Fishing and Outdoors March 2018 issue

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March 2018

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Fishing boat cameras: Who is telling the truth?

New Zealand is behind the times New Zealand is behind the times when it comes to putting cameras on fishing boats. The Australian industry has had them running very successfully, as the cameras forced fishers to be considerably more honest in reporting their catches.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has highlighted the Australian model of how cameras could be used effectively to cut down on the bycatch of birds and mammals such as dolphins.

But, this is in contrast to the government, which is now considering scrapping the cameras altogether.

New Zealand would become the only member of “Five-Eyes”, not to have cameras on fishing boats.

Australia first began trialling cameras on its tuna boats two-and-ahalf years ago. The country’s first reports on the difference they had made, showed a 700 percent increase in reporting by skippers of bycatch, of seabirds and mammals.

In Australia and also in New Zealand currently, fishers primarily record their catch in a log book.

What they found in Australia is when there was a camera on the boat and what was being reported in the log book could be verified against camera footage, fishers were suddenly a lot more honest.

Australia and their Five Eyes partners are not the only countries employing the technology - five Pacific Island countries are using it as well, including Fiji, which had 17 long lining vessels equipped with cameras and planned to roll them out on another fifty boats.

Compare that to New Zealand where only 8 percent of boats had observers on board, leaving the activities of the rest of the fleet shrouded in secrecy.

The MPI planned to roll out the cameras under National, but Minister Nash found loopholes and inconsistencies that left National’s plan open to abuse and gave commercial fish-

ers a dictionary of excuses to avoid accountability and prosecution.

It also appears that significant pressure has been applied from the seafood industry and some MP’s on Stuart Nash and the MPI to dump the idea of cameras.

The industry says that as well as risking giving away the secret fishing spots, putting cameras on boats and asking fishers to pay for them would be unfair. It makes no comment on the fact that it is the public’s resource that they are exploiting nor the fact that their fishing spots are not actually secret as fishers fish together.

What the industry and their political friends are blind to, is cameras won’t be optional if they wish to sell their catches to the other Five Eyes countries. This will happen much sooner than later.

The NZ Labour party is in a precarious position with their co-alition partners NZ First and the Green Party. Shane Jones and Peters (re-

ported as being owned by the Fishing Industry) are believed to be putting pressure on Nash on behalf of Fishing Industry to cancel the cameras on commercial fishing boats.

Under the current regime Moana NZ have lost the lease of some Maori quota to Sanford’s.

What this will do is that instead of the elite iwi taking every last cent as they did with Moana, Sanford’s will now pay the Maori people the benefits.

These folk have always wanted to be paid for their fish that are caught rather than corporate Maori, who have not allowed the money trickle down.

This could well be the reason that former CEO Carl Carrington left because the iwi quota that was being leased by Moana which has now been picked up by Sanford’s.

You can bet your boots that other tribes will all be making similar deals for their harvested quota.

This will include a code of prac-

tice for whoever catches the fish and that will include cameras and smaller boats catching their fish with Maori crews.

This is likely to bring the Maori MP’s on board because the Maori MPs need the Maori people to vote for them.

Labour must keep all the Maori seats away from the new Maori party if they hope to form a Government without NZFirst. Every single commercial fishing boat fishing for export in the Hauraki Gulf area must be banned to fish outside 12 nautical miles.

It appears that NZ First is holding Jacinda to ransom over the fishing. Jones has already strongly indicated that he doesn’t want cameras pre election. This is a complete reversal of NZ First policy a betrayal of NZ First voters.

Many kiwis voted for NZ First based on their extremely good fishing policy but all that has changed now that it has been revealed that NZF took

DoC’s cowardly cover-ups exposed DoC’s cowardly cover-ups exposed Judge Greg Hollister-Jones dismissed a charge of common assault brought by the New Zealand Police against Graeme Sturgeon of Coromandel in the Thames District Court recently.

In the judge’s mind he appeared to decide that Sturgeon’s actions from the moment the door was opened and that he was assaulted by the DoC thug were made in self-defence.

The aggressive attitude and demeanor of the DoC thug was such that Richard Lane, in forcibly opening Sturgeon’s car door, in a surprise move, without identifying himself, appeared to tip

SEE INSIDE Page 5 -

Environmental challenges facing NZ

Page 7 -

The future of our fishery

Page 10 - Green Party hypocritical on 1080 use Page 11-

DoC’s Disgraceful Conduct

Page 12 - Southern Bluefin doomed for extinction Page 15 - Coro Seafood Festival

the balance in the Judges findings.

Sturgeon and two companions had been alerted to a clandestine DoC 1080 poison loading operation in Whitianga.

The Court established that Sturgeon was dragged out of his car by a DoC thug posing as a security guard.

The DoC thug did not have a current Certificate of Approval from the Security Licencing Authority and was untrained in ‘crowd control’.

He worked as a spray contractor for the Waikato Regional Council.

On 19th October Sturgeon had submitted a complaint of assault to NZ Police. A month later, 15th November, Sturgeon was summoned by the Thames District Court on charge of assault. His initial complaint and supporting witness statements were completely ignored by the NZ Police and also subject to an Independent Police Complaints Authority investigation.

DoC had only supplied a short extract of the CCTV footage to NZ Police, and a demand from Sturgeon’s lawyer, Barrister Greg Bradford, to view the full footage delayed the hearing.

Judge Hollister-Jones said that the CCTV footage made available to the court was very helpful.

The footage showed Sturgeon trying to close his car door and the door being wrenched open for a second time by the DoC employed thug Lane.

View the video footage and judge for yourself and read the witness statement online at http://www. fishingoutdoors.org/hunting-information/hunting-articles/122-1080articles/3020-doc%E2%80%99scowardly-cover-ups-exposed. html and on https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=s635djymTTM

It is clear that perjury has been committed and it is interesting that the Police did not clarify or question that Lane had a security licence.

Basic investigation questions!

Lane stated to the court that he was told by DoC staff “to expect trouble from protestors” and appeared to have a paranoid mind set believing that Sturgeon posed a threat.

Under cross- examination a number of Lane’s statements were disproved.

The Department of Conservation had stored 23,700 kgs of 1080 poison baits in the Liquor King building from June 2017 through to October 17th when the baits were loaded in preparation for the drop over the Kaimamara Valley, which is the source of Whitianga’s town water supply. Official Information requests showed that DoC did not inform local authorities about this bulk storage, including the local fire chief.

If there was a fire, toxic hydrogen fluoride gas would be released, with serious even lethal health effects, and the town would have to be evacuated. Tsunami evacuation rehearsals have shown that Whitianga has potentially bottlenecked escape routes.

There appears to be several very serious inconsistencies with statements by the Police and DoC. 1. Why did the Head of DoC 1080 Operations for Coromandel, Steve Bolton stand by witnessing the events and do nothing? Did he deliberately set his dogs on Sturgeon then stand by and watch the assault doing nothing? Is this not the mark of a coward?

Bolton apparently saw the whole thing, looking down at Sturgeon as he picked himself off the ground, and when Sturgeon said “You bas-

tard Steve Bolton” (knowing who Steve Bolton was from old Forest Service days), Bolton turned around and ran back inside the DoC office.

2. It takes over six months to have a security license renewed and a company certificate renewed and yet Richard Lane who beat up a pensioner in Whitianga on behalf of DoC managed to have his processed almost overnight, even though he had not completed the necessary training for the qualification to have been issued by the Department of (In) Justice. This isn’t a conspiracy theory, its plain fact.

3. Additionally there is no current application to the Dept of Justice for his company VIP Security Consultants to be granted a Company Licence.

4. Senior Sergeant Bennet-King NZ Police is reported as saying: “His (Sturgeon’s) appreciation of risk to himself had to be coupled by knowledge that he was transgressing into the middle of the 1080 loading process.”

What is he saying here? If you drive down a public right of way that has no barriers, and no warning signs, then you can expect to be assaulted?

That if you are near any 1080 handling operations you can expect to be assaulted? It seems to me that this man is saying that simply being present to witness what was essentially a road transport operation will put you at risk, and the implication is that this is reasonable and should be expected.

What is reasonable, and should be expected is that, if a public hazard is present, then DoC should have taken logical steps to isolate the hazards. Barriers, signage and trained staff. What is NOT reasonable is that one of those barriers to harm, a security guard, should

money from the fishing industry.

This will take away most of the money and power from corporate iwi and hopefully give customary a bigger say in the inshore fishery.

The 60 million dollar question is who will do the monitoring.

Another issue is that Doc and MPI have been kneecapped by NZ First – if they don’t toe the line NZ First are likely to jump ship and form a government with National. Everything is about sucking up to NZ First - a complete disaster. All Jacinda can do is use her charm to go up in the polls.

NZ First has completely betrayed kiwis and are actually worse than National have ever been. All the worst Maori bad habits will come out when Jones replaces Peters.

With Maori there are no boundaries. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/ politics/97468847/maori-fishersgetting-shafted--shane-jones

to his commission and uniform!

Richard Lane’s Security Licence rushed through? – It appears more Dirty Dealings by Govt Departments!

Denise Hazelton comments “The judge commented in court. His licence had lapsed. He had applied for it only in December. He does not have his security licence yet, as

in fact turn into the agent of harm.

Sergeant Bennet-King’s sympathies are obvious in his comments, it looks like the judge thought so too’”....truly a discredit Story continued page 2...

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BRAG PAGE

Emily May from Blenheim with her 4 year old son Jack who hooked a 76cm kingi on a small kids rod with hook and sinker and a bit of squid bait. Mum had to reel it in taking a good 15 min fight to get it into the boat. This was caught in Port Underwood.

Send your photos into mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz

Louie the Fish with Lake Kuratau brown, taken on sinking line and a black Estaz marabou Wooly Bugger!

Coromandel Fishing Charters out with an awesome mornings fish with a local family from the Coromandel. If your kids would like to catch a fish like these give Tom a call on 027 866800

Lindsay Williamson was fishing near Slipper Island and caught this 8.9 kilo snapper.

Photos from a work trip out on the Nadgee. Steve with a 14lb snapper PB and Jason with his 7lb. Guru’s first fishing trip caught along with good size snapper, a nice trevally and a legal kingi. 2.5 hours fishing 93 good snappers plus kahawai and as above. Really good trip. Our thanks to Russell and Lorrie.

Fishing and Outdoors PO Box 10580, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3240 Ph 021 02600437 Editor Graham Carter mail@fishingoutdoors.co.nz 021 02600437

Mike Flynn skipper and angler John Warburton with his 198.5 kg black marlin weighed in at the Kawhia Boating and Angling club for the 1st day of the Kawhia One Base.

Caught in 55 metres of water on a Bonze “The Heat lure” with Boss skirt and light gauge combo”.

Advertising Sales Tracy Fairey Bay of Plenty 027 884 7156 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 Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/Fishingoutdoors Copyright © 2011 Fishing Outdoors Newspaper, All Rights Reserved.

Pics from the Whangamata Ocean Sports Club’s huge Nauti Girls comp. It was a huge success and all ladies had a great time.

Cover story continued ...

he has to do more crowd control training before he gets it renewed.”

Jason Cameron replied: “Yes, but the company hasn’t even applied for a Company Licence which is also legally required.

It is not clear if he had a personal contract or a contract through a company with DoC, but the fact that he has a security company without a company licence kind of speaks volumes as to his integrity.”

So it appears that this DoC thug was and is just a private citizen who assaulted another private citizen and illegally entered another private citizen’s vehicle.

So why is he not charged? Why have the NZ Police failed? The facts have been established he should be charged!!

How many laws did DoC break in this instance?

Let start at No 1. The illegal storage of 1080 poison.

2 and 3. The use of an unregistered security company and an unlicensed security guard.

4. loading of a toxic poison in a public place without council permits.

5. No warning signs or roped off area to prevent public entry. No safety clothing worn by all staff involved with loading a toxic poison. Probable a few more as well.

Clearly DoC should be prosecuted for the offences committed during this operation. Clearly government departments cover each other which shows how corrupt these departments have become. Two sets of laws.

One other interesting aspect too...

The judge found the police reports flawed, bias, discriminating, and irresponsible. Not in those exact words though. That was clarified with the words “not guilty.”

It wasn’t 100% known that the 1080 was there as the whole operation was shrouded in secrecy

and not just to the general public either also emergency services.

No warning signs, no barriers for isolation management (except for an undertrained underqualified security guard.)

You can’t even store certain paint or a drum of diesel legally without a declaration and hazardous waste authority.

There was no compliance. So what kind of message does that send to businesses? What kind of example is shown when the Govt can’t even comply with its own legislation and protocol enforced by financial penalties?

All we see was a potential disaster whether Pro Anti or neutral.

It appears like a member of the pubic, the driver of the vehicle, is being assaulted by one of many men in a baseball cap. If the man in the cap is the ‘security guard’ then he has quite clearly assaulted the driver of the vehicle. If the police have then prosecuted the driver of the vehicle, then there is

something very wrong going on here.

This whole saga paints a very black picture of the NZ Police, the supposed law upholders and employees of those in supposed high places. Did the Police collude with Doc in attempting to protect the DoC thug? Why were other complaints ignored by the Police?

If so the NZ Police Sergeant should be sacked! Did the Police deliberately attempt to cover up the saga by charging Sturgeon with assault? Were the Ministers Nash or Sage involved in anyway? Has she disciplined any staff for misconduct? Did Nash intervene?

And where was cry baby Lou Sanson.

When a DOC worker was “reportedly” threatened with assault Lou Sanson was on his high horse galloping off to the office of the Commissioner of Police and the pair of them were in the media crying foul play and saying what a terrible lot the people were who opposed 1080. No mention by him of this cowardly action by his staff.

