are at 0% tracking.”

“So aerial 1080 poison is achieving nothing for conservation in New Zealand.

By John McNab

DoC’s Geoff Owen emphasized that poison baits and animal carcasses were deadly to dogs and asked people to exercise extreme caution.

Laurie Collins said 1080 was “deadly” to everything that lived from invertebrates which were the food of kiwi, to birds to deer, especially the prized Wakatipu whitetail herd.

Deer repellent will be used across much of the treatment area, which the Deerstalkers’ Association petitioned for. Laurie Collins said deer repellent was largely a waste of time and deer would still die agonizingly slow deaths by the poison.

“At least the Deerstalkers’ Association has tried this time but it’s naive to expect repellent will save deer. The use of repellent is a sop to appease naive hunters,” he said.

Laurie Collins who early in his working career and later on in “pest work” worked with 1080, said it was ironic that in his early days in the Forest Service, he was involved in the poisoning of fallow deer in the Caples, now to be poisoned in the two September drops.

A judge was interviewing a Nelson woman regarding her pending divorce and asks, “What are the grounds for your divorce?”

“About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by.”

“No,” he said, “I mean what is the foundation of this case?”

“It is made of concrete, brick, and mortar,” she responded.

“I mean,” he continued, “what are your relations like?”

“I have an aunt and uncle and 12 cousins living here in town, as well as my husband’s parents.”

The judge took a deep breath and asked, “Do you have a real grudge?”

“No, we have a two-car carport and have never really needed one ‘cuz we don’t have a car.”

“Please,” he tried again, “is there any infidelity in your marriage?”

“Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don’t necessarily like the music - all that hip hop and rap tap - but we can’t seem to do anything about it.”

“Ma’am, does your husband ever beat you up?”

“Yes, he gets up every morning before I do and makes the coffee.”

The judge asked, “Is your husband a nagger?”

“Oh, heck no, he’s as white as you and me!”

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, “Lady, why in the heck do you want a divorce?

“Oh, I don’t want a divorce,” she replied. “I’ve never wanted a divorce, my husband does. The damn fool says he can’t communicate with me.”

tact Energy declining to use its land for the farming. Proposals to allow a Taupo-based iwi to raise unusually large numbers of trout for “cultural purposes” at the Turangi trout hatchery were stopped in their tracks.

But trout farming seemed to be not far from agendas commented David Haynes.

The Bay of Plenty regional council identified in its economic strategy, trout farming as “an economic opportunity. Both Fish and Game and the Federation vigorously and publicly opposed the plan.”

Other activity included submissions on government plans to change the Resource Management Act to the detriment of river health and on sedimentation from forestry clear-felling as a major pollution source. An activity for the coming year will be to investigate the economic value of trout fishing to the New Zealand economy. A parallel study had last year assessed the value of recreational sea fishing as $1.7 billion a year - worth more than the commercial industry.

New president Colin Taylor said

assessing the multi-million dollar value of the trout fishery was important in confronting the demands of those who might seek to exploit rivers or directly exploit trout by commercial trout farming and sale of trout.

An up-coming task will be to investigate restructuring the Federation to meet today’s communication needs such as utilizing the social media and stream-lining advocacy work.

Officers elected were:President: Colin Taylor (Auckland);Secretary: Barrie Clark (Marlborough); Treasurer: Strato Cotsilinis (Wellington); Membership Secretary: Don Scott (Manawatu); Information Officer: Brett Benseman (Otago); Immediate Past President: David Haynes (Nelson); Executive:- Ian Rodger (Auckland),Alan Simmons (Turangi), Rex Gibson (Canterbury), John Collins (Canterbury), Larry Burke (Canterbury), Graham Carter (Hamilton), Steve Gerard (Methven).

Life members: Sandy Bull (Gisborne), Ken Sims (Manawatu) Tony Orman (Marlborough).

Environmental Vandalism

Wakatipu 1080 operations Slammed Two planned 1080 drops near Queenstown due to take place “any time from September 5” have been criticized by a sporting hunters’ organization.

Department of Conservation Wakatipu operations manager Geoff Owen said the operation, to kill the predators of native birds, were part of the Battle for Our Birds campaign.

All walking tracks in the Dart, Routeburn and Caples areas and a section of the Glenorchy-Paradise road will be closed for up to 24 hours.

The first drop, to sow non-toxic pre-feed pellets, will be followed by a drop of toxic baits a week later.

But convenor of Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust Laurie Collins, said the drops were irresponsible, damaging to all forest life and a bad image in the eyes of tourists of New Zealand.

“Forget the New Zealand 100% pure brand the Prime Minister was recently bragging about on TV relative to Havelock North’s contaminated water. These Wakatipu 1080 drops is about poisoning New Zealand’s wilderness,” he said.

11

“I know the stuff. It’s ugly and nasty. It’s cruel and I suspect DOC is targeting deer as a by-kill. There’s still a strong element of deer hatred within the department.”

Notices have been sent out to the local community and those affected.

DOC ranger Chris Hankin said the timing of the operation could change.

“Doc needs to continually review a number of factors including rodent monitoring results, availability of resources and the weather before possible timing can be defined exactly,” he said.

Laurie Collins said the “Predator Free NZ” dream of Conservation Minister Maggie Barry was futile and foolish.

“Extermination’s impossible.

Only NZ’s Conservation Minister believes in fairy tales.”

Besides rats were brought by Maori colonizers in 1350. Rats and birds had co-existed for centuries, all was in equilibrium through most of the 20th century, until the Forest Service in the 1980’s and more especially DOC after it was formed in 1987 began poisoning public lands.

The story of lucky....

While a mate and I were at my boyhood stream investigating some pipes that are depositing silt into the main river, this will smother any invertebrates in the aquatic ecosystem, I suggested another reason for the reduction in fish numbers in this world class spring creek (5 min from an international airport with fish up to 6 lb+) that a lot of the little feeder creek are drying up as the

Deercullers Reunion 9-12 March 2017

at the Thames Valley Deerstalkers premises, Paeroa.

This reunion is only open to NZ Deercullers Assn Members.

The group who are spearheading this reunion are: Andy Leigh, Brian Neilson, Fred Dickson, Jock Spinks and Shaun Neustroski.

If anyone is able to assist or help out with anything at all during this time, or being prepared to put their hand up for other jobs as they come along.

Please email - ring Jock Spinks on 07 862 4883 or Brian Neilson 027 8910958 or brianneilson@xtra.co.nz

Canterbury aquifers are sucked dry and the water table drops.

These feeder creeks are the spawning habitat that adults use to breed to carry on future generations and habitat for juvenile fish to grow in....

We had a look at a nearby creek which used to hold dozens of juveniles in the summer and support lots of breeding pairs of trout in the autumn, what we saw was just a muddy ditch with no water...

I joked to my mate that there might be a fish in a mere puddle of water left in the creek and sure enough a trout and a few whitebait and koura were left, the poor trout was stuck on his side and the side out of the sun had become white and colourless, his gills barely covered with water and struggling to breath....a dead trout the same size lay just out of the lifesaving puddle....

