New Zealand Fishing News

Date	News item	Source
27 Dec 2009	EW helping in aftermath of Awakino spill Environment Waikato is to assist emergency services in dealing with a diesel and whey spill after a truck crash into the Awakino River, near the south-west corner of the regional council’s area, this morning.	Environment Waikato Media Statement
24 Dec 2009	Council committed to keeping didymo out of the Gisborne region The Gisborne District is free from Didymo (didymospenia geminate) and we need to keep it that way,” says Didymo Awareness Advocate Charlotte Tietjen. The invasive algae - commonly known as “rock snot” – have devastated many South Island rivers.	Gisborne District Council
21 Dec 2009	Crafar company pleads guilty to effluent charges A Crafar dairying company Hillside Ltd has today pleaded guilty to four charges of unlawfully discharging effluent to land between November 2007 and February 2008 on the company’s property situated at Kuratau, situated south west of Lake Taupo.	Environment Waikato Media Statement
10 Dec 2009	EW outlines Variation 5 consent charges Environment Waikato is announcing details of the indicative charges farmers will face for new consents in the Lake Taupo catchment.	Environment Waikato Media Statement
3 Dec 2009	Stonefly Lodge opens on the Motueka River New Zealand's latest lodge Stonefly Lodge has opened for business. The lodge is designed specifically for anglers and is on the banks of the Motueka River and close to a number of other top fishing waters.
28 Nov 2009	Who is actually running Fish and Game Council? The other day I received a press release from Fish and Game with a headline all in capitals. Must be something really important I thought...	New Zealand Farmers Weekly
27 Nov 2009	Breast cancer survivors recover by going fly fishing... An international programme that helps breast cancer survivors recover by going fly fishing has come to New Zealand. Casting for Recovery "offers women an opportunity to experience the peace and solitude and the chance to be in the moment that fly fishing provides"...	Stuff NZ
27 Nov 2009	Manawatu River one of the most polluted in the Western World The Manawatu tops a new pollution measurement of 300 rivers and streams across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, research by the Cawthron Institute has found...	Dominion Post
25 Nov 2009	Hilton Lake Taupo opens as the first upscale The Hilton Lake Taupo officially opened its doors to guests. The upscale hotel is located on New Zealand’s stunning North Island and offers 113 deluxe guest rooms, suites and apartments...	Travel Daily News
21 Nov 2009	Alas, poor rivers, we knew them Degradation of Nelson's fishing rivers is blamed on environmental vandalism by the Nelson and Tasman councils. Once upon a fishery, there were the Maitai, Happy Valley (Wakapuaka) and Wai-iti rivers. These were small, friendly, local streams near population centres and were highly valued by junior anglers...	The Nelson Mail
20 Nov 2009	Results from the recent Fish and Game Council elections posted The new council members from the Fish and Game elections have just been announced. See the full list on the Fish and Game website...	Fish and Game
19 Nov 2009	River settlement could lead to tighter EW regulatory processes The signing of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claim River Settlement Bill is likely to mean Environment Waikato will need to tighten its regulatory processes to protect water quality in the Waikato River, says EW chairman Peter Buckley...	Environment Waikato media release
19 Nov 2009	Farms look like they will cope with new Lake Taupo rules Many farms around Lake Taupo look as though they will cope comfortably with new Environment Waikato rules aimed at protecting water quality in the iconic lake, a key national tourist attraction...	Environment Waikato media release
14 Nov 2009	Pure conflict ...The traditional home of tourism in New Zealand, Rotorua is under pressure to champion the country's 100% Pure brand, with its 16 lakes suffering various degrees of pollution from lakeside agriculture and human activity... A rough estimate puts the freshwater fishing industry's earning capacity easily into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and that is only counting international anglers, who regularly pay up to $1000 a day for top guiding and fat trout....	The Dominion Post