This is the injustice of the NZ legal system, if you win a civil case you get court costs from the other party, but if the Crown takes you to court in a criminal matter and you clear your name and found not guilty, you still get punished by not being able to get any of your costs back.

The 1080 Poison Free network/ campaign benefits when people like Graeme and Julie Sturgeon are gutsy enough to employ a lawyer and defend their innocence.

Its actions like this which discredit the Poisoners which will eventually lead to legislation banning the aerial use of 1080 and like poisons. You can donate to: https://givealittle.co.nz/ cause/support-the-legal-defencefund-for-graeme-sturgeon/donations https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=s635djymTTM

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NZ Outdoor Recreation Has Dollar Value A New Zealand outdoor recreation advocacy says outdoor recreation is a very big contributor to the economy, but lacked appreciation by government.

Andi Cockroft, co-chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreation said a recent study in the US showed the outdoor recreation industry’s contribution to the US’s GDP was larger than that of all mining, including the extraction of oil and gas.

“And the US study showed the industry is expanding. In 2016, it grew 3.8 percent, compared to the overall economy’s growth of 2.8 percent,” he said.

Andi Cockroft said it confirmed what many strongly suspected that outdoor recreation was a big business.

“The impact of activities like boating, fishing, mountain biking, recreational vehicle treks, hunting, camping, hiking and others, is immense,” he said. “Many businesses benefited in accommodation, charters and guiding, travel and many retail businesses. Significantly such expenditure flowed strongly into regions.”

Fishing Whopper Andi Cockroft said the strong clue that the US study conclusions would be similar in New Zealand was a 2016 study by the NZ Marine Research Foundation that recreational saltwater fishing benefited the national economy by supporting 8,100 jobs and stimulating $1.7 billion per annum in total economic activity. Participation in both fresh and saltwater fishing increased by 10 percent between 2008 and 2014 and was trending upwards.

“If fisheries are kept strong and re-

silient, that contribution of recreational fishing can grow even more,” he said. “That’s the crux - outdoor recreation has greater economic potential than commercially exploiting fish stocks to exhaustion.”

Unfortunately economic data on the recreational fishing industry had been previously lacking and governments tended to strongly favour commercial interests, to the extent of ignoring the recreational fishing public.

Political Donations This was in a large measure due to corporate fishing companies “investing” heavily in political parties by way of donations to get preferential favours.

“New Zealand has too often overlooked the significant contributions generated by marine recreational fishers,” said Andi Cockroft. “Extend the recreational saltwater study to all outdoor recreation and the monetary value of total outdoor recreation to the economy would be in several billions of dollars per year.”

Futile Ideology He warned that the ideology of locking outdoor resources up or trying to restore New Zealand to 500 AD by measures such as mass aerial poisoning was futile and self-defeating.

“Locking the public out of their own lands while ignorantly poisoning the ecosystem, which outdoor recreation is based on, is plain stupid.”

Rather than just exploiting the outdoors as a resource, as previous governments had done, valuing participation in outdoor recreation should stimulate a new culture

Washington to ban salmon farming A bill that would phase out existing Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the state of Washington by 2025 and would also ban new leases was approved by the Washington

State House of Representatives and is expected to be signed into law.

The bill, which was approved by the Washington State Senate by a 35-12 vote earlier in Febru-

in politics and the public service.

Outdoor recreation has proven physical and mental health benefits.

Appreciating the value of outdoor recreation benefited conservation values and New Zealand’s vaunted “clean and green” marketing image for exports and tourists Andi Cockroft said. Outdoor recreation was also a significant tourist drawcard adding to the economic value by New Zealanders.

“Often that is the bottom line by which you can protect these natural resources, by showing the economic driver that they are in terms of outdoor recreation”.

Stats. NZ Failing It was revealing that while other developed nations could value and quantify the health and economic benefits outdoor recreation made to their economies, the recent Statistics NZ report on the economic value of our natural resources ignored it completely.

Referring to the recent election of Simon Bridges to National Party leadership, Andi Cockroft said politicians particularly needed to heed the US study and its application to New Zealand. He pointed out that the previous Government’s Energy Minister was Simon Bridges who signed off the public’s biggest forest park for oil and gas exploration and then later admitted he had never heard of the park.

“At stake were environmental and recreational values, all of much greater value than mining as the American study showed,” he said.

ary, was introduced in the aftermath of the escape of over a quarter-million Atlantic salmon from a Cooke Aquaculture facility near Cypress Island, Washington.

The risk of more damage being done to native Pacific salmon was too great to ignore.

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Whangamata Ocean Sports Club’s Nauti-Girls 2018 Prize List:

NG Whangamata Ocean Dental Photo Comp winner

The Whangamata Ocean Sports Club’s huge Nauti Girls competition was a huge success and all ladies had a great time and attracted the most female anglers since 2014, with 566! With this many ladies rearing to go it was always going to be huge! The weather didn’t look good but they stayed optimistic and by 6am in the morning it looked ok.

By advising all skippers that the weather was turning around lunch, and bringing weigh in forward they encouraged most boats to be back by 1pm!

The weigh in was epic!With over 500 fish weighed in it was quite the spectacle.

The kingfish all being the highlight, with them averaging around the 14kg mark. They had an impressive amount of tuna weighed in but the best going to two sisters (one of whom was getting married a week later and chose NG for her hens doo) weighing in two huge albacore!

Of course prizegiving was a blast, they mixed it up with the major spot prizes this year and had a set of 10x wearable art bras that 10 lucky ladies won and thus were in the draw for our 10 biggest spot prizes, the

overall being a 6 night accommodation and travel voucher package valued at over $3500, courtesy of Whangamata Self-Storage! Then the after party ensued and all ladies and guests had an absolute blast well into the night!

John Dory: 1st Maree Blackey 1.54; 2nd and 3rd Drawn.

Kahawai: 1st Sheree Taylor Whangamata Ocean Dental Classic Winner 2.80; 2nd Anna Morrison 2.75; 3rd Danielle Ellis 2.53. so much support for this outcome is Trevally: 1st Julie Seath 2.15; devastating! There was no one more 2nd Suzanne Barker 1.98; gutted than the organisers! However 3rd Melissa Stevenson 1.73. they tried to keep the guys and girls Gurnard: 1st Leah Sole 1.01; 2nd Ruiha entertained with a knot tying comp Paki 0.91; 3rd Stacey Harding 0.82. and a simulator running during the Tarakihi: 1st Yolanda Van Vroon- afternoon which by entering each you ho-ven 1.75; 2nd Rachael Somer- could walk away with an awesome ville 1.14; 3rd Amanda Foster 0.97. Shimano game rod and reel package!

Snapper: 1st Kylie Porter 7.04; The organisers and the Honda Ma2nd Holly Kingsford 6.72; rine rep Naomi Peterson had a lot of 3rd Mandi Jane Povey 6.44. fun hiding the Honda Marine “flag” Tuna: 1st Lauren Kramer 13.35; 2nd Flur around town for the anglers to try Kramer 8.83; 3rd Kimberley Povey 3.78. and decipher clues via Facebook, and Kingfish: 1st Vanessa Wood- on the last day the flag was taken on ing 18.43; 2nd Holly Kingsford roadie around town with hilarious 16.44; 3rd Jackie Somerville 15.08. results! AS well the guys took the opThe annual A1 Homes Classic portunity to get creative with their Unfortunately their Classic comp entries into the Whangamata Ocean was a wash out due to bad weath- Dental Photo Comp, again with some er. The club has committed to absolutely hilarious entries! The prize next year’s comp to a $20,000 giving was a sombre affair as everycash prize pool for our tag and re- one was slightly deflated, and the lease section of that tournament. announcement that we would not The annual A1 Homes Classic was be giving out the Tag & Release cash primed and ready, we knew the fish raised eyebrows, however once we anwere there, the boats were entered, nounced that next year, with the help over 120 (444 anglers) and we had a of 2 major sponsors, our Tag & Release massive prize pool of over $65,000 prize pool will be a huge $20,000 cash worth of prizes, including $10,000 this certainly perked their interest for cash prize pool for the Tag & Release next year! So with this in mind, and a section! Unfortunately for us the few other major draw cards to be anweather gods did not play ball. It’s nounced over the coming months we hard to go into too much detail as are expecting big things next year, they go to so much effort, stress, or- as long as the weather plays it part! ganising and the sponsors give us

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Coromandel Winter Fishing time For those anglers wanting to get amongst some serious fishing through the winter month Coromandel Fishing Charters are offering trips out into the Hauraki Gulf so it’s time to get together with a few mates and book your trip.

All though there is a noticeable decrease in the numbers of kingfish in the winter months it is mainly the small to medium schools of pest rat kingfish.

On the positive side it leaves kingfish in much smaller schools of perhaps 2-3 fish but the fish that remain are generally over 15kg and there are more large trophy kingfish than at any other stage of the year with good populations of baitfish and snapper right throughout winter.

There’s no reason for the majority of

kingfish to migrate to warmer water especially the larger fish with more body mass that are better suited to deal with colder water temperatures, with trophy kingfish available 2030kg models are not uncommon.

It’s a great time to target a trophy fish of a lifetime.

Salty Towers Bait and Tackle Shop on Tiki Road sell fresh Coromandel mussels.

You can guarantee that when you call into see Hank he will ask you where you’re going and offer some free advice on where to go to catch a feed and how to use the bait. Some places fish well in the morning or afternoon than others but he wants the fishos to get their share of the abundance of Hauraki Gulf snapper. It’s good for

Coromandel and good for the fishos.

Salty Towers offer a fish filleting service and for those who enjoy smoked fish this can be done and the bounty couriered when done or you can pick it up the next day, along with any bait and tackle supplies.

Coromandel Fishing Charters are taking bookings for small and medium sized groups to fill up each charter so if you have a couple of mates but are a few short of a boat load don’t worry just give Tom and call and he’ll help you out.

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 Christmas function call Tom or Lorraine on 027 8668001, or email: corofishing@gmail.com

Environmental challenges facing NZ The bureaucrats are the Big Environmental Challenge facing New Zealand in 2018.

Water quality and availability, rapid urbanisation, and the impact of natural hazards and climate change are the top three planning issues affecting New Zealand in 2018 and beyond, according to the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI).

These challenges will be among those addressed at NZPI’s annual conference Breaking New Ground to be held in Tauranga from 21 to 23 March 2018. Agri-food disruption, housing supply, biodiversity offsetting, new technologies and reviewing the implications of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity are also on the agenda.

These issues have been happening for years and we don’t need a fancy conference wasting taxpayer’s money to identify what is needed.

Planning and resource management within New Zealand is out of control. The Resource Management Act spawned by Labour’s Geoffrey Palmer and then embraced and tinkered with by National’s Simon Upton

(now the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment) and Nick Smith has been an absolute failure for New Zealand except for lawyers who have profited greatly out of the confusion and the resulting court wrangles. Also benefitting have been bureaucrats within central government and local councils. Bureaucrats have a self-serving interest in keeping what should be simple matters protracted into time consuming extended processes in order to keep their jobs justified. The public end up footing the bill either through rising rates to pay bureaucrats salaries or if involved in resource consent hearings, paying expensive lawyer fees and escalating consent costs to councils.

What of the environment itself after the long drawn out processes?

Clearly the environment is not benefitting. Many rivers are seriously declining in quality of water and flows.

Intensive monocultures, be that cows, grapes or pine trees, proliferate. Urban sprawl spreads over quality agricul-

tural soils. The inescapable conclusion is after almost thirty years of the RMA there has been no benefit except to lawyers, bureaucrats and consultants.

Worse, self-funded NGO’s are now often the only groups battling for environmental protections through the courts, often against Government Departments and Regional Councils.

Environment standards have alarmingly declined after three decades of the RMA and its parasitic attendants.

The role of planners and resource management specialists has to be questioned as the issues New Zealand faced thirty and forty years ago remain the same but much worse. Councils brimming with bureaucrats have increased fees and rules and little positive outcomes have been achieved.

The issues like water, climate change, unbridled population growth and rapid and expanding urbanisation are much more pronounced than a decade ago. Meanwhile bureaucrats hold meaningless conferences, devise new rules often impractical and

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ineffective while ignoring the key causes of environmental declines.

A prime example is the erosion of water quality and quantity and the public’s right of access to water resources.

New Zealand has been facing the challenge of weighing up the need for protecting the environmental quality of our water resource while also allowing for the use of water for economic, social and cultural reasons.

Corporate power has deep influence.

There is more than a sniff of suspicion that some bureaucrats will do backroom deals and whisper invitations to corporate companies - often foreign owned - to take water which belongs to everyone – and to export it overseas for their gain and none for NZ.

This year’s conference is destined to be another failed “talk-fest” as bureaucrats, consultants and lawyers debate the issues without actually taking responsibility for the mistakes they have made over past years.

There is a need for a complete

cleanout of local and central government bureaucrats. Local government politicians have forgotten they are public servants elected by the people to serve the public interest. Councils are failing to recognize and take responsibility for failed sewerage systems, allowing environmental damage to continue and ignoring the pleas from residents on the many issues that will affect future generations.

Continued over-use of chemicals and poisons is destroying farm soils, wildlife and ecosystems. Urban and rural developments are allowed to seep effluent into waterways. Raw and treated sewerage continues to be discharged into waterways as “accidents” in times of above average rainfall.

The Predator-Free-2050 programme is a classic case of a ludicrous, unrealistic, unjustified piece of bureaucratic nonsense. It would never be achievable and besides many of the bureaucrats and politicians flag cheering on the 2050 dream will not be around at completion to answer for their abject failure

and massive waste of public money.