We transferred them into a wa-

ter container and rushed to my workplace to see if they would take to the “riverbed” tank....

It appears that streams like this one are on the way to be added to the death list of lowland Canterbury streams alongside the Irwell, Selwyn, and Hinds, pretty depressing.

While the PD guys have done fantastic work clearing the upper parts of the system and replanting with native flora, if it had a river keeper that would be great.

However progress is coming through!!! And it’s sad, sad, sad.

The government are in denial.

Other anglers report that trout numbers have really dropped over past 2 seasons.

It’s quickly becoming this way in many other areas, especially in the tributaries that dump into Lake Erie as they are quickly running out of water, due to constant residential construction affecting the watershed. Also the smaller streams and rivers are at record low levels, dry in some areas.

You won’t know what you had ‘til it’s gone. What we used to take for granted is disappearing before our eyes.

It has been our chance to remain a tiny paradise in a world awash with pollution and overpopulation, but no, we’ve had to join the stampede to the bottom.

Drought plus excess take = devastion.

Check out #purefly

12

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It’s not dirty dairy – it’s dirty people!

Part Two – The Ruamahunga

By Bill Benfield

Silting from council bulldozing operations in the riverbed.

Ruamahunga.

Ruamahunga, aka Sewermahunga. Gobs of fat and bagged rubbish floating past only adds to the river’s woes.

The Makakahi, north (downstream) from Eketahuna. A combination of very low flow, town discharges, agriculture and warming is turbid water.

Surprisingly, in the riffles there are still small fish and other aquatic life.

It is easy from just a simple travel map to tell where “dirty dairy” is, easier still from Google Earth. Any river with few or any towns and a vast hinterland of dairy farms will be a candidate. All the major Canterbury rivers, such as the Rakaia or the Ashley, fit the bill. But not

is supposed to be much reduced.

Sometimes water conditions indicate that there is significant failure of the Masterton sewerage system.

All the other towns also discharge either into the Ruamahunga or its tributaries. Water take from the aquafers occurs over much of the valley, both for dairy and grape production. The rivers lower reaches all our waterways problems can be are more intensively farmed, and laid solely at the door of dirty dairy. there is both direct water take Looking at three other river systems and agricultural/dairy run off. where other factors are at play. Much of both the river and its sigWe continue a series on the nificant tributaries like the Waiohine state of some of our worst riv- have their beds regularly bulldozed ers, the Waikato River, the and ripped, right from where they Manawatu and the Ruamahunga. exit the gorges down to the lower reaches of the main river. All holes The largest catchment in the and pools are regularly filled with southern North Island is the Rua- gravel “for flood control”. This initialmahunga, it is also known as the ly results in major silting from the Sewermahunga. It is sometimes churned up river bed, and thereafdescribed as one of the dirtiest riv- ter, in a river of shallow water runers in the North Island. From its ning over sun-warmed beds the wamain headwaters in the Tararua ter will be depleted of oxygen. There Ranges to the west it flows out into will be with drifts of brown algae a wide valley with farmlands and spreading from the shallow shores. towns that is the major geographi- In the shallow riffles, blue green cal feature of the Wairarapa. The toxic algae can be seen. Surprisingly two major western tributaries, the there are still native galaxids (whiteWaiohine and the Waingawa also bait) coming in from the sea, but rise in the southern end of the Tara- without monitoring, it is hard to derua’s. Then there are lesser tributar- termine how far up-river they get. ies, some from large catchments in A drift dive carried out by Wellingthe dry eastern hill country. Many ton Fish and Game 3 or 4 years ago of those rivers carry sediment found roughly 2 trout per kilometre from the often clayey country they – a sure sign of a very sick waterway. pass through as well as forestry. The Ruamahunga’s problems are Once out in the valley the Ruama- not simple issues like dirty dairy or hunga picks up the urban discharge intensive agriculture: they are there, of both large and small towns. By far but so too is the loss of river margins the biggest, Masterton, until a year and the consequent destruction of or two ago, operated on a grossly the river environment by bulldozsubstandard consent It was the ing the bed. Urban discharge from major polluter. Its new “land based” both sewage and storm-water is system still allows discharge into still a major problem. In the smaller the river, via diffusers, though this districts of Carterton and South

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Wairarapa there is no land based sewerage discharge at all and it is unlikely there will be as resources are directed to other priorities such

as un-needed mega town halls for small populations. There are also plans for a major water storage scheme to permit widespread ir-

rigation to the drier parts of the valley - that certainly won’t help.

Kai-iwi Lakes decision pending The governance committee who manages the iconic site Kai-iwi Lakes site have recommended to restrict power boats to only one lake of the three Kai Iwi Lakes, near Dargaville in Northland.

The Kaipara District Council was to decide on the recommendation recently but has delayed their decision pending further details.

The lakes are a popular recreation destination to many kiwis and purported to be home to some nationally rare ecosystems and cultural values.

A review of the management plan over the past three years had been emotive for many parties and uncovered a number of issues.

The Taharoa Domain Governance committee agreed unanimously to exclude the use of power boats on Lake Waikere and Lake Kai Iwi, but to allow them on the larger Lake Taharoa under a tighter and improved management regime.

Cultural impacts would be ex-

plored through an impact assessment and revised bylaws would need to be developed.

Restrictions on the lake could include limiting speed to 5 knots within 200 metres of shore, bio security controls, one boat ramp only, compliance and enforcement of rules, a boat licensing system, a monitoring programme and areas dedicated to various activities.

The change would see the relocation of skiing activities to Lake Taharoa.

For the past 40 years the Kai Iwi Ski Club has used Lake Waikere for casual and training skiing as well as the venue for the annual national competitions.

Events such as this may no longer be able to be held if the recommendation proceeds as it would require the closure of the lake to the public.

Chairman Peter Winder said he could not support the total ban favoured by iwi representatives Alan Nesbit and Ric Parore

with a few minor exceptions.

Commissioner John Robertson said he had listened to all the opinions, had searched through the history and would like to see the expressed wishes of Parore Te Awaha accommodated so the area “remained as a reserve for all”. He believed there were a number of concerns that were shared by all parties and this could be away to progress a decision.

After an inhouse debate the committee recommended power boats only on Lake Taharoa under strict condition and to stop the release of trout into the lakes from 2018.

The recommendations did go down well with some members of the public. ​ Spokesperson for the Friends of the Kai Iwi Lakes Rob Stevenson said the committee should have waited for an elected council to make the decision.

“There is not an elected council that would have gone down the path you have gone today,” Stevenson said.

Superb Home; Convert To Lodge, or B and B? dering a council maintained reserve and just 100 metres away (approx.) lies the well renowned Tongariro, one of NZ’s finest trout fishing rivers!

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Trout fishing on Lake Pupuke an alternative method

by Mark Stevenson

After a number of fruitless attempts spinning in every possible spot I could find at Lake Pupuke, I decided to try an alternative method in the hope that I would catch at least something.

So when my father brought me back my quiver tip rod back from the UK. I tried a method I’d been using since childhood.

lowdown on the jetty as shown in the first photo, almost but not quite at right angles to the water.