11 Nov 2009	EW floats ideas for protecting water quality Ideas for new water quality objectives in a working draft on Environment Waikato’s next Regional Policy Statement (RPS) reflect community expectations for the health of the region’s lakes and waterways....	Environment Waikato Media release
7 Nov 2009	Fish and Game stands by its chief Fish and Game's New Zealand council has defended its national chief executive, after he faced attacks from two regional bodies. The Central South Island and Otago fish and game councils have both passed motions of no confidence in national chief executive Bryce Johnson...	The Timaru Herald
7 Nov 2009	Brown plague: Didymo Lifestyle magazine feature article Five years since didymo was officially discovered in New Zealand, the invasive alga has spread rapidly through the South Island's rivers, writes Shane Gilchrist...	Otago Daily Times
6 Nov 2009	NZ Fish& Game Council has full confidence in the Chief Executive Statement by Rob Roney, Chairman, New Zealand Fish & Game Council The New Zealand Fish & Game Council has full confidence in the Chief Executive, Bryce Johnson. Recent media coverage of a vote of no confidence by the Central South Island, and Otago, Fish & Game Councils has caused confusion among those not familiar with the New Zealand Fish & Game structure...	Nedia release: Fish & Game New Zealand
6 Nov 2009	Britain's oldest emigrant dies in New Zealand He made waves around the world by becoming Britain’s oldest emigrant. But nearly two years after leaving Hampshire for New Zealand at the grand old age of 103, Eric King-Turner has died. His wife said: “He only managed to get his new fishing licence last week. He intended to go fishing in the Motueka River as soon as we got a nice, fine day. Only that was no longer to be.”	Daily Echo, Southhampton, UK
4 Nov 2009	Dunne: Brownlee gets it right over Mokihinui United Future Leader Peter Dunne is pleased Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced the Government does not intend to continue with the Mokihinui River hydro scheme.	Media release: United Futured
4 Nov 2009	Brownlee spills on Mokihinui hydro-electricity project Environmentalists are celebrating Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee's bombshell off-the-cuff statement that the Mokihinui River hydro-electricity dam north of Westport will not go ahead...	Nelson Mail
28 Oct 2009	Conservation and recreation groups unite to protect wild rivers Eight leading conservation and outdoor recreation groups have combined to fight for New Zealand’s wild rivers. The campaign comes in the wake of plans for a large hydro dam on the West Coast’s pristine Mokihinui River, irrigation water storage dams on Canterbury’s Hurunui River and indications that the Government is considering scrapping water conservation orders nationwide. The eight organisations, representing more than 100,000 New Zealanders, are united in calling for stronger protection for New Zealand’s remaining wild rivers...	Press Release: Wild Rivers
27 Oct 2009	Fish & Game a body in crisis Central South Island Fish and Game has passed a motion of no confidence in the organisation's national chief executive, Bryce Johnson. The motion was passed at a council meeting on Thursday...	Timaru Herald
23 Oct 2009	Boating accident search suspended The search for two men missing after a boating accident on Lake Tekapo in South Canterbury has been suspended on Thursday night. A family member reported three men missing on Wednesday night after they failed to return from a fishing day trip on the lake, about 100km northwest of Timaru....	TVNZ
21 Oct 2009	Inder's green role recognised former Gore businessman's commitment to the environment has been acknowledged this month by two organisations. Fred Inder, of Te Anau, has been presented with life membership by the Te Anau Boat Club while Fish and Game New Zealand presented him with a plaque in recognition of 20 years' service.... Despite approaching his 80th birthday, Mr Inder intends to seek re-election to the council in next month's triennial elections.	The Southland Times
20 Oct 2009	Protected waterways up for grabs Agriculture Minister David Carter’s and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith’s failure to unambiguously commit to the ongoing protection of iconic rivers and lakes by suggesting that Water Conservation Orders are ’problematic’ is of serious concern, and retreats from pre-election promises, says Fish & Game New Zealand. “Water Conservations Orders are indeed ‘problematic’ if you wish to pollute, suck dry or damn those special and iconic rivers protected by a WCO,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive New Zealand Fish & Game Council. “WCOs place restrictions or prohibitions on water takes, discharges, hydro-electric development and other uses. They are like a national park on a waterway. That’s why they exist”...	Fish & Game New Zealand: Media Release