Councils and the bureaucrats need to be made accountable as Councils have failed the voting public. Most councils are mired in deep debt and cannot afford to upgrade failed infrastructure. At times elected councillors are stymied by bureaucratic CEOs and managers who are busy covering their butts and making nebulous excuses.

Another prime example of failure is the sorry state of rivers and waterways. The responsibility for failure sits on the shoulders of overpaid councils and recent inept central Government who have been captured by corporate interests such as dairying, forestry and others.

Most people know the problems and causes. More excuses, platitudes and rhetoric and dimwitted ideas are not needed.

Footnote: Graham Carter is an environmentalist of “the rational” kind and president of the trout and rivers advocacy, the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers

Bill Benfield Has Left a Big Void Bill Benfield who recently passed away in the Wairarapa, was the author of three outstanding books “The Third Wave - Poisoning the Land”, “At War with Nature - Corporate Conservation and the Industry of Extinction” and “Water - Quality and Ownership” all which were glowingly reviewed in “Fishing and Outdoors.”

Bill Benfield was a fearless and staunch conservation advocate and

also wrote numerous articles for magazines and letters to newspapers.

He was co-chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ (CORANZ) for several years and held office at the time of his passing.

Andi Cockroft, co-chairman of CORANZ Andi Cockroft cochairman of CORANZ. said Bill left a huge void to be filled.

“One of life’s gentlemen gone forever, and with him a huge depth of knowledge. His perception, charm and wit will be sorely missed,” he said.

Tony Orman, past CORANZ co-chairman said Bill Benfield was a formidable figure in bringing common-sense to the irrational 1080 poisoning policies of governments and bureaucrats.

“He stood up and was counted in no uncertain fashion. In addition his arguments and advocacy were always logical, well-reasoned and meticulously researched. That shows in his outstanding three books.”

Bill grew up in Christchurch and trained and worked as an architect.

In the 1980’s, with his wife Sue Delamere, he established a vineyard and winery in Martinborough. It was set up without irrigation, used passive frost protection, and aimed to use minimal energy or sprays. It was awarded a Ballance Farm Environmental Award for sustainability in 2005.

Former UK game manager Doug Carter of Nelson said Bill had a special place.

“In the anti-1080 battles which is making progress, when the battle is won, his name will be written large as a prime mover against the ecocide that is New Zealand today.”

Environmentalist Carol Sawyer of Wanaka said Bill’s passing was a great loss.

“He had a great sense of humour, and certainly didn’t suffer fools gladly particularly bureaucrats,” she said.

But Bill always regretted the apathy that afflicts too many fishermen, hunters and genuine conservationists.

“He poked his head up above the parapet,” said Tony Orman. “I’m sure among his final wishes would be for many more to stand up and be counted.”

Obituary

6

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No action by government on water quality Why is the Government treading so cautiously in dealing with our fresh water quality issues?

Their dilly-dallying is allowing the problem to get worse when the reality is that it cannot wait. We need decisions now. We need action.

The government’s problem seems to be NZ First. While Labour and the Greens campaigned strongly on water quality, NZ First was only looking for votes in the farming regions and appears to have stymied any progress.

When they formed the coalition NZ First managed to stop Labour introducing a tax on irrigation as a means of reducing run-off to waterways.

All this is happening as we face climate change which brings the prospect of hotter, drier conditions and heavier downpours from greater evaporation rates.

This means that water may become scarce in some areas and cause severe flooding more frequently in others.

Scarcity means allocating water more efficiently, probably by charges or taxes and that raises the sensitive Treaty question of who owns it.

Water belongs to no-one and must never be allowed to fall into the hands of iwi.

Then the issue of giving it away to overseas interests must be faced and dealt with.

Then we have warnings against swimming in many of our rivers which is bad enough, but to have warnings against drinking from a municipal water supply – this is completely intolerable.

People are heading to our rivers and beaches on some of the sweltering days this summer and found it under a “water quality alert”, and are rightfully angry.

While councils continue to make excuses for allowing sewerage spills.

This is a problem than has been around for far too long.

Any council that allows sewerage or contaminated water to leak into a water way should be prosecuted by the Ministry for the Environment.

The problem of water quality and its comparative neglect in a country that likes to present a fresh and clean environment to the world is shameful.

Environmentalists and activists have

Save our Waterways The Government has to be congratulated for its support of regional New Zealand development through its opposition to water storage projects that severely damage environmental sustainability.

National’s Primary Industries spokesperson Nathan Guy is whinging against the stance and bleating that it supposedly helps stop the growth of jobs in the regions, and would boost exports. He failed to explain why National wants to severely damage our waterways.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s says that the irrigation projects are ‘unnecessary’ and might come as a huge shock to farmers.

O’Connor’s stance that the Government will leave it to farmers and growers to 100% fund these schemes on their own is just so good.

The dry weather conditions and drought are natural events that occur regularly in these areas and farmers must be prepared for them individually. If they grow products and don’t have the necessary water storage then it’s just like any other business – the onus is on the business owner.

Farmers need to provide their own water storage which is absolutely necessary for these areas. It reduces the need for ground water extraction and can enhance the environment by guaranteeing minimum

ters worse, many farmers and growers and Councils have themselves invested in developing these schemes warned for years that intensive dairy and this 45,000 hectare investment is farming is fouling streams and rivers now at real risk. This shows the level of with nitrates that cause algal blooms, greed and highlights the importance killing other aquatic life and making the rivers unsuitable for swimming.

Yet councils choose to ignore them.

We had a campaign for “swimmable rivers” in last year’s election campaign which was highly effective so it is surprising the new Government is not moving faster to respond.

Farmers resented the blame laid on them during the campaign, quickly pointing out the efforts they were making to control run-off by fencing and planting stream banks and containing effluent, which in itself missed the real issues of intensified dairying and water take.

They questioned whether our larger towns and cities were doing enough to reduce the pollution of their creeks, harbours and coasts. And rightfully so.

We have known for at least 20 years that many of our towns and cities sewage and stormwater systems are prone to overload in heavy rain and pollute outflows to the sea.

We are still waiting for a solution.

of stopping further decimation of our waterways and must be stopped.

The coalition Government has no moral or legal obligation to honour existing agreements and these five schemes have taken over a

decade to be bulldozer ready in 2018 which shows the previous National government had no concerns whatsoever for our environment.

Didymo Dave

LAKE OTAMANGAKAU

river flows during dry summers The Crown Irrigation Investments officials recently told Select Committee MPs that stakeholders are ‘confused and anxious’ about the Government’s priorities for water storage and irrigation projects and this confusion is adding to declining business confidence overall. They failed to mention that this government has higher priorities around environmental issues than helping farmers decimate water sources.

National attitude to these issues has caused the confusion and are blowing the issue way out of proportion.

Five specific irrigation projects all considered ‘localised’ by National and Councils are on hold while funding allocated by the previous National Government is parked up. To make mat-

Hornwort is one of the worst freshwater weeds we have in New Zealand and the impact it has had on the areas around Tokaanu Bay in Lake Taupo and in Lake Rotoaira is massive.

Also massive is the effort that has gone in to trying to stop it being transferred to Lake Kuratau and Lake Otamangakau.

I first visited Lake 0, a trophy fishing Lake, as a Check Clean Dry advocate in January of 2007, 11 years ago. Since that time I have spent countless days doing advocacy around the Lake and putting everything I can think of into getting fishermen, duckshoot-

ers and kayakers to clean their gear so no Hornwort or any other freshwater pest is transferred there. In addition there is signage all over the place and a weed cordon was installed around the main boat ramp to trap any unwanted weed fragments.

In yet despite all that effort, I felt like I had failed the people who really treasured Lake 0, because the compliance to the Check Clean Dry programme was simply not good enough.

Day after day I would intercept people who had used their boat in Lake Taupo or Lake Rotoaira and hadn’t bothered to check whether there were weed fragments on the trailer, around the motor, in the landing net etc. Neither ha d they bothered to use the wash down facilities at Tokaanu or Rotoaira either.

So last year I decided I needed to try something different and so an approach was made to the Mega Star Dame Edna Everage, to see if she could help? Sadly Dame Edna is retired these days but helpful soul that she is, she got in touch with her long lost NZ cousin Dame Didymo Davina who was only too happy to help.

So on a Saturday morning in February Dame Didymo Davina arrived at

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the Lake 0 boat ramp in a beautiful Bentley befitting her status as the World’s Conservation Mega Star and proceeded to help with the Check Clean Dry advocacy. Dressed entirely in blue, the same colour as freshwater should be, she carries rather a large handbag with her who is full of yummy lollies and some fishermen were rewarded with lollies for complying with the Check Clean Dry programme.

But sadly others had not checked their gear and were given a stern warning, any more of that behaviour and Dame Didymo Davina will give them a smack around the head with her handbag and if that doesn’t work a damn good spanking till they start to look after our waterways the way they should be!

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The future of our fishery

Karl Warr’s incredible kiwi ingenuity is helping the environment and his small family fishing business. He has designed a filter that attaches to the end of a normal trawl fishing net that helps undersized and non-selected fish escape down on the bottom while the net is fishing. Releasing fish unharmed on the seafloor is very im-

portant to their survival chances.

Many of our inshore fish species have what are called swim bladders, these silky looking airbags inside the gut cavity of our fish, is what helps them control how they float in the water. They can inflate them with gases from the bloodstream so they can swim easily without fighting to either stay down or to stop them from sinking, but they can only do this very slowly. If fish are raised to the surface quickly this gas expands as the water pressure lessens the shallower you go.

The fish, unable to absorb all this expanded gas find that it stretches the sack containing it and starts squashing internal organs to the point of ruptures and beyond. Species like sharks and rays who have little or no swim bladders in most cases are fine, but our precious table fishes have significant trouble with this phenomenon. So what may look like a successful release from the surface could indeed be just the beginning of a long and painful

death unless shortened by predators taking advantage of fish in trouble.

This filter looks rather like a large crayfish pot or cage in nature. Its shiny smooth stainless steel holes don’t flex and pinch fish as the net pulses along the bottom during fishing. The smoothness of the stainless steel rod construction allows even the most brazen escape to go off without a nasty carpet burn effect you get when fish struggle through woven netting.

Karl and his wife Sarah have been in the industry for over 20 years. During this time the economies of scale versus profitability have meant that small operations have become increasingly difficult to keep profitable. What might be little well known to many readers is that inshore fisher folk get paid quite meager amounts per kilo of whole fish landed. Currently it is common for fisher folk to earn around 2.50 a kilo for gurnard and around 1.50 per kilo for snapper to contract catch these fish for a quota holding factory. Larger operations therefore are more profitable due to sheer volume versus expenses, but it then becomes harder to find enough quota.

Straining every week to catch as much as possible to pay the bills, using old technology which is poor at releasing juvenile catches and by catch, meant Karl was not enjoying his work and becoming increasingly frustrated trying to make it all work.

The solution? For Karl and Sarah the solution was to introduce smarter gear and manage the sales of fish rite to the end user. The cage Karl uses is made from interchangeable panels that allow choices to be made as to what sized fish the net will then let go. These panels can contain hole shapes that conventional netting doesn’t allow for.

For example when Karl is fishing for gurnard in an area where there may be trevally and snapper, a rectangular hole pattern is used so the round shaped gurnard of small size are released and at the same time the taller shaped small trevally and snapper can also be released. Previously with normal gear, letting small snapper and trevally go meant loosing most of the gurnard catch and vice versa equation meant killing lots of juvenile trevally and snapper to keep the gurnard catch up..

In Warr’s initial trial of the cage the release of juvenile gurnard was improved by 94%. Similarly on flounder big reductions in bycatch species and small sized flatfish were recorded.

This being said, better quality larger fish doesn’t make the finances balance if your still getting paid small amounts for your catch. “If you can’t catch enough fish to pay your bills, then you simply need to earn more from what you do catch”. Karl does not consider it realistic to catch more from the environs where he fishes. “Being a boat that fishes in close well and truly amongst many other stakeholders, it’s imperative that I demonstrate best outcomes from what I do”. To this end Karl and Sarah have taken to processing

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and marketing their catch in order to catch the full value of their fish.

“We don’t sell our fish for more than standard retail values, but we do deliver fish in a higher quality, environmentally more conscious and personal service fashion”.

“Yes the middle sales people miss out in this model but for our local inshore fish stocks and stakeholder needs I feel the needs of the fish and the environment should be coming first”.

When asked why more fishers are not using the cage method Warr replied “Each operation must weigh up its best set of approaches to the job”, “the model I use relies upon capturing more value rather than simply capturing more fish” Why I don’t choose more bulk volume is because I fish close and as such I don’t feel there is a future social appetite for one busy commercial fisherman versus many recreational and conservational minded voters experiencing maxed out harvesting consequences.

“A five year old boy who’s been sitting on the cold morning beach without a bite on the surf rod isn’t going to take any argument around CPU sediment or global warming” “That kids just wanting to interact

with his caregiver around the sea having fish in it”. The skillset Sarah and I are using is also a bit of a barrier, not many fishers want to be processing fish after a hard week out catching it. Fishing folk may be shy or uncomfortable in so much marketing process, putting themselves out in the media spotlight and in front of the public. I know I certainly struggle at times with the privacy changes we have had to make.

Karl says that he is still working on developing an automatic cage with machine learning that will select each and every fish captured.

However because this project is above his resources they have partnered with Niwa and the University of Canterbury, plus a few international entities of significant experience.

The trial will demonstrate the release rates of juvenile snapper through the cage though.

Readers can Like Karls Facebook page and keep up-to-date with his progress at https:// web.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100007742839147 Karl says that he’s been trying to encourage other fishing companies to take the cage on a couple of their boats. They say that they like idea but have not followed through.

7

They will certainly want the media kept out of it but they know I’m not ok with anything that’s hollow like that ‘Ocean Bounty’ stuff.