With the tip slightly bent so as to show any drop back bites that may happen. If you struggle to see the tip then use a back board to help, something that enhances the tip colour. I use an unhooking matt to protect the fish whilst getting the hook out.

unhooking matt to protect the fish

Disgorger fect tool

is to

the unhook

perfish.

Quiver tip rod

Disgorger tool

A Swim feeder is used to attract the fish, corn is used for the hook bait.

I recommend pre baiting a chosen spot with balls of bait.

balls of bait.

And then using the same unballed bait in your swim feeder and on the hook.

unballed bait

The idea is to blanket area with loose feed much like berleying in the sea, which attracts your prey.

With pre baiting the fish gain confidence in taking your offers with no danger present so in theory when you cast your baited hook in they are going be less wary thus increasing the number of bites.

The rod should be positioned

In New Zealand, coarse fishing generally means fishing for perch and tench but also includes koi carp, catfish and goldfish; however in the Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game region, coarse fishing includes rudd.

Coarse fish have larger scales than trout and prefer warm still waters; so the fishing is best in summer when they are active and feeding.

A Fish & Game fishing licence is required and allows you to fish throughout New Zealand except the Taupo area. It is illegal to transfer any fish from one location to another without permits under the Conservation and Fisheries Acts and DOC strongly recommends that anyone catching catfish kill them at the site of capture. They are very hardy and will survive many hours out of water.

All coarse fishing waters locations are named in the regional fishing regulations where details on the method and baits anglers can fish with are defined; with a rod which has either a fixed or running line; with no restriction on the type or number of baits in use; or with no restriction on the use of preparations to attract fish.

In other locations, you cannot use a rod with a fixed line, and there are restrictions on the type and number of baits and on the use of preparations to attract fish.

The following Coarse fishing is permitted in the Fish & Game regions: The only public coarse fishing water in the Northland region is the Waitangi River and its tributaries. Bait fishing is permitted only when fishing for tench in the Waitangi river.

Auckland/Waikato Coarse fishing is present in most lakes north of Hamilton, including Lake Pupuke and Hamilton Lake. This is the only region where you can fish for rudd as well as tench and perch.

The following are designated as coarse fishing waters: all lakes

and ponds except the Mangatangi Reservoir and the Mangatawhiri Reservoir; Mangatawhiri River from the bridge on SH2 to its confluence with the Waikato River; Whangamarino River.

Most rivers are closed from during July, August and September, though all lakes and sections of some rivers are open all year.

You must not kill more than 5 tench in a day. There is no limit for perch or rudd.

You may only use one rod or line at a time when you are fishing for perch, tench or rudd, but you can have any number of rods and running lines assembled.

A roach pole may be used to fish for perch, tench and rudd.

The Rotorua (Eastern region) has no defined coarse fishing rivers.

Lake Taupo only allows for two species of coarse fish: Brown bullhead catfish which can be caught on hook and line or with fyke nets; common goldfish which locals occasionally fish for with hand nets.

There are no gear restrictions for catfishing, except that destructive methods such as gill nets may not be used. Licences are not required.

Catfish are occasionally caught by river mouth and lake shore flyfishers and very rarely by trolling. If trout are caught by a catfisher using gear not permitted for trout fishing (e.g. bait, handlines, setlines or fyke nets) they must be immediately released unharmed. The onus is on a person using these methods to show that they are fishing for catfish and not trout.

There are no defined coarse fishing rivers.

Taranaki region has no defined coarse fishing waters. Lakes Cowley, Ngangana, Rotomanu, Ratapiko, Rotorangi, Wiritoa, Pauri and Kohata all have perch fishing. In these lakes you cannot use a rod with a fixed line, and there are restrictions on the type and number of baits and on the use of preparations to attract fish.

Wellington region has defined coarse fishing waters which are Lake Waitawa, Otaki; Upper & Lower Whitby Lakes; where a catch and release for perch applies; Lake Wairarapa; Ruamahanga Cut-Off; Hokowhitu Lagoon (also known as Centennial Lagoon; and Kouraurau Dam (Upper) Reservoir. No limit for perch or tench In the Nelson/Marlborough region, fishing for coarse fish in all waters is illegal and includes perch, tench, koi carp and gambusia.

West Coast region permits coarse fishing for perch during the open fishing season.

North Canterbury region has defined coarse fishing waters in the Kaiapoi Lakes; Rotokahatau Lake; Monopolies Pond; Lower Okana River downstream of SH 75 at Little River; Lake Forsyth; Lower Old Halswell River downstream from Seabridge Rd; Lower Halswell Canal downstream from the Waihora Gun Club; Lower Avon River downstream from Barbadoes St. West Lake near Halswell is closed to coarse fishing

The defined coarse fishing waters in the Central South Island region are Saltwater Creek; Centennial Park Lake (Timaru); Island Stream (tributary of the Kakanui River) and the Waiareka Stream, a tributary of the Kakanui River.

There is no defined coarse fishing in Otago or Southland waters.

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13

Three charged after poached trout seized at spawning stream

Officers seized 17 fish along with an iron bar and a golf club.

Three Rotorua men have been charged with possessing 17 trout poached from a closed spawning stream at Lake Rotoiti earlier this winter.

The three appeared in the Rotorua District Court on 25 August 2016 charged with unlawful possession of sports fish.

Eastern Fish & Game officers say the group was intercepted after a car was spotted parked by

the roadside on May 15, 2016.

Fish & Game and Police officers found the group including youths under 17, on private property near the spawning stream in possession of 17 “freshly killed trout in spawning condition”.

Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp says it is disturbing that Fish & Game is yet again dealing with poachers – not long after two local men were jailed

No Judgement (A story from Ken Drummond)

One evening I was on the Waimo eh A girl on a white horse comes riding up the river Maori, she says to me please don’t go round the corner Why I say, because the boys are coming with a gill net she says, They’re using shotguns under the bank chasing ten in from a pool.

Then it clicked coz I had seen their parallel net weight tracks in river sand.

What do you do with them?

I tell you all their neighbours will be eating fresh fish tonight she says, Split in half, grilled

for poaching after sentencing in the Rotorua District Court.

“Trout poaching such as this has the potential to severely impact on the trout fisheries Fish & Game manages,” says Mr van Dorp.

Wild born rainbow trout that are often taken make up an important part of Lake Rotoiti’s fishery, supplementing hatchery raised fish and providing genetic diversity, he says.

“As the most popular trout fishing lake in the Rotorua district, the success of the Lake Rotoiti fishery contributes significantly to tourism and the regional economy.”

Mr van Dorp says the low survival rate of a female trout’s eggs drops further if spawning grounds are disturbed, and poachers walking through spawning streams is enough to damage or kill trout eggs and young trout fry “which are at early stages in their lives and very vulnerable.”

The maximum penalty for trout poaching is two years imprisonment and/or a $100,000 fine. with tomato and onions, Families will be eating well, Even those who have lost their jobs.

So you think they would risk poaching Even off their own land, If they had enough to eat?

They’re hungry.