19 Oct 2009	DOC seeks new manager for the Taupo fishery area The position of Area Manager of the Taupo Fishery Area is being advertised by the Department of Conservation. The Turangi-based role involves leading the team that manages the world-renowned Taupo sports fishery. The key objective is to maximise angling opportunities while ensuring the sustainability of the fishery...	DOC
17 Oct 2009	Waitara gains fishy game A weed-choked and problem-plagued Lake Rotomanu has a silver lining for Waitara anglers. The New Plymouth lake is so clogged with weed Taranaki Fish and Game cannot hold its annual Take a Kid Trout Fishing event there today. Instead they have released 350 rainbow trout into Waitara's Lake Ngangana, at least half of which are expected to survive the best efforts of the junior fishermen...	Taranaki Daily News
17 Oct 2009	Fishing 'good' in New Zealand I was startled to read in your paper that the invasive algae "rock snot" has almost wiped out fish populations in some parts of New Zealand. I am not sure where the writer got this idea from, but it could not be further from the truth... fishing in New Zealand is as good as it has ever been...	The Windsor Star (Canada)
16 Oct 2009	Nevis gold rush tipped High gold prices have sparked renewed interest in the Nevis Valley and Otago Fish and Game is predicting a flood of gold-mining applications. Two proposals to mine alluvial gold in the Nevis were considered by the Otago Fish and Game Council at its meeting in Cromwell yesterday... The valley is already in the spotlight with an application to amend the water conservation order on the Nevis River and tenure review proposals for two Crown-owned pastoral lease properties in the area...	Otago Daily Times
15 Oct 2009	New weeds threaten South Merging aquatic weeds are a new threat to the south of the South Island with the potential to cause multimillion-dollar damage, the New Zealand Biosecurity Institute's annual conference at Queenstown was told yesterday. Niwa scientist Paul Champion said he wanted to "scare" South Islanders with his speech on new threats to the deep South in the next 30 years...	Otago Daily Times
15 Oct 2009	Forest Owners Environmental Code wins award Fish & Game New Zealand congratulates the Forest Owners Association on their prestigious award for the most outstanding resource management documentation from the Resource Management Law Association. “The Code is an excellent example of audited self management and mandatory environmentally sustainable best practice, and one that Fish & Game challenges all primary producers to emulate.” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive New Zealand Fish & Game Council...	Media release: Fish & Game New Zealand
14 Oct 2009	Skipper has all anglers covered A "fisherman artist" is breathing new life into the old Lake Wakatipu commercial fishing fraternity, offering lake fishing, private charters and sunset cruises with the benefit of his international fishing expertise. Professional guide Craig Hind has launched X-Stream Charters Fishing Queenstown and welcomed his first clients earlier this month. ...	Otago Daily Times
9 Oct 2009	'Rock snot' starving fish Researchers at the University of Calgary and Parks Canada studying the noxious, slimy algae with the grade-school nickname say it's building up along some of Alberta's riverbeds, posing a very real threat to wild trout populations. Note: nzfishing.com's reply to the comment in this article that didymo "has almost wiped out fish populations in some parts of New Zealand" has been publisged on 17 Oct .	The Windsor Star (Canada)
8 Oct 2009	Backing for action over Taharua River One of New Zealand's top fly fishing guides is backing a Hawke's Bay Regional Council decision to take action over pollution of the best brown trout fishing river in the North Island... Paddy Clark says nutrient runoff from farms into the river, south-east of Taupo, has significantly reduced the number of large fish in the waterway....	Radio New Zealand
6 Oct 2009	A march is planned to protest the proposed daming of the Hurunui River A public demonstration of people concerned about the proposed damming of the Hurunui River will start at the Bridge of Remembrance on Cashel St, 12.15pm 16 October...	Fish and Game