“It’s a weird place really - they can’t hate me but they also can’t invite me for a beer.”

I guess it really boils down to you New Zealand, how do you want your fish caught, where and what solutions can we as a nation come up with that honours all or as many as possible.

I certainly don’t see it as appropriate to tell any other fisher what should or should not be done. My wife and I are trying to respond to what we perceive as a wholesome way forward for our fishery, but at the end of the day we prefer those actions to be seen as an offering of options.

I believe that our best outcomes will evolve when industry is vigorously transparent, the public are well informed, policy makers are accurate and nimble, but most importantly when moral guardianship over the people’s commons is protected by independent and unbiased evidence based best practice.

Urgent Action Needed on Pesticides Wrecking Freshwater Ecosystems A national trout fishing and environmental advocacy organisation wants urgent attention to insecticides that are almost certainly causing deep damage to freshwater ecosystems.

The call follows information from the US that a variety of neonicotinoid insecticides -harmful to aquatic organisms - were reported in major Great Lakes streams.

NZ Federation of Freshwater Federation president Graham Carter said insecticides had widespread use in New Zealand. Trout anglers had over decades noticed strong declines in hatches of aquatic insects such as mayfly and caddisfly species.

“You could liken it to the canary in the coalmine scenario,” he said.

“Trout and their food such as aquatic insects and anglers’ observations are out there and it just isn’t good.”

Last October, a global study of the presence of neonicotinoid pesticides found them present in all of the New Zealand honey that was tested.

The U.S. study was the first to examine the insecticides—gaining notoriety in recent years as a prime suspect in bee die-offs - in the world’s largest freshwater system and suggests Great Lakes’ fish, birds and entire ecosystems might be at risk.

In birds, exposure to the chemicals had been linked to population declines.

“It ends up going through the food chain,” commented Graham Carter. “Long term it’s about ecosystem poisons.”

The point is that it is another ecocide poison already through the food chain and being wide-

ly consumed along the way.

Also of note is that MPI have absolutely no idea of how much is being imported, and therefore how, when and where it is being used: This is the same MPI that tests our food for insecticides and reports that no neonicotinoids have been detected. Yet a global study of honey can pull pottles of NZ honey off the shelves and find them in every one tested.

Evidence was strong that chemicals may directly hurt aquatic wildlife from tiny organisms to fish - with potential to disrupt entire ecosystems.

A leading US research chemist said the major risk of these chemicals was to aquatic insects—an effect that could ripple up the food chain.

Graham Carter said pesticides adversely affecting aquatic insects populations, removed the basic food source for fish.

‘We’re talking not just trout but native fish as well,” he said.

The US study revealed that a large percentage of the chemicals de-

tected came from urban areas.

“This shows “urban use of pesticides has a substantial impact on the health of our rivers, streams and lakes,” he said. “We’re not talking just about farmers responsibility but town use too. It’s a total population responsibility.”

Graham Carter said Fish and Game NZ and the Department of Conservation (DOC) should have been alert to and active on the issue.

DOC had responsibility for trout fisheries management in the Taupo region and country-wide for native fish. Ironically, he added, DOC was using an ecosystem poison in its widespread use of 1080 which was first developed in the 1920’s as an insecticide. It also sanctioned 1080 use by agencies such as Tb-Free NZ. “It’s not just a pest poison but an insecticide poison and therefore an ecosystem poison,” said Graham Carter.

He said the case for use of 1080 was lacking reality, logic and justification.

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Hunters Annoyed About NZDA Backing WARO Operations

By Dick Featherstone

A Central Otago farm manager has taken a pot shot at the Department of Conservation for allowing Wanaka-based Alpine Helicopters to take deer from an adjoining public land block and particularly for alleged lack of hygiene.

Posted on Instagram was a photo of a truck and trailer filled with “about 70” hot deer bodies which were stacked on top of each other with flies everywhere. The deer destined for Germany were “not fit for human eating,” the farm manager said.

The DOC-backed Wild Animal Recovery Operation (WARO) was backed by NZDA national president Bill O’Leary but hunters are not happy with that.

Former NZDA member for 25 years, Lewis Hore of Oamaru said he left his local NZDA branch because of its backing for local 1080 drops and joined the organisation’s headquarter branch but “a couple of years ago” resigned over its lack of opposition to 1080 and its joining government’s Game Animal Council.

“The farmer’s disgust at hot, sweating carcasses piled upon one another and flies was very understandable,” he said in a letter to “The Press”. “DOC have a responsibility to honour the brand export of “clean and green” but they fail miserably and dangerously for NZ’s overseas image on export markets.”

The green image lacked integrity with practices like DoC’s indiscriminate spreading of ecosystem poisons such as 1080, and its mishandling of wild venison recovery.

“If European consumers realised the unhygienic and crass manner of retrieving carcasses, they would be disgusted.”

In another letter to “The Press”, Tony Orman of Marlborough, a current NZDA member and a member for 60 years said the DOC sanctioned helicopter operation was disturbing in that almost certainly adult hinds would be shot leaving orphaned two month old fawns to try to survive but inevitably die of starvation.

“If a deer farmer took mother

hinds away from fawns at two months, there would be an animal cruelty prosecution. Why then the double standard?”

Helicopter recovery operations were not game management he said.

“There is no selective culling. It is indiscriminate killing of hinds and stags among the latter, trophy animals. It’s inhumane, unnecessary killing,” he said. “Extermination is DoC’s policy.”

“What does the SPCA think of it?” he asked.

Lewis Hore said DOC was obsessively and ideologically driven to shoot any and every deer.

“It’s a warped, sick culture,” he said.

Another NZDA member Dave Mingins of Rotorua Dave Mingins of Rotorua, member of NZDA for mostly 40 years was “deeply disappointed” with the NZDA’s support for DOC’s WARO operations.

“NZDA seem to have been taken over by the Department of Corruption (alias DoC). They seem obligated to DoC,” he said.

Time to end pig hunting Clyde Graf recently published an article on Scoop – Is it time to end pig hunting.

Read the article here: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ PO1802/S00111/is-it-time-to-endpig-hunting-in-new-zealand.htm Clyde stated that ‘it would appear the ‘answer’ to the mass aerial poisoning of wildlife – including that of wild pigs – is now being

mooted as ‘let’s end pig hunting’.

For starters, the hunting community should be jumping up and down, and speaking out more. The likes of NZDA needs to be a better voice - not sure how you achieve that when it seems the same passive types keep getting voted into the spokespersons and lead roles.

It seems that there’s no voice out there for the hunting fraternity,

that the same old battlers are doing there bit, but nothing else happens.

The hunting magazines have litte in them. The wildlife is being poisoned, the food supplies are being poisoned, people are being poisoned, and barely a squeak from anyone.

It may just be that it’s time to pack up and walk away, and rely on KFC for the next home cooked meal.

Of course the alternative to hunt-

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ing is poisoning so therein lies the rub. Poisons competing with traditional hunting and harvesting.

Predators, hunters, are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem.

What is being dreamed up in NZ is botanical and zoological series of fenced and tourist friendly exhibits.

The rest can be farmed and mined.

We have been duped. There is no return to a lost world. The plan is a hasty one and it’s up to us to stop it. Accepting an end to hunting because of poison is unacceptable. I’m amazed so many fell for it. Where is their fight?

Yes, trout fishing is likely to be next and Fish and Game are unlikely to put up much of a fight.

Getting rid of trout has been on the menu for a long time.

At a Pest Management Strategy meeting Christchurch several years ago some clown was given a lot of time on why trout should be classified as a pest and should be dealt to.

Yes, trout fishing is next. Clyde is working on a video clip now.

Unless people stand up and fight the bureaucratic bullshit, you will lose it all.

We’ve been saying it for over a decade, and still, the passive NZ public sit back and lap up whatever the bureaucrats feed them.

It’s pathetic. Read the press release and decide if you are a conformist, or a fighter for New Zealand’s freedom, and the freedom of collecting wild game. It’s that simple.

It would appear the ‘answer’ to the mass aerial poisoning of wildlife – in-

cluding that of wild pigs – is now being mooted as ‘let’s end pig hunting’.

Extract: Waikato Regional Councillor Kathy White recently asked Auckland Council, via an OIA, to disclose information about how many tested wild pigs contained brodifacoum poison. Their response revealed that 13 of 14 wild pigs tested contained residues of brodifacoum poison, demonstrating the contamination is widespread.

There is a she’ll be right attitude amongst hunters and fishers that is astonishing.

Apathy by 99% fishnhunt public is our biggest danger. It’s woefully selfish by those 99%.

But don’t give up!

Save our Bees Bees matter for New Zealand not just for the honey they produce but also for the value they add to other economic supply chains and to the environment through pollination and pollination services.

On recent litigation, the circumstances that led to the promulgation of such an obviously incompetent manuka honey standard

by MPI must never happen again.

The Auditor-General should be asked to inquire into what led to this decision and make recommendations to prevent a recurrence, involving the State Services Commissioner as required.

MPI must commit to tests of proportionality, effectiveness, and cost effectiveness in respect of regulatory proposals affecting the bee and honey sector, and that it take account of the full suite of issues in this process, including IP development, biosecurity, market access, regional differences, Maori economic development and brand management.

Bee health is fragile and the risks

of the key culprits identified by scientists as contributing to these mysterious deaths is a class of pesticides known as neonics.

Even though this class of pesticides are real and immediate, and we have come under bans in France and should look to put solutions in the EU and have been pulled from place urgently. This cannot be shelves across North America, you left to the GIA process alone, can still buy a common neonic called and alternative arrangements Yates Confidor in your local garden for bee biosecurity are needed. centre right here in New Zealand.

NZ Beekeeping also recom- Bees are responsible for pollimend that MPI look to establish nating one third of the food we a surveillance/response system eat. They are critical to our food around main ports and airports, supply and must be protected. to detect bee pests and diseases Even at low doses, the active neuas early as possible, and that this rotoxin in neonic pesticides alsystem be exercised regularly. ters bee’s navigation systems and The present science process should weakens their immune systems continue, but be subordinated making them more vulnerable to to a clear and agreed plan for the the infections and disease tearing development and protection of through bee populations in Euthe manuka brand everywhere, rope and other parts of the world. with consumers firmly in mind. Thankfully, bee colony collapse Hardware giants Bunnings and hasn’t reached mass proportions in Mitre 10 have been successfully New Zealand like it has elsewhere. pressured to pull bee-killing pes- But we shouldn’t be complacent. ticides off their shelves across Palmers, Kings and Oderings Australia and New Zealand. Now must remove these products it’s time to get the other major and put bees before profit and Kiwi garden centres on board. pull these harmful products.

Across the world bees have been dying in terrifying numbers. One

Set your game-plan for DOC’s hunting comp DOC’s annual hunting competition is gearing up for another season.

The red deer hunting comp, which takes place in the Pureora Forest Park, has been run by DOC since 1987.

Hunting is an important use of public land, and the competition celebrates users and their sport in a fun prizegiving afternoon. This family-friendly event includes a free

BBQ and games for the kids. The junior section of the roaring competition is particularly popular with lots of young ones giving it a go.

This year the competition starts March 19 and entries are open until 2.00 pm Sunday 29 April.

As usual prizegiving will be hosted in Pureora Village and the sponsors have again generously agreed to

offer some fantastic prizes over a range of categories. The ugliest head category can always do with more entries, and each head entered goes into the draw for a mystery bag of prizes worth approximately $1000.

Terms and conditions for the competition may be found on the DOC website, www.doc. govt.nz/pureora-hunting-comp/

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The day trouble came looking for John

Still keen fishermen, John Potter (left) and Buzz Kronfeld have a newfound appreciation of the Auckland & Coromandel Westpac Rescue Helicopter service.

It was 5am when John Potter left wife Pam to sleep, joining mates Buzz Kronfeld and Oison Frost for a half day fishing trip. All three experienced fishermen took every precaution to stay safe on John’s boat.

With lifejackets on, a chilly bin full of catch, and a sense of accomplishment, they logged a final trip report with Coastguard before crossing the Manukau Bar on their way home.

“We’d crossed the bar for 20 odd years,” John recalls, “we always treated it with respect.

Just 60 metres from our destination, it started to roughen up.”

Suddenly, John’s boat was on the back of a large wave, with a second wave of equal measure, rolling in behind.

“The two waves created a massive hole to our right and we just slid sideways into it.”

The boat rolled twice. Oison swam out of the cockpit and held on to the upturned bow. Buzz clung to a now empty chilly bin, but John was in trouble. He gashed his head as he was flushed out. His friends grabbed some rope from the anchor locker to secure to the hull, but they could see their Skipper was struggling. All three hung on to the rope for dear life as waves crashed around.

For three hours they fought to stay together, but eventually John lost all sight of his mates.

John knew his only way to survive was to swim to shore. He

couldn’t use his legs, but he was fit.

“I got on my back and paddled with my arms. Eventually I felt firm ground and crawled out, but I still wasn’t sure I would live.”

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to help search and rescue efforts. The busiest day on record for the service, it was briefly diverted to save the life of a critical patient in Piha.

Miraculously, Oison and Buzz made it out as well. With the help of locals and emergency services, they found John. The rescue helicopter returned to help save John’s life. He would spend three weeks in hospital and six more weeks in bed, but he survived. Nothing could have prepared John for the day he needed Westpac Rescue’s help, but he learnt a very important lesson that day - to never go fishing again without saying goodbye to Pam!

Every year, crew of the Auckland & Coromandel Westpac Rescue Helicopters perform over a thousand rescues. The Hirepool Leigh Fishing Contest on March 17th 2018 is the fishing fundraiser dedicated to helping those dedicated to saving lives. $70,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs including the chance to win a Surtees 495 Workmate and Honda Outboard Package. Visit leighfishingcontest.org.nz for full details.