They saw me and we’re going to run, Or jump into the sharp blackberries so I whistle piercingly twice into the evening bush Where in the spring the kowhai bloom so yellow the fantails are drunk on nectar; Yes, it’s their own land.

I point downstream the other way and give them a thumbs up; You’ve gotta try and understand eh No judgment.

Waimarino River, Turangi After the strong response to the Lake Rotoiti poaching incident, the following story should be compulsory reading…

The question is to put yourself in Kenny’s boots – what would you have done? http://www.tongarirorivermotel.co.nz/daily-report/

Uawa River estuary clean-up Gisborne’s Uawa River and estuary will get a clean-up with funding of $500,000 from the Te Mana o Te Wai fund.

This two-year, $575,000 project involves a partnership with local iwi, Tolaga Bay Area School, Massey University, the Gisborne District Council and the Allan Wilson Centre.

The focus is not only on improving

A 7 year old and a 4 year old are in their bedroom.

“You know what”, says 7 year old, “I think it’s time we started swearing. When we go downstairs for breakfast I’ll swear first then you”.

“Ok”, says 4 year old.

Mum asks 7 year old what he wants for breakfast. “I’ll have Coco Pops, bitch!”

WHACK, he flew out of his chair crying his eyes out.

Mum looked at 4 year old and said sternly, “And what do you want?”

“Dunno but it won’t be **** coco pops.”

water quality but also on restoring whitebait spawning grounds and using the project for environmental and science education.

Work will also be done on restoring whitebait spawning grounds, by surveying spawning grounds and fencing and planting of sites where they spawn. The two-year project also works towards increas-

ing iwi capability in the management of freshwater resources by the development of training resources around water quality and restoration, public seminars and workshops and community-based monitoring of the health of the ecosystem.

The Te Mana o Te Wai Fund was announced as part of Budget 2014.

14

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DOC’s Wakatipu 1080 Drops a “Fraud”

by James Speedy

The Department of Conservation’s aerial drops of 1080 scheduled for the Dart, Routeburn and Caples Valley from September 5, have been labelled “a fraud” by a member of a long standing family at the head of Lake Wakatipu. James Vient said most of the local community were against “The Battle for the Birds” programme which would involve dropping the ecosystem poison across 720,000 hectares this year.

James Vient was quoted as saying he believed the 1080 programme was “the biggest fraud in New Zealand’s history.”

But DOC spokesman ranger Chris Hankin said the “Battle for the Birds” was a “science based programme”. He conceded “a small number” of birds would die but many more birds would die if the rats and stoats preyed on the birds.

However James Vient disputed that.

“The decrease in birds around our farm and adjoining bush (after 1080) is just dramatic,” he said.

James Vient’s father Jim, said the programme was “a waste of money” and there was “nonsense” talked by DOC about its effectiveness in killing rats and stoats.

Unlike previous drops, deer repellent would be used said DOC’s Chris Hankin.

But South Island hunter and conservationist Lewis Hore, said hunters or any group such as NZDA were being ‘uneducated’ in asking for deer repellent. In the previous 1080 drops in the area, no deer repellent was used.

“It wants a bit of backbone and fight as the Wakatipu whitetail herd is of national importance to hunters,” he said.

Laurie Collins, spokesman for the nation-wide Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust said deer repellent was a “worthless sop” to hunters.

“It doesn’t work but it appeases naive hunters. Don’t be fooled.

DOC doesn’t give a stuff about deer. To many DOC managers the only good deer is a dead one.”

It was equally naive for the NZ Deerstalkers Association to pin its faith in the government’s Game Council which by statute was responsible directly to the Minister of Conservation and therefore “gagged”.

“It’s Maggie Barry as Conservation Minister urged by Environment Minister Nick Smith who is directing the massive 1080 drops. The Game Council is obliged to her.”

Laurie Collins said it was not only the Wakatipu area under siege from 1080. The Lewis Pass area was due for a drop before the end of the year. It was done just three or so years ago. He said he recently put out apple and bread baits to see if rats or possums were there. None were touched.

“There is no pest problem in the Lewis Pass.”

Laurie Collins took DOC’s Chris Hankin to task for his claim 1080 programmes were ”science-based.”

“Let’s face it, a lot of science is paid for, commissioned by DOC. Scientists are in an awkward position, compromised by whether they should bite the hand that feeds it and therefore not get any more contract work. It’s a matter whether the science is credible or a jack-up.”

But there was credible science said Laurie Collins, that proved 1080 killed birds. Other work showed after 1080, there were stimulated rat plagues and within a few years after the poison, surviving rats bounced back in population explosions, which in turn mushroomed numbers of stoat which preyed on the “banquet of rats everywhere”.

Lewis Hore said the recent statement by Prime Minister John Key of

NZ being“100% pure”was a bad joke.

“He as Minister of Tourism is just being irresponsibly flippant. It’s not a good look for the huge number of overseas tourists often walking the tracks, using the area. The 1080 programme is just another money wasting exercise to give government’s SOE 1080 factory, a profit it’s doing damage to not only native wildlife but tourism too.”

Tony Orman of Marlborough said the “predator free” concept of the Minister of Conservation was ludicrous. Predators were everywhere, life existed. In New Zealand native falcons preyed on native birds such as tuis, native moreporks preyed on native small birds and invertebrates.

“I could be flippant and ask is Maggie Barry going to target native falcons and moreporks as predators,” he said. “The reality is she is, ignorantly and irresponsibly, because 1080 either directly or by secondary poisoning will kill falcon, moreporks and scavengers such as harrier hawks, kea, weka and others.”

SHOT’s Laurie Collins - “eer repellent is a sop

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MDC taking the lead – WRC wagging the tail It is important to understand that Council is not regulating fishing activities, as this is a Ministry for Primary Industries responsibility.

Council is regulating activities that disturb the seabed.

Council hopes that by protecting these hot spots of biodiversity that it will help maintain biodiversity in the 725,000 hectare area of coastal waters The Marlborough District Council it administers under the RMA. has placed a prohibition on sea- Protecting these areas from the bed dredging and bottom-trawling damage and destruction caused at ecologically significant marine by heavy trawl doors and dredgsites in the recently notified Marl- es should also help to maintain borough Environment Plan (MEP). the abundance of fish, which The ecologically significant ma- preferentially use these fragrine sites are essentially remnants ile and slow-growing habitats. of diverse ecosystems.

Their The Waikato Regional Council has biodiversity values are high, and the ability to do the same in and they are important habitats for around our ecological marine arshellfish, invertebrates, and fish. eas but their Coastal Plan is ten Council has placed this prohibition years out of date. The Hauraki Gulf because it is compelled to do so, Marine Spacial Plan is under reas a matter of national importance view at the moment and should under section 6 of the Resource be completed by the end of this Management Act 1991 (RMA), to year. It is being written by an inprotect habitats of significance dependent Stakeholder Working for indigenous flora and fauna. Group using a collaborative proCouncil also has responsibilities cess called Sea Change Tai Timu under s12 to regulate activities Tai Pari. See their website for more that disturb the seabed, and un- info: http://seachange.org.nz/ der s30 to maintain biodiversity. The danger here is that members of the Seachange Group are part of the Hauraki Gulf Forum and with the current illegal processes being adopted by the Hauraki Gulf Forum it is unlikely that any recommendations will favour recreational fishers and their recommendation need to be closely monitored by all interested parties to ensure that NO unscrupulous behaviour by the members is allowed to sneak through.