3 Oct 2009	Hydro scheme on Matakitaki River may avoid kayak spots Initial investigations into using the Matakitaki River for hydro electricity generation have shown the main kayaking [and fishing] stretches are the least preferred, says Network Tasman... The focus of further investigations will be generation prospects on the upper river, upstream from Horse Bridge. "This is a section of the river with very limited kayaking use and lesser use by fishers,"Mr Kearney said.	The Nelson Mail
2 Oct 2009	Strategy for Walking Access on the Right Track Rural Women New Zealand is pleased that its concerns about home and farm security have been recognized in the draft National Strategy on Walking Access, released this week. Rural Women New Zealand has been at the forefront of the walking access debate from the start...	Press Release: Rural Women
1 October 2009	Environmental Protection Authority launched The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that opens today marks a new era in managing New Zealand’s natural resources with the Government taking a more active role and major resource consents being processed nationally. “A weakness in New Zealand’s environmental management has been the degree to which major decisions have been left to regional and local authorities and it taking longer to approve consents than to build major projects,” Dr Smith said. “The establishment of the EPA is about providing greater national leadership and enabling timely decisions on critical infrastructure.” ...	Press Release: New Zealand Government
30 Sep 2009	Draft Walking Access Strategy And Codes on Track Fish & Game welcomes the draft National Strategy for Walking Access released today in Christchurch by the Hon David Carter...	Press Release: Fish and Game New Zealand
30 Sept 2009	Guidelines For Outdoor Access Drafted The New Zealand Walking Access Commission today published draft guidelines for access to New Zealand’s beaches, lakes, rivers, and mountains... Submissions and letters can be sent to the commission either by email to contact@walkingaccess.org.nz or by mail to NZWAC, PO Box 12-348, Thorndon, Wellington 6144 by 18 December 2009.	Press Release: Walking Access Commission
29 Sept 2009	Watch Out for Boats on Rotorua Lakes This Thursday Fish & Game warns boaties to watch out for other boats on Rotorua’s lakes on the opening day of the Rotorua lakes fishing season on Thursday, 1 October. Thousands of anglers are expected to head to Rotorua’s lakes this Thursday to make the most of the best fishing day of the year...	Press Release: Fish and Game New Zealand
25 Sept 2009	Crafars in hot water again Farm moguls Allan and Frank Crafar are in trouble again for dirty dairying...	Dominion Post
22 Sept 2009	Fishing numbers and size of fish look good on the "Big O" Once again it looks like there will be very good numbers of fish to catch in Lake “O” this summer as high numbers of fish have moved through the Te Whaiau trap to spawn this winter...	DOC
19 Sept 2009	Dirty farm rules may mean compo Farmers accused of polluting the scenic Mohaka River in Hawke's Bay could get financial compensation from ratepayers to help them comply with tough new pollution rules...	Dominion Post
16 Sept 2009	Fly developed and tied by Peter MaCarty wins One Fly Competition Peter Carty, of New Zealand, made the fly called the Kiwi Ant which features a foam body with rubber ant legs that Ranthie used to win the One Fly competition...	Jackson Hole News
14 Sept 2009	Tenure Reviews on Nevis Valley Lease Lands Land Information New Zealand publicly advertised the ‘Ben Nevis’ and ‘Craigroy’ Pastoral lease tenure review proposals on Saturday 12 September and called for submissions about the lease properties that occupy nearly 20,000 hectares of the Nevis Valley in the all important middle flats area around Nevis Crossing...	Fish and Game
13 Sept 2009	City pumps $225,000 into Sydney flights Rotorua is to inject $225,000 into a major campaign that aims to ensure transtasman flights between our city and Sydney are a success...	The Daily Post
11 Sep 2009	Wairarapa landowner 'destroyed protected wetlands' A Wairarapa landowner is accused of destroying 14 hectares of rare and protected wetlands to create more land for his farming venture...	Dominion Post
10 Sep 2009	Hawke's Bay Regional Council set to get tough on dirty river New rules to tackle pollution in the scenic Mohaka River are being prepared by Hawke's Bay Regional Council, which is promising zero-tolerance against farmers who breach their consents...	Dominion Post