Hauraki Gulf Ramping Up Well it’s turning out to be another cracking month for fishing in the gulf with some true trophy fish being caught.

March is going to fire with the smaller schools of Snapper finally starting to move off into deeper water and the better fish becoming more prominent in the main farms at Waikawau. Average fish size in the gulf currently is around

the 4lb mark with it being common to catch fish around 8-12lb.

As usual Pilchard and Squid is working well and the big 15 plus pounders are being caught on squid straylines around freshly harvested lines.

The Kingfish have come out in force but unfortunately mostly rats around the A and B block farms.

If you’re chasing that trophy kingfish then it’s time for you to head

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The fairy prion is an abundant petrel of exposed coastal waters around New Zealand, especially from Cook Strait southwards.

It often feeds in large flocks over tide rips near offshore rocks and islands.

“If conditions at sea are unfavourable for them to find food, like the weather fluctuation ... then they will struggle.”

There is never just one reason why the birds were not able to cope with a natural event such as a high water temperature birds like a lot of sea mammals really need the team effort of other sealife to survive in the wild.

Dolphins are one species that chase the bait fish and force them into a ball near the surface.

The dolphin has the best hunting equipment of all hunters in the fact that their sonar can find a ball of bait fish from miles away.

The noise that the dolphin makes with clicks and splashing attracts

other predictors, seals, tuna, marlin, penguins and sharks to help in the surfacing of the unfortunate bait fish. These balls of fish are what the fairy piron and other seabirds look for and feed on.

All fish species hold a place in the food chain. When a predatory species becomes threatened or extinct, this removes a check and balance in the food chain on the population of prey previously consumed by that predator.

Food chain disruptions from the loss of a single species can be ecosystem-wide.

When crayfish decline, populations of kina, a preferred crayfish food, can explode. The resulting overpopulation of kelp-munching kina, meanwhile, can reduce kelp forests, threatening numerous marine species that rely on this habitat.

In an ecosystem, each organism has its role and purpose. Dis-

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turbing the balance of an ecosystem can be disastrous for all the living things relying on it.

When an ecosystem is stable and healthy, we call it Sustainable. This means that it is capable of sustaining itself and reproducing. Sustainable ecosystems have biodiversity. There’s a variety of species and organisms living there and contributing.

Ecosystem destruction is due to ocean acidification, water pollution, overfishing a species and illegal fishing.

If we continue depleting resources and destroying our environment, soon it will be too late for them to recover.

Everything relies on everything else around it. Every aspect of our ecosystem is important – because when one goes, the rest will follow, hence our dying seabirds.

Trout Anglers Back PM’s Public Water Ownership Water is a public resource and should not be owned or given away, says a national trout fishing advocacy.

President of the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers Graham Carter of Hamilton said water was a public resource owned by the people irrespective of wealth or ethnic background.

Graham Carter was commenting on a recent statement by Prime Minister Jacinda Adern that water was a public resource.

“Who owns the water? Labour says everybody, National says nobody, but the Waitangi Tribunal says Maori,” said the prime minister.

The Prime Minister’s edict of public ownership was challenged by the former government’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson who warned that Labour’s proposal for a tax of about 2c per 1000 litres on commercial waters users could force Treaty of Waitangi settlements to be renegotiated because a royalty asserted ownership,

and would inevitably force a counterassertion that Maori owned the water.

Graham Carter said Finlayson’s statement was nonsensical particularly given his background as a treaty negotiator and then his performance as minister. He said he personally did differ from the Prime Minister Adern who praised Finlayson’s performance as treaty minister.

“Finlayson is wrong, Adern is correct . Beside the chairman of the Maori Council and ex-Waitangi Tribunal, had dismissed Finlayson’s fear mongering,” he said.

Graham Carter said despite the Prime Minister’s assertion of public water ownership, the public wanted quick action in restoring depleted and damaged waterways.

“New Zealand needs to speed up access to safe drinking water and sanitation for all, boosting efforts to cut water pollution, reusing wastewater and enhancing the coherence between wa-

ter, food and energy policies,” he said.

Water access was a human right recognised by 189 countries within the United Nations.

“Water belongs to everyone and must not be allowed to be “hijacked” by the government and its agencies, councils, private corporations and foreign interests,” he said.

“Whoever controls water controls a great source of power and of course a great source of profit, the resource cannot be managed privately … and untamed privatisation will lead to a disaster.”

Furthermore it is imperative that the government boosts its efforts to cut water pollution, of reusing wastewater and of enhancing the coherence between water, food and energy policies, as well as implementing more flexible and integrated land and water resources management.

North around Rabbit and the Matakana Island Farms. Plenty of berley is bringing them in and the usual balloon livebait is the best bet. If the kingfish turn up and don’t hit your livie then it’s time to start cubing your pilchards and burying a hook in one. If you get the chance throw a Yellowtail on a ledger rig down while you’re in the farms as there is some nice 5lb John Dory floating about to!

Why our seabirds are dying Hundreds of dead and starving fairy piron seabirds have washed up around Tasman’s shoreline recently.

Main stream media quickly indicated that rising seawater temperatures could be to blame.

Reports from people finding the seabirds indicated they were dead, dehydrated and starving.

away. Some are dehydrated from lack of food, and some that are fit enough to make a full recovery.”

Natureland Wildlife Trust, in Nel- La Niña conditions at sea son said: “It’s not the first time since the spring had increased historically that there has been ocean temperatures, making such mass dying off of birds.” it harder for birds to find fish.

“The cause can be things like bad Dead and starving penguins weather, or high heat that has af- have also been reported on fected the movement of their food Auckland’s Waiheke Island and sources so they are going hungry.” North Shore, the Coroman“There are many that have passed del Peninsula and Kaikōura.

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10

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The Green Party hypocritical on 1080 use The Green Party advocates in its policy that New Zealand’s indigenous plants, animals and ecosystems must be protected.

Yet with Sage’s stance on increasing the use of 1080 she is condoning cruelty to animals.

A former Forest and Bird advocate that promotes looking after our forests and native birds, not destroying them.

They further add that the health of our natural areas must not be compromised by economic activity. Yet this is exactly what the use of 1080 is allowing. The owners of the 1080 manufacturing facilities are making a fortune.

The Greens state that they will ‘Protect Threatened Indigenous Species’ yet with the increased use of 1080 which not only kills the targeted possums rats and other pests it leaves their carcases lying around for other small animals to dine on, and as the carcases break down they kill every living thing in the environment.

In order to ensure all threatened species have a recovery plan in place by aerial dropping of poisons they are effectively destroying any chance these species have survival.

Look at the colossal number of native birds, and other invertebrates

that die as a result of every drop.

The Greens state clearly that to ‘Reduce Pest Threats to Biodiversity’ they will develop and fund national pest management strategies; significantly increase funding for pest eradication and control; and support replacing poisons with humane and safe biological and physical animal pest controls wherever practical.

Really the Greens hypocrisy must be considered In the next elections and this complete betrayal of Green Party supporters must be emphasized on election day and they must pay the penalty.

The Green Party vision is for thriving biodiversity, no further extinctions, and restoration of healthy populations, habitats and ecosystems. In order to achieve this, the Green Party seeks to eradicate pest plants and animals that threaten significant ecological values wherever possible, and to control them where eradication is not possible.

So how do they justify the aerial dropping of 1080 which not only kills every living creature where it is spread, the resulting death of every animal including pets, drawn out over a four day period which is agonizingly cruel.

The Greens only advocate aerial

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$41,000 MEG grant, much of which covered 1080 poisoning on the property of the group’s own coordinator and her neighbour, is a dangerous, irresponsible, and wasteful use of regional rates dollars.”

“Locals cannot walk dogs safely along the main road, children cannot safely explore up the Tangiaro Valley, families cannot harvest nutritional wild food, and unsuspecting landowners may wind up with hazardous toxins on their own properties,” Robinson said.

“And as for our tourism-based economy, visitors are being greeted with kilometres of skull-andcrossbone warning signs instead of the pristine bush they expected.”

“We are not talking conservation estate or protection of crown land.

This is public funding of dangerous poisons on private properties within metres of property lines and roads, with toxins potentially migrating onto other people’s land.”

UCLA notes that hundreds of thousands of ratepayer dollars

operations because they are generally a cost effective means of controlling animal pest species yet they support the use of poisons on a large scale, particularly near people’s homes, which pose ecological risks and raises community concerns. All of which are ignored.

The Greens say they want that control of pests to be done humanely and with regard for the potential negative impact of poisons.

And admit that where possible don’t poison as this is a position that sits between green values (poisons are problematic) and conservation values (endangered species won’t survive).

It is completely impossible to eradicate all predators in NZ, and increasing concerns about the ideological stances that are being taken without thought for the realities on the ground.

Where is the discussion about the non-poison methods that NZ could be developing and putting in place, particularly in the context of other needs like regional development and employment? The easiest way to get 1080 use lessened is to create viable alternatives. Retired GP, Kevin Shannon, holding a copy of Bill Benfield’s

are being directed by the regional council this term to so-called “community groups” for possum, rat, and mustelid control with little or no accountability and without wider community support.

“It’s easy for council staff to farm out control work with a few big cheques to a few eco-contractors,” Robinson said. “But unfortunately, it is harmful not only to the environment, but to ratepayers and residents, and to regional council’s own relations with the wider community.”

Authorities tweaking their documents

This quote is from the book, “Slaughter the Animals, Poison the Earth”

by Jack Olsen. This book was published in the United States in 1971 and the following year the use of 1080 was banned in the USA. It was re-allowed in 8 States in 1985 (4 tbsps pure 1080 poison per year, encased in sheep collars to kill coyotes, book “ The Third Wave : At War with Nature” as opposed to the ACP (Animal Control Products) are four tonnes or more of pure 1080 now saying LD 50 is 0.7 to 2 mgs poison per annum we use in NZ). per kg of bodyweight, so if you take It is still banned in Oregon and the lower figure of 0.7 mgs, then California, and a complete ban on two 12 gm baits would contain 36 1080 use in the USA is being called.

A Coromandel conservation contractor to WRC, for placement A recent memorandum from mgs 1080, which is enough to kill The following passage is identigroup is calling for a halt to re- this summer of the poisons in bait the Department of Conserva- me - a 50 kg person. A 70 kg per- cal to our situation here - (just gional funding of toxin use on pri- stations on hundreds of hectares tion confirmed that 1080 resides son can be killed by 45 mgs, which substitute DoC and TBfree for vate land for wild animal control. in Port Charles in an operation op- in the environment and food is as you say, 2.5 standard baits. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Upper Coromandel Landcare posed by many landowners in the chain after placement. The toxin MPI use 70 kgs as the average hu- except that we are far worse in Assocation (UCLA) is asking Waikato small community. In addition to has been implicated in the near- man weight, but decided they NZ because we use much larger Regional Council to suspend any concerns over secondary poison- fatal poisoning of three Waikato would be likely to use a higher fig- amounts and drop it from the AIR!). further cash grants to “community” ing of protected native species and residents after they ate wild pork. ure and that 50 kg is probably more “The horror that conservationists groups for placement of toxin 1080 inhumane controls generally, local According to UCLA spokesperson accurate - taking into account ba- like Max Long and Darwin Creek feel and anticoagulant rat poisons on residents have objected to extreme Reihana Robinson, there are safe, bies and children and old people. at the mention of the poison 1080 private properties on the peninsula. danger from toxic animal carcasses affordable, and acceptable alterna- In regard to toxicity - it’s not known is largely unshared by the growUCLA cited a $41,000 grant to the on neighbouring properties, as well tives to use of residual toxins, in- just how toxic 1080 is on humans, ing army of conservationists in the Moehau Environment Group, a local as poisons entering the food chain. cluding trapping and hunting. “The but it is known that Animal Control United States as a whole, and for a Products changed its poison warn- simple reason: like the majority of ing label last year to include the the people of poison-drenched Wywording that just 30 grams of bait oming, they know nothing about (0.15% 1080) may kill an adult hu- it. Or they barely know that 1080 is man. That’s just 2.5 standard baits. the favorite poison of the U.S.Fish Prior to last year, the APC label didn’t and Wildlife Service, and therecontain this warning, and some on- fore conclude that it must be safe, site warning labels claimed, and reasonable and practical. It is not. still do, that an adult would need Of all the lethal agents in history, to eat 4 - 11 baits (that’s on EPRO’s from Socrates’ hemlock, down warning sign). So even the au- through the Borgias’ legendary thorities are tweaking their docu- deadly elixirs and the nerve poiments, to state that it is more toxic sons of modern warfare, it is diffithan we have been led to believe. cult to imagine a more insidiously It also shows how chilling it is that homicidal poison than sodium it is believed we have as much monofluoroacetate, or 1080 as it is as 14 tonnes of PURE 1080 poi- commonly called. The most infinison - maybe more - stockpiled in tesimal amounts of 1080 are toxic; New Zealand! That is enough to a single ounce, used at maximum kill as many as 200 million peo- efficiency, could kill over 200 huple, taken at the lower amount mans, or 20,000 coyotes or dogs, of 0.7mgs per kg bodyweight. or 70,000 house cats. 1080 remains With a single ounce of 1080, a unchanged in the body of its victim, madman could drive the Po- causing chain-poisoning in animal lice of six continents to despair. and bird populations. Except when It almost drove the NZ Police burned or immersed in large quantito despair in 2015, with the in- ties of water, it apparently does not fant formula blackmail threat degrade biologically or physically. by, as it later turned out, a mem- It is colorless, odorless and almost ber of the poison industry itself. tasteless, and the antidote has not

Funding of Private 1080 Operations Draws Fire

been found. In the known human fatalities, doctors have been reduced to relieving the patient’s symptoms and mounting a death watch.