The WRC has recently begun the review of the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan, but it is in the early stages of project planning and information gathering. They do not yet have a position on seafloor protection, but are very interested in developments in Marlborough.

The Hauraki Gulf marine spatial plan will contain a lot of information about the effects of fishing and it is likely to propose a range of controls to protect the environment and sustain the fishery resource.

One of the biggest dangers is who is representing recreational fishers.

WRC expect to get a lot of guidance from the spatial plan as the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan will one of the ways the Hauraki Gulf marine spatial plan is implemented.

Regional councils are also required to maintain biodiversity and we must protect areas of significant indigenous habitat (by sections 30(1)(ga) and 6(c) of the Resource Management Act).

At the moment, the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan identifies a number of Areas of Significant Conservation Value (ASCV) around the region.

These are shown in the maps of the plan (Appendix III), and the specific ecological, geological and cultural values are listed in Appendix IV. Those values must be taken into account whenever Council is considering a resource consent application.

The plan is online at: http://www.waikatoregion.govt. nz/Council/Policy-and-plans/Rulesand-regulation/Regional-Coastal-Plan/Regional-Coastal-Plan/# There are a number of concerns regarding damage by commercial fishing in areas of the Hauraki Gulf outside of the trawl line around the Coromandel Peninsula. Is the WRC considering protection for some of these areas, similar to what

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the Marlborough District Council has implemented in the Sounds?

The MPI is responsible for making sure fisheries are managed sustainably, setting catch limits and other restrictions like minimum size, and controls on fishing methods to protect vulnerable species and aquatic environments; monitoring fishing activity; resource management and planning.

Yet we see the Hauraki Gulf Forum effectively interfering in the MPI’s area of responsibility with Council

staff and Councillors making decisions on issues in which they have no mandate, their purpose is to put ​ forward proposals to the government.

All Regional Councils around the country that have clauses similar to the MDC have the ability to protect our ecological sites from damage by bulk harvesters and it is us the voters that need to enquire as to why Councils are not taking responsibility to protect these habitats.

All we need is for a few to

15

take the Councils to task and make sure it happens.

Readers can find out more about the significant marine sites programme at: http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/Environment/ Coastal/Coastal-Ecosystems/ Significant-Marine-Sites.aspx And come to their own conclusions as to why the WRC is reluctant to act.

Photo credit Rob Davidson.

Trawler damage to seafloor The Marlborough District Council is the first council in New Zealand to use its powers to protect biologically significant habitats, home to fragile “living habitats”.

Dragging heavy steel doors over the sea floor is archaic and an antiquated practice due to the severe damage and destruction of extensive areas of seafloor by trawlers.

Bottom trawling and dredging inside 12 nautical miles around our coastline should be banned and it’s up to our Councils to ensure that this happens.

The significant sites are spread right across the Sounds, including seabed habitats at Perano Shoal in the Queen Charlotte Sound, Picnic Bay in the Pelorus Sound and Rangitoto Islands near d’Urville Island, as well as Croisilles Harbour, where

there is a scallop fishery, and the entrance to Tennyson Inlet were exempt because bottom trawling and dredging did not pose a threat to the values of the sites but trawling still does damage.

Professor Simon Thrush, head of the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Auckland, said repeated bottom trawling and dredging suspended fine sediment and damaged organisms making them susceptible to predators and radically changed the sea floor.

Returning significant sites to normal took decades to hundreds of years, Thrush said.

The new rule was a positive move by the council that would be closely watched by other local authorities, he said.

“It starts an open debate for

the rest of New Zealand to analyze the different impacts on coastal marine systems. It gets us thinking what we have lost.

“In the ocean it’s out of sight, out of mind until systems start to fail and fisheries start collapsing. By that time it gets to the point it’s really hard to fix it.”

Council coastal scientist Dr Steve Urlich said ecologically significant sites contained fragile biogenic, or “living habitats”, which formed three-dimensional structures on the seabed.

These included the coral-like colonial animals bryozoans and tubeworms, seagrass, rhodolith [calcified algae] and sponges.

The habitats supported marine invertebrates and fish such as blue cod and snapper.

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Opinion

Game of two halves John Key is playing with us all in his ‘Game of two halves’ regarding our good natured economy and his role in killing pests under the guise of eradicating all birdlife, animals, rodents and invertebrates from our National Parks and waterways.

NZ is losing its landscapes to farms, inshore fishing to his ‘export double’ policy, rivers to pollution and public money is wasted on poison drops.

He has his history a much tainted one which many allege is colluding with the USA and financial concerns as well apparent ‘special deals’ with chinese interests that are taking over companies, land, housing and many other interests which he benefits from.

Is he selling us short? It certainly appears so. While the already wealthy businessmen and investors get richer the low income earner struggles to feed their families and buy housing. Wages have not kept up with basis food increases, rents have risen beyond the reach of many.

The powerful social media weapon has shown up the greed, corruption and collusion that the government appears to have been involved with on many fronts. Things are definitely not as they should be.

Kiwis are starting to learn the truth about the economy and how it affects our day to day living standards.

Many low income kiwis rely on their ability to catch and kill wild game animals and fish which frequent our waters and forests.

It is our birthright which it appears he is taking away from us.

DoC and Ospri the pest control company are both working together for a poisoning protection scheme in the purported interests of our prime agriculture industry.

How does the scheme work? The

dispersal of the world’s most lethal poison, by helicopter into all New Zealand’s mountains, rivers and streams until the year 2055 and regardless that TB Testing has proved that there is no TB in these particular mountains or any other mountains in New Zealand.

There has been little notification to New Zealanders over 63 years, who tramp, hunt and fish in these mountains and parks.

There has been little notification to commercial contractors working in all public forest parks.

There has been no notification to international visitors.

There is no Cultural or Heritage value in the programme or consideration to all New Zealanders that jointly own our forest parks.

This dispersal is made regardless of human race, animal, water resource harm, or potential risks to the environment and its effects.

The only persons that are notified are some land owners and deerstalking groups. Many by emails and as circumstances change so do these positions so the emails go unanswered and in many cases unreceived.

The science behind the use of this poison is flawed and only addressed where concerned people are not provided an alternative or understanding from any supportive group against this poison.

Notification of poison drops to government departments is not compliant to all other national park users.

Has there been any due diligence to the possible economic or tourism consequences should this government poison plan go ‘tits up’. Not likely as they won’t say.

Public meetings for discussion was for two hours duration and

at times where many people with limited knowledge had questions which went unanswered regarding the health and safety of humans, natural resource issues or the use of any other prevention measures by law and regulation.

The overwhelming distraction for this poison drops made in the name of conservation is for birds only and so I see no reason to research environmental bird benefits until the above answers are addressed.