9 Sept 2009	'Hounded' Crafar family sells up dairy farms One of the country's biggest dairy farming operations say they have been hounded by authorities over dirty dairying and will sell all their farms...	Stuff
8 Sept 2009	Changes to the Fish & Game Fishing Regulations for 2009-2010 There a number of changes to the 2009 / 2010 fishing regulations around the country. Some of these are minor but some are quite fundamental changes...	Fish and Game
4 Sept 2009	New 5-star luxury fishing lodge opens at Ohakune Ahuru Lodge, New Zealand’s newest five star lodge opens on the banks of the trout-filled Tokiahuru Stream and is set to become a favourite for fly fishermen...	National Business Review
4 Sept 2009	2009/2010 season fishing licences now available online 2009/2010 season Fish & Game licences are now available online. Licences are supplied as an attractive, durable plastic card and are will be mailed within 5 working days of being ordered... Read more about New Zealand fishing licences.	Fish and Game New Zealand
26 Aug 2009	Topo50 map series nearing release On 23 September, LINZ will launch a new Topo50 map series for New Zealand. The Topo50 Map Series project will produce a new 1:50,000 scale map series to replace the current NZMS260 map series...	LINZ
26 Aug 2009	Government delivers on high country promise The Government has today announced a three-prong plan for Crown Pastoral land - effective stewardship of the land, better economic use, and improved relationships with lessees and high country communities...	NZ Government press release
Aug 2009	Benson, England’s best-loved fish dies Benson, a huge carp that was much loved and often caught by coarse anglers in Peterborough in the UK Midlands has died. Read her obitutuary in the Economist...	Economist
28 Aug 2009	Fines show intolerance of environmental offending Significant fines handed out today to a Crafar farming company and members of the Crafar family are a clear sign of the intolerance the courts and the wider community have for environmental offending that further degrades water quality, says Environment Waikato...	Environment Waikato
28 Aug 2009	Hamills opens new store in Rangiora Fishing and hunting specialists, Hamills, this week opened a new store in the North Canterbury town of Rangiora which is located between the Waimakariri and Ashley Rivers.	Hamills
27 Aug 2009	Whitebaiters warned to watch out for ‘mini piranha’ Wairarapa whitebaiters who are two weeks into a new season are being asked to keep a watchful eye out for a pest fish described by DOC rangers are being a "mini piranha"...	Wairarapa Times-Age
26 Aug 2009	Last arguments for Nevis River heard The outstanding values of the Nevis River should not be left vulnerable to compromise, degradation, balancing acts and trade-offs, the special tribunal deciding the fate of the river heard yesterday...	Otago Daily Times
23 Aug 2009	"The Store" on the Tauranga-Taupo River is for sale The Store, the iconic one-stop fishing shop and accommodation on the Tauranga-Taupo River run by Pete and Stella Gordon for the last 20 years is up for sale in the settlement of Te Rangiita, just north of Turangi...	New Zealand Herald
6 Aug 2009	Death of a waterway The Mohaka River, a wilderness river protected by an act of Parliament is being turned into a fouled, murky waterway by intensive dairying, Fish and Game says....	Dominion Post
5 Aug 2009	Earthworks contractor and farmer fined nearly $59,000 A Matamata dairy farmer and an earthworks contractor have collectively been fined nearly $59,000 in total for illegal, large-scale earthworks which led to tonnes of extra sediment getting into the Waihou River in 2007...	Environment Waikato
31 Jul 2009	Kai Iwi weekend competition results The Kai Iwi Lakes annual fishing competition weekend brought with it fine clear calm weather for the 55 registered anglers who weren’t disappointed with the angling conditions or the fish numbers caught. Just over 100 fish were landed and weighed for the weekend with the heaviest specimen weighing 2.2 kilograms, which was caught in Lake Taharoa...	Fish & Game New Zealand
31 Jul 2009	Fish & Game encourages Hurunui irrigation submissions Hurunui Water Project Limited’s application to dam the South Branch of the Hurunui River and dam the North Branch at the outlet of Lake Sumner was publicly notified by Environment Canterbury on the 18 July. Fish & Game are opposing the application and are calling on anglers to make submissions by 11th September...	Fish & Game New Zealand