There is no way to determine the number of undiagnosed deaths due to 1080; in adults, the symptoms of 1080 poisoning are often identical with the usual symptoms of heart attacks. In such cases an autopsy is unlikely to be performed. ....With a single ounce of 1080, a madman could drive the police of six continents to despair.”

“Slaughter the Animals, Poison the Earth” by Jack Olsen, pp.102-3 Retired Dunedin GP, Kevin Shannon, still fit and tall and travelling the world at the age of 87. Kevin (gave a submission at the ERMA Review 2007, on the case of the female tramper in this link below), is of the opinion that some, no-one knows how many, New Zealanders will have died of heart attacks due to undetected Compound 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate).

He said, that no dead body will ever be tested for 1080 in NZ because any pathologist who did so would not have a job for long. He said that this young woman’s body was tested for about six poisons, none of them 1080, and that the Police at the time had had “the effrontery” to contact him and say that she did not die of 1080 poisoning. https://envirowatchrangitikei. wordpress.com/2016/10/06/couldthis-healthy-23-year-old-havedied-from-exposure-to-1080-wewill-never-know-because-incredibly-the-nz-lab-lost-her-heart/ https://www.liveleak.com/ view?i=84b_1323798836 #KRX3bjcZzGP4q8VV.03 New Zealand’s clean green image is a shambles. Innocent species are being killed due to the excessive drops of this poison while the “targeted” species are still running rife.

Banning this evil poison would not only keep our native and nontargeted species alive but could also create jobs through a public owned trapping programme.

For 60+ years they’ve been dropping this poison from the sky but do they still have too?

Surely they can see they’re poisoning the ecosystem from the air and it is not working.

It will do long term damage in the end that will be irreparable.

Duty of Care – ignored and disregarded OPINION PIECE

I’ve spent the last few weeks reading the medical notes of the Kochumman family that was poisoned through eating wild boar, and my reading has worried me. Not just because of the vomiting, the inability to speak and the violent convulsions that required the family to be strapped to their hospital beds for weeks. But because the first working diagnosis by the registrar on the day the family was admitted to hospital was “consumption of meat containing poison used for possum/ rodent killing? neurotoxin? 1080? strychnine poisoning which can produce a picture of lactic acidosis, nausea, vomiting, altered mental state and convulsions .... I cannot come up with an alternative pathology for raised lactate. May need to see if the police can test the meat for neurotoxins.”

1080 is repeated in the working diagnosis over and over again by differ-

ent doctors over the weeks that the family was unconscious. Blood and urine samples had been taken. The curry that had been consumed had

been given to the Medical Officer of Health, so why did no one test for 1080?

Instead a botulism antitoxin was quickly administered and the me-

View the newspaper online at www.fishingoutdoors.org – and advertise online with us dia was told that it was working.

Does “working” mean the patients’ condition worsened? Because it did in fact worsen in almost all respects. A doctor said Shibu Kochumman’s condition had been worsening for 6/7 days. His inflammatory markers were sky high, his CK (creatine kinase) reaching 5000. The ADDS system confirmed the patient’s deteriorating condition. Clearly my understanding of the “botulism antitoxin working” is different to that of the DHB. Many people, including the international Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advised that this wasn’t likely to be botulism. Doctors kept recording 1080 poison in the working diagnosis, but 1080 tests were not done on the food, on the patients’ vomit, stomach contents, or blood.

The patients’ urine was tested for 1080, 18 days after hospitalisation. Possibly coincidentally, the 1080 tests were

done a week after the DHB received an Official Information Act request asking for the toxicology results from this case. Unfortunately the Landcare Research protocol for testing 1080 in urine requires that it be tested within two days of the sample being taken, so the negative result is less than reliable.

The timing of the 1080 test and its lack of compliance with the protocol was not disclosed to the media. In contrast, full botulism tests were done on the patients and on the food and these all came back negative. So did a range of other tests for substances that were far less likely than 1080. Two months after hospitalisation, the DHB tested the curry for 1080. The too-little-too-late negative result is hardly surprising.

The New Zealand government owns the factory that manufactures 1080 baits for pest control. Government agencies spread these baits aerially and DO NOT remove the poisoned

carcasses that are scavenged by wild pigs. We have a duty of care to not only do pest control in a way that minimises harm to the food chain, but also to put people’s welfare first.

The least we can do is test for 1080 when people are convulsing on a hospital bed and doctors agree that the symptoms indicate 1080 poisoning.

The family has since heard that ACC has accepted their claim for medical expenses, which is at least one bit of good news in this sorry saga.

Look at the medical notes, and decide for yourself in the TV Wild video called Wild Boar Botulism Family Explain What Poisoned Them https://youtu.be/j6i4pZ5RYI4 Kathy White Kathy White is the Waikato Regional Councillor for Taupo-Rotorua. This is her personal view.

DoC’s disgraceful conduct

Director-General of Conservation, Lou Sanson, announced last year that Sika deer had been deliberately released by anti-1080 activists around Taranaki and has made much of a letter, calling it an example of anti-1080 eco-terrorism.

However after investigation it seems it is actually DoC that are trouble making in this pathetic attempt to take the focus away from their destruction of the environment, as they have known about the presence of Sika deer for many years.

DoC has conveniently twisted the true story into one that suited their purposes of blaming anti-1080 people.

It is one thing to be mistaken but to deliberately orchestrate a lie is another issue altogether.

‘When you tell the truth all the time, you don’t have to remember any-

thing. Whenever you lie, you have to project more lies to support the same. One thing leads to another, and before you know it one small lie has snowballed into a giant mash of lies.’

We now know that it was NOT anti-1080 people who released the Sika deer.

DoC has been shooting deer and goats on DoC Conservation land in the reserve area and they have had to know that Sika deer were living there for 30 years or more with no harm to vegetation.

In fact about 10 years ago DoC cullers shot Sika deer on a property 10 kilometres away the alleged release point on to the Tarata side of the Taramoukou Reserve in Taranaki.

“Several instances of anecdotal information from experienced hunters point to siki deer being present in north Taranaki in the 1980’s. One a long time member of the NZ Deerstalkers Association and a branch executive member for many years, said while goat hunting in the area, he heard the alarm squeal of Sika deer.

Another experienced hunter said he knew of Sika in the Retaruke area east of North Taranaki, in the late 1970’s.

DoC’s statement by director general Lou Sanson implied Sika deer were not west of the Desert Road State Highway One but hunters point to them being east many decades ago. Sika is also prevalent in the Ruapehu area on the eastern slopes of the mountain.

Tony Orman, NZDA member for 60

years, said Sika deer were present towards Ohakune 40 years ago. He said from the upper Wanganui area (Retaruke) to north Taranaki was just 40 kms or so, a short distance for forest dwelling Sika to travel over the years.

“Frankly it’s disappointing to see a department that should have accurate wildlife knowledge goofing it. They just seem so far behind reality,” he said.

He objected to DOC director general’s wild accusation of people opposed to 1080 being “eco-terrorists.”

“It could be argued with strong evidence that DoC’s, OSPRI’s and local councils’ use of an eco-poison 1080 is eco-terrorism,” he said.”

Yes, Sika deer were released in the area by local hunters. Seventeen Sika deer were reportedly transported to the Taramoukou Reserve near Tarata for private hunting purposes last year from a property near Taupo, and released there.

Then along came DoC, who picked up the story and turned it into a complete lie.

DoC has since shot six Sika deer in the area - two stags and four hinds, two of them yearlings. None of the hinds were in fawn, which points to their being farmed deer.

Then the very illiterate letter claiming to be from anti-1080 people was written and published. The letter was claiming to be from a group calling themselves The New Zealand Hunters and it said they were responsible for releasing Sika deer into Taranaki forests, into an area between Waverley and Tarata, in retaliation for 1080 pest control.

The source of the letter and the culprit have been identified through the letter’s handwriting and Police have and as you can imagine done nothing after the first page of the letter was posted on Facebook in December 2017.

DoC’s use the Taramoukou Reserve as their own private dinner table, but just throw the deer heads and bags of deer guts all over the place.

Here is one of the articles about the “Sika deer release” and letter. https://www.radionz.co.nz/ news/national/345485/anti1080-letter-claims-sika-release DoC and DoC staff are directly involved in this scandal, and it is absolutely disgraceful although it is unlikely they will admit this, because DoC would have egg all over its face - particularly of course, DG of Conservation, Lou Sanson.

The purported release of Sika deer in retaliation to 1080 aerial pest control is a ludicrous idea. What on earth would an action like that have proven? What point could it have been making?

DoC know the majority of the general public are ignorant about their irresponsible use of 1080; deer and pig hunting though, and that they can use a fabrication like this to continue their campaign of trying to blacken the names of those who oppose the poisoning of the land.

DoC has orchestrated a lie in an aborted attempt to discredit private hunters and the anti-1080 people which shows the length that DoC will go to attempt to shift public opinion off them but it has backfired and now even the Police have egg on their faces.

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Letters to editor Hunters Beware Dear Sir

The other day at a Gun Club I overheard a group of shooters talking about their experiences and results of aerial 1080 drops. It was disgusting to listen to. All the native birds that disappeared. Many hundreds of them, just to kill and a couple of possums, and all the places mentioned were easy walking.

These idiots in government combined with DoC and Ospri need to seriously consider that you can’t keep poisoning our forests, rivers, creeks forever and all the pig and deer hunters, young and old etc etc.

The bureaucrats with their goal of pest free by 2050 will if they can kill every deer, pig and wallaby – you name it they will try to kill every ;living thing with 1080 and brodifacoum. They don’t care a hoot about the damage or the hunters in any shape or form. These people are nothing but dreamers and idiots.

They will never get the last rat, possum or mouse etc ever.

All other countries protect their wildlife where possible but not here in NZ. Dick Featherstone Thames

ticles causing them to atrophy (shrink) and produce less sperm.

This is effectively CHEMICAL CASTRATION! Compound 1080 has been proven to have this effect on animals.

There are no studies involving humans because this substance is a deadly poison that humans are not allowed to be exposed to.

Unfortunately and perhaps unwisely everyone living in New Zealand is exposed to 1080 and all males are at risk of testicular atrophy, reduced sperm production and infertility.

Exposing people to this risk is enthusiastically pursued by the New Zealand government even though it is prohibited in the rest of the world.

There are two ways to look at this.

1. Our government is providing free male contraception or 2.

They are trying to take away our balls.

Or perhaps the people responsible are just unaware and unconcerned about the adverse effects of their decisions and actions on the health and welfare of the people that pay their wages?

1080 KILLS PEOPLE!

Well done Rupert!

HOW IS YOUR SPERM COUNT? Dear Sir Dear Sir Probably not so good.

Research indicates that male sperm counts are steadily decreasing. The precise cause of this loss of male fertility is not fully understood but it is thought to be due to “environmental factors”.

There are toxic chemicals in our modern environment which damage structures in the tes-

and other outdoor recreation planks.

But since the election I have not had one press release from NZ First. I back to being a totally uncommitted voter.

The silence from NZ First is not a good look and extremely poor public relations.

You can’t ignore politics. To do so is at the peril of our way of life. You cannot ignore your duty to vote.

Us comedian and TV personality Henry Rollins said “Voting is completely important. People in America think democracy is a given. I think of it as an ecosystem, and what gets in the way of it is politicians and apathy.”

Henry is so right. Apathy is the biggest danger. I am appalled how many fishing and hunting guys just don’t well to put it bluntly, give a stuff.”

They say “politics doesn’t interest me.”

That’s naive bordering on stupidity.

My deerstalking and dry fly fishing mentor John B Henderson told NZDA conferences in the 1970s that “politics (in your sport) is nothing more than cause and effect.”

The origins of threats whether commercial hoover fishing, wholesale slaughter by WARO helicopters, 1080 poison, drained and damaged rivers and other issues all have political origins one way or another.

You’ve got to meet these threats by political action even if it’s just voting. But you can do much more - if you do give a stuff.

Resolve in 2018 to get stuck in. Poke your head above the parapet and start firing shots whether a letter to an MP or Prime Minister, a letter to a newspaper, the social media or whatever.

The article “Political Fair-weather Friends” by Rupert Pye summed up nicely the insincerity of politicians.

No wonder in public rankings that politicians are accorded low respect.

It has been my experience that prior to the election I received 3, 4 or even 5 press releases a day from NZ First. Tony Orman As an uncommitted voter they got Marlborough my party vote in 2017 because of an end to aerial 1080, sea fishing policies

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Southern Bluefin Tuna – doomed for extinction Stuart Nash Minister for Fisheries has asked for submissions on proposed Southern Blue fin tuna increases. The answer he MUST give is no – way.

The high demand for this endangered species has created a level of greed not known before in the Seafood Industry. This shows that the seafood industry has no interest in sustainable fishing, it’s all about increased profits.

In 1996 Bluefin Tuna because of its depleted status resulted in it being ranked by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered.

The ecological concerns regarding Southern bluefin stocks are that stocks are severely over-fished – the breeding population is severely depleted and there is a high level of unreported and illegal catch (up to 30% of the reported catch).

The management plan which the industry has created over a period of two years to increase the tuna catch is more of a financial adjustment which basically inflation proofs their business plan.

The bycatch of seabirds, NZ fur seals, a range of shark species and the huge non-target fish bycatch are also of major concern.

The economic value of Southern bluefin tuna is such that it is exported to Japan, the USA and Canada where it is highly prized for sashimi and sushi. Almost all large bluefin are shipped to Japan where they can fetch very high prices. An individual 444 pound bluefin sold for a record US $173,000 in Tokyo in 2001. The export value of southern blue fin tuna was $7 million in 2008. The export value of all tuna species combined was $38 million in 2010. Quota value of southern blue fin tuna in 2009 was $15.4 m.