Although research has been obtained, to show major impacts in all areas, Ospri continues to play low key scenarios to all evidential and scientific cases.

The government seems to be hell bent on pursuing its suicidal track to losing the next elections.

The question is which political party will overturn this government’s decision to poison our mountains, national parks and streams.

It seems that Key has taken the ‘seven pieces of silver’ increased his profits at the expense of many kiwis and sold us all off to the yellow road builders who plan to feed their families with ‘our’ fish. Must go down in history as the most environmentally destructive PM we have ever known.

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MPI job cuts ‘will impact fisheries’ Proposed job cuts at the Ministry of Primary Industries will decimate its compliance staff - and result in unacceptable risk to our most important export sectors, the Public Service Association says.

MPI has confirmed up to 49 jobs may go, including around 30 in its compliance team - around 15 per cent of its existing workforce.

PSA National Secretary Glenn Barclay says there are grave concerns about the process being followed, and is urging the

ministry to return to the table to discuss a better way forward.

“We support attempts to streamline processes, but the Ministry hasn’t explained to us how these cuts will do that,” Mr Barclay says.

“Cuts to the compliance directorate could swamp the remaining staff with work, meaning that fewer checks are performed and biosecurity risks will increase as a result.”

Mr Barclay is inviting the Ministry to explain why it believes these cuts are necessary, and how they

will deliver value for New Zealand.

“The proposed cuts will hit fisheries, animal welfare and food safety - and will damage the Ministry’s ability to investigate and respond to risks like a foot-and-mouth outbreak or a fruit fly infestation.

“The State Services Commission has told MPI it should not attempt further restructures, and we really need to hear why the Ministry is ploughing on regardless.”

Sea lion decline raises controversy The Ministry for Primary Industries is up to their old tricks of protecting the commercial fishing industry at the demise of the sea lion which is now under major threat due to squid fishing around areas where the sea lions live.

“The MPI is very close to the fishing industry and often acts as an advocate for them, and yet they also have role of managing species like the sea lion,” Forest and Bird’s Kevin Hackwell claims, arguing this fact reflects “a conflict of interest.”

And DoC comes to the MPIs rescue claiming that a bacterial disease called Klebsiella is the top threat to sea lions, while the evidence is that many drown after they are tangled in squid fishing nets.

The World Wildlife Fund is calling for an independent investigation, due to the overwhelming evidence.

MPI permit the squid fishing industry a “kill quota” each season of 68 sea lions, and the industry have

developed “SLEDs” or sea lion exclusion devices to reduce sea lion bycatch. This kill quota does not take into account that it is often pregnant mothers hunting for food that are caught in nets, so her death also results in the death of her unborn pup and the pup she’s left on shore.

Nevertheless, Otago University scientist Bruce Robertson pointed out that there is not enough evidence to prove sea lions aren’t killed or injured by the devices then washed out of the nets, preventing their bodies from being counted in the quota.

“Unfortunately what happens is the Government assumes that sea lions that get out of nets are in tip top condition and that 95 percent of them will survive. Where that number comes from is quite controversial,” he highlighted.

The scientist considers that the Government’s threat management plan started with good intentions, but the process is flawed.

Scientists review the collected science then it gets passed on to the fishery managers in the MPI, then the scientists are told to get stuffed.

Techniques like jigging that are perfectly safe for sea lions are not used.

The Government’s principle for managing biodiversity is to take a precautionary approach, which means that conservation shouldn’t be postponed because of a lack of knowledge. The MPI is failing to take this approach, which equates to gambling with the endangered species.

DoC stated there are roughly 10,000 New Zealand sea lions left on the planet, some on the Otago coast and most in the sub-antarctic Islands.

Its estimated pup numbers saw a 50 per cent decline between 1998 and 2009, which resulted in conservation and MPI officials developing a threat management plan to work out what’s killing them.

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Mass killings of seabirds unnecessary A recently published report by the MPI show the huge scale of deliberate commercial fishing bycatch on seabirds, marine mammals and turtles.

All of this bycatch killing could be avoided but the commercial fishers are blaming the animals and birds instead of taking responsibility and adopting practices already agreed upon.

81 dolphins were killed around the jack mackerel trawl area between 2013 and 2014, , along with an estimated 2,277 seabirds, among them threatened species such as Salvin’s molly hawk and white chinned petrel along with 387 fur seals in other trawl fisheries. The most frequent captures of seabirds are albatrosses and petrels which are reported as bycatch. Other less frequent seabirds such as shags, penguins and sea gulls are also reported as by-catch.

New Zealand has more than 80 species of seabirds breeding around our coastline and is the centre of seabird diversity.

Government observers which are present only on some vessels are tasked to record any protected species captured yet they are simply not doing their jobs in order that their stay on board is comfortable. If they don’t comply they get cold meals and an uncomfortable trip. Some observers have reported that it is too dangerous to take a hard line and many sightings go unreported while others are scared that they will get hurt.

The Observer data on protected species that is reported is maintained by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), with identification of captured animals carried out by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

The information is so inadequate that the MPI estimates much of its data.

An analysis by Wellington-based Dragonfly Data Science has shown the “total observable captures” - an estimate of the captures that would have been reported, had observers been present on all fishing vessels.

There may have also been additional mortalities, such as birds struck by fishing gear but not brought on board the vessel, that were not recorded by observers.

These are referred to as “cryptic mortalities” and were not included in the estimates of to-

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tal captures, nor was there any evaluation of potential survival of seabirds recorded as captured but subsequently released alive.

The methods Dragonfly used for the estimation followed those described in technical reports on bycatch estimation for seabirds and marine mammals.

Over the 2013-14 year, there were 512 observed captures of all birds in trawl fisheries.

These included 125 sooty shearwaters, 105 white-chinned petrel, 71 New Zealand white-capped albatross, 45 Salvin’s albatross, 34 southern Buller’s albatross and 39 fulmars, petrels, prions and shearwaters.

The others included flesh-footed shearwater (19), albatrosses (13), grey petrel (11), Westland petrel (9),

black petrel (8), prions (7), smaller albatrosses (4), Procellaria petrels

(4), storm petrels (2), short-tailed shearwater (2), northern giant petrel (2) and common diving petrel (2).

There were further cases of single catches of shearwaters, northern Buller’s albatross, mid-sized petrels and shearwaters, greybacked storm petrels, fairy prions, black-browed albatrosses, Antarctic prion, Chatham Island albatross and Buller’s albatross.

Tougher controls on the fishing industry are required and observers must be placed on every vessel.

Dolphins shouldn’t be being killed to catch jack mackerel which are often used for bait, fishmeal, and in petfood, it is inexcusable.

The MPI needs to clean up its act by making sure there are observers on every boat, and ensuring that regular audits are done properly, and by taking stronger enforcement action, and prosecuting vessels where repeated bykill occurs.

The commercial fishing industry is guilty of letting every New Zea-

held accountable as they are not fit people to be in charge of one of our most lucrative industries.

MPI Managers who do not carry out effective monitoring and better management practices should be sidelined as New Zealand’s clean green image is so badly tarnished by their reluctance to do their jobs effectively.