29 Jul 2009	Judge sends clear message to farming industry A Tirau farmer and an earthworks contractor have been fined a total of more than $60,000 over the cutting of a large farm track which threatened to discharge large amounts of sediment into the Oraka Stream, a recognised trout stream....	Environment Waikato
27 Jul 2009	Old hydro scheme approved to resume power production The final hurdle in a three-year battle to resume power production on the Waingongoro River has been cleared but opponents of the plan remain bitter after withdrawing from an expensive legal fight ...	Taranaki Daily News
23 Jul 2009	Dirty farmers supply dirty companies “The lack of quick action by Fonterra and dairy farming leadership following yet another series of convictions for dirty dairying by the Crafars makes a mockery of claims by Fonterra that it takes environmental responsibility seriously,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive, New Zealand Fish & Game Council...	Fish & Game Press Release
23 Jul 2009	Hurunui irrigation project 'outrageous' North Canterbury could be transformed by dairy conversions worth up to $2 billion under a massive irrigation plan. The Hurunui Water Project (HWP) plans to build a 75-metre high dam in the south branch of the Hurunui River, creating a 7km-long lake, papers filed with Environment Canterbury show. Together with a weir that would raise Lake Sumner's level by up to 3.2m, an extra 138 million cubic metres of water would be stored for irrigation...	The Press
23 July 2009	Why the Hurunui Water Project is a ‘dam’ good idea Federated Farmers argues opposition to the Hurunui Water Project is emblematic of why New Zealand is slipping backwards as a developed nation. “If New Zealand wants to grow the economy and generate real jobs, then we need to store water,” says Federated Farmers President, Don Nicolson...	Press Release: Federated Farmers
23 Jul 2009	nzfishing.com voted one of NZ's top sites nzfishing.com was a close runner-up in the Sports and Recreation category of the NetGuide People's Choice Web Awards. The results were announced tonight at an awards ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Auckland. View the results at the NetGuide website.	NetGuide
21 Jul 2009	Meet Boof, the dog that catches fish He doesn't have a licence. He doesn't wear waders. He doesn't even carry a rod. In fact, technically, he's probably a poacher. But none of that stops Boof the dog from indulging in his favourite pastime - catching trout. The 6-year-old French boxer knows the spots where spent trout like to hide and he shows no mercy, leaping into the Tongariro River to box them with his paws and eventually drag them into the riverbank...	The Daily Post
2 Jul 2009	Holidays unaffected by risk of Waihi Village slip It is business as usual for tourism operators and holidaymakers in the Lake Taupo region, despite the threat of a landslide above Waihi Village at the southern end of the lake... Manager of the Turangi i-Site Centre, Maryke Wilson, describes Turangi as a hub for adventure and leisure. "If the mountain happens to be closed by weather, there is still plenty to keep visitors entertained. They can fish or raft on the Tongariro River, check out the National Trout Centre, soak in the Tokaanu Thermal Pools just visit us for some ideas!" While there is a 600-metre exclusion zone for boats around Waihi, the remaining 616 square-kilometres of Lake Taupo is open and ready for trout fishing.	voxy.co.nz
27 Jun 2009	Aorere water project a model for others The Aorere River in Golden Bay is cleaner than it has ever been. Dairy farmers in the Aorere catchment who have cleaned up their local waterways have been awarded a $259,000 government funding package to spread the message to other dairy farmers across the top of the south.	Nelson Mail
27 Jun 2009	Rivers Group field trip, launch and inaugural meeting A new forum has been set up for those involved with or with an interest in rivers, flood risk management and the operational and environmental issues of catchments and river systems. The first Rivers Group event will be held in Wellington on 21 August 2009. The launch will include an opening by the Hon. Dr Nick Smith, Minister for the Environment. The launch will be preceded by a field trip leaving at 2pm from opposite the Regional Council Centre, Wellington. The field trip will be to the Waiwhetu Stream and the Hutt River...	IPENZ