You can see from the list of countries involved in the proposal that political pressure will come to bare

on the new fishery minister Stuart Nash for this increase in quota.

In their own submission document the Fisheries ministry, ‘Setting the TAC 14,’ that Southern Bluefin Tuna is a highly migratory species, migrating over considerable distances and spending only part of its times in New Zealand waters.

The Ministry clearly states that it is not possible to calculate the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for the portion of the stock found within New Zealand fisheries waters (STN 1).

How can the Minister agree to an increase to a fishery they have admitted it is impossible to get an accurate stock assessment from?

We can’t see how the Minister can grant this quota increase and not break the law.

Environmental principles All persons exercising or performing functions, duties, or powers under this Act, in relation to the utilisation of fisheries resources or ensuring sustainability, shall take into account the following environmental principles: (a) associated or dependent species should be maintained above a level that ensures their long-term viability: (b) biological diversity of the aquatic environment should be

maintained.

The Minister or anybody else for that matter will not know how many Bluefin Tuna manage to run the South Pacific gauntlet of le-

gal and illegal commercial fishers.

The Minister cannot possibly know what other species of fish in NZ or the lesser amount of Tuna left to breed in the Indian Ocean in the summer will have on the biological diversity of the Indian Ocean.

Every ocean the Bluefin visit on ​ their migration run there are various types of fish and sea mammal waiting for the special hunting skills of the Bluefin to push bait fish into their reach, if there were less Tuna many of these species will starve to death.​ This should be easy for the new Minister to say no to an increase in Bluefin Tuna quota, but I guess if he gives into this we will know he’s given in to corporate and political pressure like other politicians who have destroyed their counties fisheries.

Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus maccoyi) have lots of admirers in this world, but unfortunately for them most

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people admire the taste, texture or large profit to be made from the fish rather than the spectacular aquatic hunting machine they are.

With all the technology in the world today man has not come close to designing any machine that performs as effortlessly or efficiently as those predators in the Tuna or Dolphin families.

What people have created with our technology is the ability to catch vast amounts of tuna with relative ease.

Tuna are a migratory fish, which means it follows its favourite food or temperature through the seasonal changes in sea temperature.

The large offshore vessels that target Tuna can now use daily satellite temperature charts to track the tuna and forward reading sonar to catch the fish. The Bluefin Tuna fleet tends to be more content to put 100nm longlines out and in some cases even longer.

The human race has with many of its food products allowed the nutritional value of a product to be far exceeded by its monetary value. This is now the case of many of our wild seafood resources.

NZ has some home grown examples of this where wild harvested Cray, Paua and Bluefin are no longer used for sustenance but for a privileged few who get a few expensive grams on a shiny white plate.

As soon as seafood becomes a privilege and the price exceeds all rational thinking then that seafood is doomed to be fought over by corporate money makers until the last one is gone.

Bluefin is now a consumer’s fish of privilege and this makes it worth Commercial Fishers and Fishing Companies taking a risk on, to get a piece of the high rewards associated with it.

According to their website Solander and its associated companies are New Zealand’s largest single quota owner and fisher for Southern Bluefin Tuna, catching approximately 300 tons per year.

how many boats got away with misreported or under-reported Bluefin in there holds. Make no mistake if the illegal fishers get away with a full fish hold of unreported tuna they will be back for more.

The high price has also seen corporate money men willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get a piece of the profit from Blue-Fin Tuna.

The 23rd annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) met from 10 to 13 October 2016 in Kachsiung, Chinese Taipeh.

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for the management of southern bluefin tuna throughout its distribution.

Members of the Extended Commission comprise: Australia, the European Union, the Fishing Entity of Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and South Africa. The Philippines are a Cooperating Non-Member. In line with the CCSBT Management Procedure and as recommended by its scientists, the total allowable catch (TAC) for southern bluefin tuna was rolled over at 17 341 tonnes to 2017 and increased by 3000 tonnes for the period 20182020. Unfortunately, a proposal

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The website says Solander Southern Bluefin Tuna is carefully caught by long line on the East and West Coast of New Zealand. It is all wild and running free in the ocean enhancing its flavour and taste. Southern Bluefin Tuna makes beautiful sashimi and is rich in fat and melts in your mouth.

The flesh of a Southern Bluefin Tuna has a wonderful red/pink colour. The highly prized belly section of the fish can have a very high fat content providing a taste sensation equal to nothing else in seafood. As far as tuna goes Southern Bluefin Tuna is rated number one for sashimi.

Southern bluefin tuna breed in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia, arriving in New Zealand in prime condition at around the age of 5 years old, where they are caught off the east coast by longlining and trolling. Jointly with mako shark, snapper and oreo/deepwater dory, southern bluefin tuna has the second worst ecological ranking on the Best Fish Guide of any commercial fishery in New Zealand.

A Chinese company took a risk with two large vessels in January 2017 and got caught fishing without a licence and miss reporting 100 ton of Bluefin tuna. The company lost both boats and was fined $825.000. The company took a gamble because of the value of the bluefin tuna in its hold and we have to wonder

for seabird mitigation measures once again did not find consensus.

What this means is that corporate money men from lots of countries

have got together and formed a group that put the word conservation in the tittle to manage public reaction to a group that wants to make money from fishing an endangered fish species. The CCSBT then hired its own scientist to tell the group they could have a quota increase.

No group in the world with any sort of conservation intent would allow any commercial vessel to fish without bird mitigation devices. This means that the CCSBT is nothing but a very nasty Bluefin catching joke.

Because

of the high dollar value of Bluefin Tuna the species could well be extinct by 2050 anyway, but it still does not mean that NZ should contribute to the extinction of any species for 30 pieces of silver.

Did you know?

Bluefin tuna have very effective lateral heat exchangers, which allow bluefin tuna to conserve metabolic heat, invade cooler waters, tolerate a wide temperature range, and swim faster. The Bluefin tuna’s heat exchange system works so well that it can elevate the bluefin’s body temperatures to more than 20°C above ambient water temperatures.

Essentially, the heat exchange system means that the outgoing veins carrying warm, carbon dioxide-laden blood toward the gills pass the heat over to incoming arteries carrying cold oxygenated blood from the gills. More specifically, tunas possess organs near their muscles called retia mirabilia that consist of a series of minute parallel veins and arteries that supply and drain the muscles. As the warmer blood in the veins returns to the gills for fresh oxygen it comes into close contact with cold, newly oxygenated blood in the arteries.

The system acts as a counter-current heat exchanger and the heat from the blood in the veins is given up to the colder arterial blood rather than being lost at the gills. The net effect is an increase in temperature. When you consider that a human doesn’t have the ability to cope with a body temperature rise or fall or two degrees either way and we are at serious risk of death it makes you think who ever designed the human body had the afternoon off and didn’t finish the job properly.

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Farmed salmon being cooked slowly The MPI has exercised his powers to propose a change to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan to specifically zone six alternative locations in the coastal marine area of the Marlborough Sounds to enable relocation of some existing salmon farms as a restricted discretionary activity ignoring protests by those against the plan.

Currently, there are twelve consented sites for finfish farming in the Marlborough Sounds.

The six proposed new sites are to be in substitution for six of the existing consented sites which are currently in locations which give rise to significant sub-optimal environmental outcomes.

It was recommended that the Proposal proceed in respect of three

of the six sites, namely Tio Point, Horseshoe Bay and Richmond Bay South with a licence term of 20 years.

If only three new farms are to proceed as part of the Proposal, then it is appropriate that consents for three currently operational farms be surrendered, namely Waihinau, Otanerau and Ruakaka Bay. The grounds for recommending the Blowhole Point1 and Waitata MidChannel sites not proceed are site specific, with there being no single disqualifying feature at Waitata Mid-Channel.

The link to the report: https://www. mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/27447report-and-recommendationsof-the-marlborough-salmonfarm-relocation-advisory-panel

Coro Harbour development Over summer the TCDC have been working on repairs at some of the boat ramps around Coromandel Harbour that were affected by the January storm and king tides, as well as preparing for planned improvements works which will start in the next few months.

Amodeo Bay Boat Ramp and Port Charles Wharf - Repairs have been completed on the access road to the Amodeo Bay Boat Ramp.

Neil Reid a Port Charles resident helped with a repair at the Port Charles boat ramp, by bolting back down some loose board, which were then signed-off by our Council.

Coromandel Wharf - The January storm also caused damaged to the recreational jetty at the Wharf so had to be demolished due to safety concerns.

Sugarloaf Wharf. There was also some damage at this faciilty, which was overtopped by the tides. However, prompt repairs ensured it was operational quickly with minimum disruption.

Waitete Bay - Further erosion also

occurred here following the January storm and king tides. This meant delays in installing a replacement rock wall and culvert, which was work already planned. Construction of a new beach access boat ramp here is also being planned, which is a local community initiative.

The TCDC were successful in a bid to Government’s Infrastructure Tourism Fund for $103,500 worth of work to be done at Hannafords Wharf. The tourism funding submission coincided with Tourism Funding deadlines, met criteria of being tourism based infrastructure that enhanced visitor experience, with Ferry sailing between Coromandel Town and downtown Auckland.

The work has been broken down into three packages: Resealing carpark turnaround area; Solar powered lighting, path realignment, a retaining wall with outdoor seating and a new visitors shelter.

They have also been gauging whether there is interest in marina

Early Bird Bait & Tackle Report

In the meantime farmed salmon in the Marlborough Sounds are dying due to the warm sea temperatures. Preferring temperatures between 12 to 17 degrees Celsius, king salmon have had to endure warmer waters since December, with one farm being consistently over 19c for the past three weeks.

New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne said salmon cannot regulate their body temperature, which has caused some to die.

“We have adjusted feed times to the beginning and end of each day when the water surface temperatures are cooler, and are putting extra effort into maintaining the farm environment in optimal condition for as low a stress environment as possible,” he said. berths in the Coromandel Harbour and have had an excellent response to their expressions of interest.

They also had a number of comments including feedback from the community that other marine facilities such as boat ramps, boat storage and haul out facilities are also important.

The type, location and size of a potential marina and associated marine facilities has not yet been finalised and a number of concepts are being considered.

Two proposals involve an unknown quantity of harbour dredging at this early stage, while one proposal includes a boating marina on the end of a long pier which will involve a much lesser degree of seabed disturbance.

Criteria include provision of docking for a ferry and charter boats, boat haul out, recreational boat ramp facilities, and ancillary activities. Other considerations will include impact on the environment, operational sustainability and what degree of Council funding and support could be required.

Autumn is already upon us, so where did the Summer go? I only remember the hot and humid days we have been having but I’m sure there must have been some sort of nice weather. Strange isn’t it how we look back and remember the storm we had on January 4th, which wrecked so many homes and destroyed the coastline running up to Coromandel town. Maybe something good will come of this and I can’t praise enough, how the

roading crews have worked endlessly and patched everything up.

The road is passable now with virtually no hold-ups and all of the boat ramps are as far as I know in a good and healthy position. Waikawau boat ramp which is by far the most popular along the coast is still as busy as ever with over two hundred boats and trailers at times.

Kereta and Te Kouma are also very popular and worth checking out if you don’t want to launch your boat elsewhere. Te Kouma is ideally situated for fishing around Coromandel Harbour and the north end of the Mussel Farms and if you want to head out amongst the many Islands it is a piece of cake and literally only minutes away. Getting out early before other fishermen arrive is definitely the answer and when you want to purchase the best bait and berley, you don’t have to look any further than Early Bird Bait & Tackle in Totara, Thames.

With a massive Tackle range and a ‘Good Looking Owner’ ……. Yeahh right you can pick up everything you need for a days fishing and more.

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They say that those who don’t read history are doomed to repeat it.

Back in the late 1990’s there was a small provincial city that needed to upgrade its wastewater systems. It was currently discharging sewage into the local river, which was already polluted from the farmland and towns upstream.

Back then, community consultation was a big (and new) thing. So the City Council set up a consultation committee drawn from the public, to advise it on the best options. This wide and varied group researched the options and the available technology both in New Zealand and overseas, looked at the current problems and the practicality of a range of solutions. After months of meetings and background reports, the unanimous conclusion of the committee was to stop dumping wastewater into the local river and dispose of it on land instead.

That decision went back to the City Council and its officers. There it hit a brick wall. They didn’t like it. They didn’t like it because it would raise the rates by what today would be a modest amount, but which back then was seen as an unacceptable level. It would be unpopular with ratepayers, and may influence Councillors chances of re-election. So they held a referendum. Ratepayers could chose to either upgrade the present facilities and still discharge into the river – with a small rate rise; or they could chose a deluxe facility that would remove the waste stream from the river entirely – but at a significant increase in rates. It was of little surprise that the city voted to continue polluting the local river.

What was surprising was that of all the groups represented by the consultation committee, only the local anglers objected. They could see that it just wouldn’t work. They were aware of the degradation of the river and the disappearance of its insects and trout. However, after private

meetings with the Council staff and their ‘consultants’, they were persuaded that by changing the treatment process, it could be made to work. Naively, they believed them.

Of course, it didn’t work. It probably wasn’t even attempted. The local river developed the reputation of being one of the most polluted in the country. The City Council streamed more and more waste from outlying communities through the treatment station with no further upgrades. For the next 15 years successive councils ignored any improvements in its infrastructure, despite both improvements in technology and the increasing expectations of the public.

Finally the Regional Council, itself with a reputation for leniency over environmental matters, issued an abatement notice to the City to clean up its act.