A wide range of industry-led initiatives to prevent captures has been developed, but some fishers are being allowed to ignore this practice.

Every single commercial fishing vessel must have a camera on board and have AIS fitted so culprits can be identified and prosecuted.

Too many excuses are being offered up by incompetent MPI Fisheries Compliance and Management staff and they are all but colluding with commercial fishers in allowing the killings to continue.

The industry contributes around $6 million each year through levies towards research on protected species and observers to monitor fishing vessels’ activities.

And when the observers are

The 158 fur seals seen dead by observers in trawl nets, with hoki and southern blue whiting fisheries responsible for most of the estimated 387 fur seals killed in trawl nets.

lander down with its repeated denials of any wrong doing and those CEOs that stand up and try to cover up the bad practices should be

forced to ignore for their own safety at sea something is drastically wrong with the programme.

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Waikato river trout contest 2016 Yes, it’s on again! Nine days incorporating 2 weekends at the end of school holidays, so plenty of opportunities for the whole family to participate! Make sure you put the dates in your diary now. - Saturday October 1st to Sunday 9th.

Further details to follow soon once we have all sponsors confirmed, but the competition will be very similar to last year’s- about $6,500 in prizes in adults & juniors sections, plus

teams section and ladies. We’ve reduced the adult entry fee to $35 this year, juniors remain at $15, and team entry $20 for 4. Main sponsors are Kilwell NZ, Sweetmans and also Genesis Energy, plus plenty of strong support from a host of businesses.

Weigh in stations again will be Sweetmans Reel Fishin’ in Huntly, Hunting and Fishing in Te Rapa, and Cambridge Sportsworld, plus of course all evening weigh ins are at Taupiri Tav-

ern. The Tavern will also host the prizegiving on the 9th, starting about 4 pm.

We’ve got 3 new committee members - Steve and Tracey Farrar plus Sharnay Cocup, so plenty of fresh ideas coming in this year!

The river is fishing well, but heading into full mode with the latest rain, however fish can still be found on the edges around cover. Late June and July were both outstanding fishing periods for our local area.

More details soon- tight lines!

Fish dumping less than 1 percent of prosecutions According to an Official Information Request MPI has prosecuted less than 1 percent of those persons caught dumping fish. Since 2004 only 28 dumping have been prosecuted and when you compare the number of commercial fishing vessels that we have and the tonnage they catch it shows a shocking bias.

When you consider the MPI cover-ups on the MPI’s fishing investigations Operation Achilles, Hippocamp and Overdue reports where a leaked video showed five out of six boats openly dumping off Timaru and Oamaru. Inspectors estimated between 20 and

100 percent of some quota fish were being dumped every haul. It is believed that the Crown Law office recommended prosecution, the MPI for reasons unknown failed to take action.

Martyn Dunne Director General MPI ordered an independent inquiry in last May by Michael Heron QC, which is still ongoing.

However, the figures show dumping charges make up less than 1 percent of that, and just one in five prosecutions are carried out against commercial fishing operations.

Over half of the prosecutions were against recreational fishermen,

which shows that the MPI are giving the commercial industry the wrong idea. It is basically telling them that they are unlikely to get prosecuted.

It’s little wonder the industry blatantly dumps fish even on camera.

The industry has little regard for and no respect for the MPI. The MPI have deliberately mislead the public when they have stated that they were prosecuting 300 fisheries cases a year. It’s a blatant lie. They have said that people should be relaxed about all the evidence of fish dumping, because they go around and prosecute lots of people, they have mislead the

public because they weren’t actually prosecuting people for fish dumping, mostly they were prosecuting recreational fisherman for other things.

It is very clear that the MPI is basically working for the commercial fishing industry, rather than for the

people of New Zealand, what we need is for a department that works for the people of New Zealand to protect the fish stocks, and not to assist the industry to export the fish.

MPI has always acknowledged that commercial dumping oc-

Join the fight to stop 1080 Dear Sir Since I started researching and posting my opposition to 1080 use in NZ , I have received many posts attempting to negate and ridicule my statements, from a few 1080 fans who I suspect are connected to DoC, Forest and Bird, farming interests, etc.

But I have also received many, many more positive comments and likes, from many concerned individuals also opposed to 1080 in NZ .

Thanks for your support! It’s obvious to me that the general populace of NZ is almost unanimously against 1080, and many have expressed distrust of DoC and their attempts to justify 1080 use thru so called “peer reviewed scientific papers”.

I must tell you that I have personal experience where a peer reviewed paper was found to be totally fraudulent here in Hawaii, and I am sure many out

there can relate similar experiences.

The assumption that all scientists are honest is very naive. This kind of fraud has a long history in the oil industry, pollution issues, big industry, etc., anywhere where “money talks and bullshit walks!”

And 1080 in NZ is big business for some. So when we can review some of these claims by DoC about the effectiveness and safety of 1080 use, and see glaring contradictions or outright lies, supported by “peer reviewed studies”, I can only cast a suspicious eye on the studies.

Who are the “peers” that reviewed these studies?

Do they work for entities that may benefit from 1080 use? From what I can gather there has been virtually no research done in NZ on the possible effects of 1080 exposure to humans, even though NZ citi-

curs in New Zealand waters, and it is a problem, as it is in every commercial fishery around the world.

“We continue to dedicate significant resources to understand the level of the problem and to address it,” a spokesperson said.

zens have been subjected to a 52 year champagne that has spread tons and tons of 1080 all over NZ. According to many non NZ studies I have read, this is an extreme health hazard.

Now the DoC and other 1080 industry entities want to engage in an accelerated 1080 program, and they want permission from government to continue it for another 40 plus years! I say NO! I say stop it in its tracks now! I say put those huge financial resources involved in the 1080 industry into research and alternative techniques to remove pests, many of which are in use already, and proving much more effective than 1080!

Stop wasting time writing bogus studies to justify a failed program of poisoning that is putting our environment and human health at risk!

See 1080 Eyewitness on Facebook and join the fight to stop 1080!

Louie the fish!

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DIDYMO DAVE’S REPORT THERE WAS A TIME

When I looked forward to the winter fishing on the Taupo tributaries, fishing with mates, spawning runs of beautiful trout.

During the summer I would read fishing books and as a trip to Taupo approached, oh the sleepless nights and excitement. But sadly a lot of that emotion has gone for me.

To be honest I can’t wait these days till it’s all over, in fact I don’t even want it to begin each year. Now I accept that the winter fishing is good for local business, the economy etc., but the reason behind my statement

TK Wade pulls a bag of discarded rubbish out

is quite simple: I cannot believe how fishermen treat these beautiful rivers and the destruction that goes on.

It is simply beyond belief and in particular the Hinemaiaia Stream above

Billie Morehu picks up rotten meat from the carpark

the main highway bridge has had another real thrashing this winter.

I understand that when a river is fishing well there will be pressure from anglers, tracks well-worn and even with the best of intentions some rubbish and nylon will be inadvertently dropped so I don’t expect perfection and I’m happy to help out picking up some litter n nylon etc. But what’s happening is on another scale to that.