25 Jun 2009	2012 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Champs expected in Tasmania The word on the grapevine is that (unofficially) Tasmania is set to host the 2012 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. This would be big news for Tasmania... Tasmanian’s would remember when the World Championships were held in Tasmania during the late 80’s, putting the fishery on the world map for the first time...	riverfly.com.au
19 Jun 2009	Scotland wins the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championship Scotland has won the team section of the 2009 Bowmore Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championship with England and Australia in runner up positions. The winners were presented with newly cast official Commonwealth Fly Fishing Medals... See full team and individual results plus winner photos. See also a report in the Derby Telegraph.	Commonwealth Fly Fishing Scotland
12 Jun 2009	England takes World Fly Fishing Championships Not only did Ian Barr win top angler honors at the FIPS Mouche World Championships, but England overcame an early French lead to take the team competition, which ended yesterday in Scotland. Final team results: England first, France second, and Scotland third. Team USA placed eighth. Canada's Donald Thom took second in the individual competition, and Belgium's Christian Jadouille came in third... [Results: See the official results at the WFFC website].	Midcurrent
12 Jun 2009	World Fly Fishing Championships: Scotland land medal after last gasp success Scotland's anglers reeled in their their first World Fly Fishing Championship medal yesterday in a thrilling finish... England took gold with 53 fish while France hooked silver...	The Daily Record, UK
12 Jun 2009	Costly end to failed bid for access Fish and Game New Zealand could be stung with a six-figure legal bill after a failed bid to get legal access to Crown pastoral lease land. The two respondents to the High Court action instigated by Fish and Game, the High Country Accord, representing pastoral lessees, and their landlord, Land Information New Zealand (Linz), have both said they are seeking reimbursement of their costs. The High Country Accord has said the case cost it $250,000, while Linz would not reveal its costs or how much it was seeking from the action heard by the High Court in Wellington...	Otago Daily Times
12 Jun 2009	NZ fish killed by water quality Increasing urbanisation and more intensive farming are killing New Zealand's freshwater fish species by degrading water quality, says the author of a report published this week by the Ministry for the Environment. Dr Mike Joy, a senior lecturer in the ecology group of the University's Institute of Natural Resources, reviewed 22 500 records of fish communities nationally and found they show significant decline over the past 40 years. The most dramatic impacts are in waterways adjoining pastoral and urban sites...	Science Alert
12 Jun 2009	The Anglers Paradise: Film release A newly completed 70 minute documentary film on the history of the Taupo Fishery titled The Anglers Paradise will be showing on July 20 and 22 at the Rialto Cinema in Broadway Newmarket.	John Ball Productions
11 Jun 2009	Hooked on Fly Fishing tops the ratings The radio programme Hooked on Fly Fishing is now the top-rated English show on PlanetFM 104.6. This is measured by the number of people who listen to the show on the internet. The two interviews (with John Bell, NZ Champion and Yoshi Nakagawa, Oceania Champion) that have been archived and available via the internet, are the most listened to interviews of the whole station and are very popular with a wide range of listeners. Upcoming shows include a Fish and Game NZ special and a series of "lectures" by Peter Scott, ex NZ fly fishing champion and current NZ team member. There will also be an update from Sherrie Fieckert regarding the Casting for Recovery programme when she returns from the USA.	Hooked on Fly Fishing
11 Jun 2009	Montrose Salmon Release: Open Day The open day at Montrose this year will be held on Sunday 5th July. Fish and Game will be releasing 60,000 salmon smolt into the Rakaia River. You will also have a great opportunity to view this year’s hatch of young salmon and last years hatch of rainbow trout.	Fish & Game New Zealand
10 Jun 2009	Small dam would not affect landscape A small hydro-electric power scheme on the Nevis River would not change the distinctive elements that define the landscape of the valley, the Nevis River hearing was told yesterday. Landscape architect David McKenzie, of Christchurch, said the area's climate and its isolation were the distinctive elements that defined the valley landscape...	Otago Daily Times