The City Council fought back, firstly by denial, then by delay – putting it into its long term plan. Finally however, even that time is becoming due. So the Council is proposing a substantial increase in rates to pay for it (even though they haven’t said

ball breaking monster being landed as well. There are lots of smaller fish around but moving around and using a good berley will produce the fish. Snapper are plentiful, as are big Kahawai so you will get a good feed.

Kingfish are still plentiful although most of these are slightly too small to keep. Big ones are around, so if you really want to target these move away from the Farms to avoid being broken off. Last week I weighed in one for a member of the Thames Angling Club, which was 12.11kg. if I remember rightly, this was caught out of Kereta, but believe me they are everywhere.

There are still a lot of John Dory about on and around the Mussel Farms and one of my popular customers is Steve, who caught a beauty a few weeks ago and couldn’t wait to show me the picture.

Another of my customers, Terry Fricker, landed a prize 19lb 810mm snapper from Port Jackson while he was drifting in the bay (see photo).

Fishing around this part of the coastline is nearly always good, with plenty of rock ‘possies’ to cast your line out from. I know of some guys who use three pillies tied together with bait elastic and a small sinker.

This is offered to the big snapper on 80lb trace and braid and believe me, for most of the time it pays off for them. The charter boats and mussel barges are reporting good catches of Snapper with the best baits being Pilchard, Squid Mullet and Bonito. Actually, they’re taking everything so maybe you should grab the missus (gently) and the kids and get out there for a fish.

You can call in on passing and I’ll let you know what the state of play is and hopefully where the fish are. Just before I sign off, I have to tell you about the new Tica soft bait/boat rods I have. They have been matched up with a fantastic reel and I know they will go fast. what ‘it’ will be). It is of course much more substantial than the original rejected increase, because the costs have all gone up. But already the local media and some Councillors are calling it unaffordable and querying its justification. History repeats.

The point is, this City can and does represent many, many towns and cities throughout new Zealand. Cities that have happily ignored their aging infrastructure for decades. Cities that are now frightened of the costs to upgrade their wastewater treatment to a standard acceptable to today’s public. Cities with no clear idea of how to even accomplish that. Cities which are happy to spend huge amounts to build highways, sports stadiums, bridges and popular ‘feelgood’ projects, but who baulk at the cost of getting rid of their own waste without degrading the environment.

This has to change. Bureaucrats and Public Officials will always act in their own self-interest, despite their protests to the contrary. We have to stop history repeating itself over and over.

We owe it to our kids, and their kids.

We owe it to our waterways and what life they still sustain. And really, we don’t have the luxury or the time anymore to allow it to continue repeating.

14

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rates do not want trawling banned inshore. They have an extraordinary influence on fisheries ministers and the ministry bureaucrats.

If recreational fishing is diminished then less people fish. Less people fishing means less readers. Those magazines/papers who ignore the hard issues, do so at their peril. Do they realise that?

Your paper deserves a bouquet.

I may not agree with everything but you get me thinking and no doubt your readers in general.

Keep up the sterling work

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Letters to editor A Bouquet

Dear Sir Congratulations on your informative paper. It is importantly informative to alerting readers to the issues. Nothing is secure in today’s world. Powerful corporates lobby politicians and parties and

whoever becomes government.

Word has it that the big fishing companies donated to the likely parties to make government benches. Then the big companies screw the party for special favours.

This is extreme corruption. An enquiry into party political dona-

tions is needed. For that reason I never buy any Talley products at the supermarket. I boycott them.

What is very irksome is most other fishing publications seem to do little or nothing to alert readers to the power corporate at work. To be fair “NZ Fishing News” does. The corpo-

Dipak Gondwana Auckland

Perhaps we are all mad?

Dear Editor

Most people do not really care about dogs, cows, wild pigs, deer, possums or other animals.

People mostly care about themselves!

The NZ public has been persuaded to believe that 1080 is not a danger for them. This is an irrational delusion.

The previous minister of conservation even said (untruly) that it is as safe as a cup of tea. I questioned this

and she admitted that it was not true.

“Folie à deux (/fɒˈli ə ˈduː/; French pronunciation: ​[fɔli a dø]; French for “madness of two”), or shared psychosis, is a psychiatric syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional belief and sometimes hallucinations are transmitted from one individual to another.”

The people that support the use of 1080 are suffering from “symptoms of a delusional belief” and they have transmitted it on to the rest of us.

This delusional belief is that exposing people to poison will not harm or kill them. This is an untrue and irrational belief.

We are all participating in this “shared psychosis”. In a sense, we are all mad.

The supporters of this insanity are actively and effectively transmitting this delusional belief to citizens of New Zealand.

The opponents are transmitting this delusion when they emphasize the danger to other animals and ignore the danger to themselves and other humans.

A sane person knows that exposing people to a deadly poison is not acceptable and should not be allowed under any circumstances or for any reason.

Anyone who believes that exposing people to deadly poison is acceptable because it might save some birds is mentally ill and should seek psychiatric help. People who are participating in this dangerous activity are a danger to themselves and others and should be forced to have therapy for their “psychiatric syndrome”.

Perhaps some of these people are also hallucinating and hear voices in their heads telling them that they must do anything and everything no matter how dangerous, dishonest or drastic to save the little birds.

These voices in their deranged heads are telling them that they are engaged in a sacred mission and a “battle to save the birds”. These voices in their heads are telling them that they are making War Against Predators.

These voices in their heads are telling them that human casualties are expected and acceptable because this war must be won at all costs.

These people are mentally ill and they are a danger to the rest of us. They need help! They must be stopped.

There is only one issue.

1080 KILLS PEOPLE. Dr. Charlie Baycroft

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Book review on New Zealand’s native forests.

Aly Cook became intent on looking into 1080 poison after a conversation she had with friends who featured on a TV Wild Video. New Zealand farmers were interviewed in the video who had all suffered stock losses from 1080 poison drops. These farmers had been instructed by various government departments to put their compensation payouts down to ‘track New special single release maintenance’ or ‘stock food’, after - ‘Poison Rain’ their animals had tested positive for Following 4 number one singles 1080 poisoning. Other farmers were from her album ‘Horseshoe Rodeo asked to sign confidentiality clauses.

Hotel’ on the Australian Top 40 If there was nothing to hide, the farmCountry Tracks airplay chart, this ers would not have been instructed week marks the beginning of a to lie on an invoice. The more Aly new direction for singer songwriter looked into it, the more oxymorons Aly Cook as she releases a newly she found. Doc claims 1080 did not commissioned song ‘Poison Rain’. kill invertebrates… yet 1080 was The song has been “self-penned” developed as an insecticide. and co-produced with Jay Pheye This set Aly on a path to expose in his little Golden Bay Studio and the hidden and inconvenient mastered by Benny Tones. ‘Poison truths about 1080 and other Rain’ is now available on ITunes. aerially dispersed poisons. She Appalled by the destruction of our has joined thousands of others forests and wildlife ‘Poison Rain’ calls who would like to see a change for an end to 1080 poison and other to New Zealand’s policies on rodenticides in New Zealand, poison the choice of pest control and that is banned in many countries. to who intend to put presThe song asks for a better solution to sure on the government to join be found, one that does not involve many other countries in the bantons of poison continually tipped ning of the use of 1080 poison.

Coro Seafood festival Seafood Fest is on the 5th May 2018 from 9am to 4pm and will be held in the Coromandel Area School Grounds What a fabulous day it was last year with the weather being perfect and the people coming in all day.

Estimations of around 1500

– 2000 people attended.

As this was the second festival organisers were not sure how well it would be supported and were overwhelmed with the response.

Derek the Chef, the oyster shucking competition, fish filleting dem-

However, those who claimed that the poisoning doesn’t kill native species, including our own Department of Conservation, would do anything to deny the obvious truth.

Instead they point to their scientific studies, which simply don’t match the visual images and people’s experiences that are out in the public arena, in much the same way as the tobacco industry commission studies overrode studies that pointed to the dangers of smoking, the same has been done in the case of 1080.

Science can and has been manipulated throughout history.

All proceeds from the sale of ‘Poison Rain’ will go back into paid promotion of the TV Wild video and the song to the public and to continue the lobby to the NZ Government TO BAN the USE 1080 and and similar aerial dropped poisons.

NB: Aly Cook announces, ‘Love is a fool time Job’, as the final single being lifted from her album ‘Horseshoe Rodeo Hotel’, is set to be released later this month to radio via CRS Radio distribution disc #205 in Australia.

Those wanting copies of ‘poison rain’ for airplay or interviews please contact below NZ Alycookpr@gmail.com +64 27 5566113 Australia Therese@key2artistpromotions.com.au +61 405931180 ITUNES https://itunes.apple. com/nz/album/id1342088626 Key2Store http://www.key2artistpromotions.com.au/store onstrations, and the Cook off were favourites among the crowds.

A wide variety of food stalls, arts and crafts and clothing which were well supported and all of the stall holders want to return next year.

Live music provided by local artists was also an attraction.

The Marine Art Exhibition and the Wearable Arts were also well received and sparked inter-

Visit us on www.facebook/Fishingandoutdoorsnewspaper est from locals to enter next year.

If any one is interested in entering wearable arts please email coroseafoodfest@gmail.com Also stalls are still available if in-

terested in a stall please email.

There will be local chefs demonstrating throughout the day.

Fish filleting and entertainment.

Entry fee is $2 per adult

children under 14 free.

This event is being held in conjunction with the Kauri Run this year as well.

Politics

It will be interesting to see developments within the party, to observe how long Winston Peters stays on as leader and then probably for “personal reasons” retire

by Rupert Pye. as NZ First leader. Who becomes leader? Ron Mark, current deputy?

A friend down in the South Island outdoor recreation policies with Sources within the party hint sent me a recent editorial by the the recreational saltwater fish- that Ron Mark, as earnest as he Christchurch based newspaper “The ing public and also with hunters, is, will be under pressure from Press”. Entitled “Greens and Dead many farmers and rational con- other would-be leaders, perhaps Rats” it was most interesting and servationists applauding “an end Shane Jones and/or Tracy Watkins? revealing. In the 4th paragraph the to the use of aerial 1080 poison.” Meanwhile the corporates lurked editorial referred to James Shaw as But it seems likely there were corpo- in the shadows in the pre-elec“Shaw has also given up the fight rate forces at work making big dona- tion lobbying. What amounts for a marine sanctuary in the Ker- tions to those political parties which were donated and who to? madecs and here again he has sur- were likely to be in government i.e. The “Sunday Star Times” (11 Febrendered to NZ First, the champion NZ First, Labour, National. In essence ruary 2018) ran a revealing article of the commercial fishing industry.” they were buying favours and the “MPs declare millions in donaThe sentence is most revealing. It right to demand certain counters to tions” subtitled “Big donors coddle hints strongly at political pressure anything that diminished their right our cash-strapped candidates”. from the commercial fishing indus- to exploit. Sources say the corpo- The article said “family owned fishtry with NZ First “the champion of rate companies did not like the two ery company Talley’s Group - (conthe commercial fishing industry.” policy planks (see above) relating tributed) - $49,000 to 10 candiThis is at odds in the lead-up to the recreational saltwater public. dates from three different political to the election, with the party’s Richard Prosser was number 3 on parties. NZ First MP Shane Jones stance of strongly pro-recreational NZ First’s list for the 2014 elec- was the biggest winner, getting fishing. Many thousands of rec- tion. When the 2017 NZ First list $10,000. The company gave $5000 reational fishers would have liked appeared, inexplicably Richard a piece to National’s Amy Adams, that. At last, a party that cares. Prosser was demoted from 3rd Sarah Dowie, Paula Bennett, Todd NZ First - considerably before to 15th position. Taking Richard McLay, Stuart Smith, Maureen Pugh the election - issued an outdoor Prosser’s place at number 3 on and Nikki Kaye while Labour’s Riko recreation policy which strongly the NZ First list was Tracy Watkins. Tirikatene and NZ First’s Fletcher favoured recreational fishing. By demoting Richard Prosser to 15, Tableau picked up $2,000 each.”

Before the election NZ First’s out- under MMP, Richard Prosser’s time “Sir Peter Talley said he was not interdoor recreation policy as pub- as a Member of Parliament was over. ested in talking about donations but licly promoted by the party’s Questions need to be asked. grateful recipients Adams and Smith Outdoor Recreation spokesman Did the big corporate donors de- said it was because he had busiMP Richard Prosser stated :- mand the demotion of Prosser? ness interests in their electorates.” (a) “Ensure the maintenance of sus- If so, is it tantamount to bribery? Those recreational anglers who say tainable fishing with guaranteed ac- The loss of Richard Pross- they can’t be bothered with politics cess for recreational fishers and the er will be NZ First’s big loss. are deluding themselves akin to an protection of existing game species.” Will NZ First by its treatment of MP ostrich with its head in the sand. (b) “No licensing system for Prosser and bowing to corporate The big corporates play polirecreational saltwater fishers.” pressure to ditch its outdoor rec- tics heavily. If most anglers are Richard Prosser had energetically reation promises, lose thousands politically indifferent they are won wide support for the NZ First’s and thousands of vital votes? being naive in the extreme.

Corporates Lurk in Shadows

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2007 Mercury 90 hp, 250 hrs

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Saturday 5th May 2018 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Coromandel Area School (bottom field) The programme includes: mussel shucking oyster shucking Live

local bands

celebrity Chef : Derek the Chef demonstrations with local chefs food stalls fish filleting demonstration

Secondhand Parts available for Johnson, Mercury and Yamaha

Auckland Outboard Services 2/54 Ranfurly Rd Papatoetoe (off Cavendish Drive), Manukau

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15

Facebook page: Coromandel Seafood Fest For further enquiries call: Festival Organizers: 07 8668797

e-mail: coroseafoodfest@gmail.com

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