For instance, rotten meat left in carparks, nylon dropped all over the place, rubbish for Africa, toilet paper in the bushes that’s not buried, trees smashed along the edge of the stream, other native trees chopped down, the list goes on and on.

I Mandarin peelings that some bloke left on riverbank all over the place

spend a lot of time on the Hinemaiaia Stream and it’s sometimes necessary to do a daily rubbish patrol so the area looks nice for guides bringing their clients in and for good people to enjoy.

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There was a track out to the stream, been there for years but someone cut a new track chopping down native trees.

A daily rubbish patrol? Yip, that’s right, that’s how bad it’s got.

And a dead fish patrol has also been

A beautiful Kanuka tree that was cut down n left for no reason

necessary in the past though I must admit not so much this season.

This happens when a fishermen keeps 2 fish, then lands a better 3rd one which he keeps and throws the poorest of the 1st two in the bushes = he only has 2 and can keep on fishing.

So in summary I accept that not all fishermen behave in this manner which means we are probably dealing with a minority but should we tolerate this behaviour or do something about it and what do we do with fishermen who don’t have common sense and decency?

Well, there is a group of people who after this season have made the decision “that’s enough”, the rivers need protection for future generations of people to fish and enjoy.

This group are currently looking at ideas to catch the culprits and that’s going to make for a very interesting season next year.

I wonder who will get caught doing what?

Now TK is 14 and Billie is 13. What sort of tosspot acts in a way that 2 young men need to go around as volunteers cleaning up after them.

What sort of woman would want to be married to a bloke who doesn’t look after his country. Look out, it’s all on!!!

These 5 photos will give you an idea of what is going on up the Hinemaiaia Stream. It’s more than rubbish.

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19

Early Bird Bait & Tackle Report Early Bird Bait & Tackle Report We have just had one of the best winter weeks for a very long time, after two months of wind and rain.

It was well worth waiting for with the boat ramps along the coast very busy. I have not heard of anyone not getting their limit of fish or near to it and with the many workups up and down the coast it is quite easy on the right gear.

Fishing out of Waikawau on the mussel farms has been very good and many guys launching on the other side of the Firth have been coming over to this side for a better days fishing.

Fish of 45 cm are common with some a hell of a lot bigger. The heaviest Snapper I have weighed in over the passed fortnight was 23lb, pulled out of 22 metres of water on the north end of the Mussel Farms opposite Wilsons Bay. This area has been most popular recently with many big fish including some specimen John Dory. One lady and her crew pulled in six JDs along with Snapper and Kahawai.

Some Gurnard have been caught but certainly not as many as last month. Live bait rigs are being used more and more with some good Kingies getting caught by both Kayakers and land based fishermen.

I have been told not to give specific land based spots as there is often not a lot of room as the day goes by. However; what I will say is anywhere north of Waiomu on either beach or rocks should produce one or two nice fish. Getting up early and being on the water at dawn or earlier can be very rewarding as this is when the fish are keen to fill their faces and then once the tide changes they will go off the feed.

Some fishermen need more patience when this happens because moving around doesn’t always pay off. Stay put, and change tactics with maybe a live bait, metal jig or rubber squid; not only do you have more chances to catch fish but it can be fun. As I have said before; at this time of year, using berley is a must and using it correctly will produce more fish.

If you don’t want to catch Kahawai, don’t have your berley on the surface. Send it down the anchor rope so it can work its’ magic. One gentleman, who came in yesterday, told me his berley is normally on the bottom but the netting keeps getting attacked. Use a proper purpose made berley pot and this shouldn’t happen. If anyone needs an extra net on their pot, come and see me as I have just got some in. Christmas is not too far away and you really should be looking at getting your gear ready, cleaned and maintained.

I have just got a range of ‘Fladen’ Spinning reels which will do you and anyone justice. Fladen is a European Company originating in Sweden, who produce some excellent rods and reels, most of which have recently been tested out in the Firth by a good friend of mine. He has rated them superb with some of his mates now wanting to have some.

I also stock Flasher Rigs, Lures Jigs and much more by the same company, all of which is top quality and doesn’t fail to catch fish. One of their new rods which I now stock is 10’ in length and made from a new material, the label reads: “Constructed using extremely fine basalt fibres as used in the aerospace industry giving exceptional durability and increased resist-

ance to extremes of heat, moisture and UV light. The properties of basalt, a volcanic rock, are similar to those of carbon fibre and fibreglass, but the physic mechanical properties are significantly better.

Not only are these rods incredibly strong, but they have perfect power transmission, enhanced fighting action, high torque and lifting power.

This is the slimmest, toughest, lightest rod that you could ever imagine with a casting weight of 50-150g”.

This is just one of the many top quality rods we have in stock ranging from 5’ boat rods to 15’ surf casters.

For all you dart players out there, I have decided to sell top quality darts both for the professional and the learner. I am in the process of getting things set up but won’t be ready until later in the year.

There will be a dart board set up for practising if need be and a good selection of flights and stems etc. Everybody is welcome to come and have a browse, as I know that some of my stock is not sold anywhere else in the area. I’m on the State Highway heading into Thames on the right hand side.

We are small on the outside, big on the inside with a massive selection of tackle. I look after my customers so they have a pleasant experience and will hopefully come back again. If you need a bit of information, come and see me or phone me. If I don’t answer the phone I’ll ring you back.

Spend $50.00 on bait and tackle and I’ll give you free ice. For all you big spenders, you will get 10% discount, “now that has to be worth a call”.

Tight Lines everyone.

Ramco Boats now available in the Waikato Extras available on request:

? Rod Holders ? Bimini ? Boarding ladder ? Road cover ? Front and rear seat squabs ? All electronics- sounders etc ? Ramco 5 year structural warranty ? Rear Seat (moveable) ? Ramco Alloy Trailers available ? Alloy Ski pole Finance available to approved ? Bait board bracket with bait board purchasers ? Engine of your choice ? supply & fitted ? Alloy folding rocket launcher

New Boat Sales and Service

NEW BOATS READY FOR INSPECTION

SPECIAL DEAL Aug/Sept only

SPECIAL FOR the months of Aug/Sept only, a Ramco 5050 cuddy, with voyager trailer, Yamaha 60hp 4-stroke Reg/WOF, all ready to go starter package. Normal retail $37983.00 - Special starter package price $35995.00

2016 Ramco 5450 Prelude and Voyager trailer basic package only (does not include motor or extras).

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2016 Ramco 5800 Interceptor and voyager trailer - basic package only (does not include motor or extras) Priced from $34,522.28

07 849 4936 027 473 4075 Phil Birss Marine, 26 Euclid Ave, Te Rapa, Hamilton

Open Sat 9 am- 2pm

Phil.birss@xtra.co.nz www.philbirssmarine.co.nz

Super Spring Specials

Flasher Rig 12 pack only $30 Fin Nor Troppo Stick 15-24kg

50% off Spin Rod Max wasn$199 Pick Pluck Reel Cases now $129

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Okuma Nano Matrix 7'0 Soft bait rod was $199

. KRU 180N Manual Inflatable Life Jacket

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