10 Jun 2009	World Fly Fishing Championships: Scotland slump to ninth after nightmare day Hosts Scotland collapsed yesterday as they slumped to ninth place on the scoreboard at the World Fly Fishing Championships. A total of 27 nations from as far apart as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, USA and Japan, along with countries from all over Europe, are competing in the Championships which are the Olympics of angling...	The Daily Record, UK
9 Jun 2009	Scots anglers pull a fly won Scotland's international angling team were well up the leaderboard after a fine start at the World Fly Fishing Championships. The complicated procedure of evaluating team places was still being calculated last night but early indications were the Scottish five-man squad had done well in the loch sections of the competition...	The Daily Record, UK
9 Jun 2009	Minister announces new forum for freshwater management New Zealand's use of fresh water is to be reformed under a new government initiative announced last night. Environment Minister Nick Smith told the annual Environment Defence Society conference the changes to fresh water management need a collaborative approach... There was a history of sector groups taking extreme, and opposing, positions and "this culture has not served New Zealand well", Dr Smith said. "One of the worst examples has been the debate over freshwater where in recent years Fish and Game has run a `dirty dairying' campaign, while Federated Farmers have responded with accusations of `economic treason'."...	NZPA
8 Jun 2009	An enduring life: Bruce Richards The legacy of the 1992 movie, "A River Runs Through It," endures, and if you were captivated by its graceful flycasting, you might give some of the credit to Midlander Bruce Richards. Richards, who retired last week after 33 years with Midland-based Scientific Anglers/3M, oversaw development and production of the fly lines that helped create the image and the boom in fly fishing that followed it... His favorite fishing spots? He won't accept a limitation to just one, but lists the Bahamas, Montana, and New Zealand or Australia. The future might find him in one of those...	Midland Daily News
6 Jun 2009	Nevis dams threat to rarities Dams on the Nevis River would increase the vulnerability of threatened species by flooding the habitats of three rare plants, three threatened birds and a new species of skink, a tribunal heard in Cromwell yesterday... The New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game Councils have applied to amend the Water Conservation Order on the river, so damming or diversion of the river flow would be prohibited...	Otago Daily Times
6 Jun 2009	Honorary rangers play vital role in the field ... Central South Island Fish and Game field officer Mark Webb ... is appreciative of the support conducted by some of the 30 trained honorary rangers responsible for freely giving their time and effort. "We could not do without their help," Mark said... "There is no doubt that the ranging team enables field staff to get on with the paper war and such things as fish or game counts or culls, and they are generally the friendly face of Fish and Game in the field." There was always room for a few more in the ranging team, he said. Anyone interested should contact Mark or anyone at the Richard Pearse office of Fish and Game, and perhaps become a trainee... Anglers and hunters are usually pleased to see a ranger checking licences and bag limits, Mark says. "They realise it's in the best interest of all to have a level-playing field and that everyone is abiding by the rules."...	The Timaru Herald
5 Jun 2009	Carp set to tackle Henley Lake weed War will be declared on the troublesome weed of Henley Lake this weekend, when hundreds of hungry grass carp are released there. The introduction of the fish, set for 10am tomorrow, will hopefully clear the weed that has been clogging the lake and stymieing recreational use. Masterton District Council parks manager Grant Hathaway said the release of the Amur species of fish would not be problematic as grass carp already live in the lake, a legacy of the last attempt to clear the weed 16 years ago...	Wairarapa Times Age
5 Jun 2009	World's best anglers come to Scotland to battle it out for fly fishing title The best anglers in the world will take over a small village near Loch Lomond tomorrow as they prepare for a three-day battle to decide who is the true lord of the flies. Drymen, a few miles north of Glasgow, will play host to 27 teams of competitors as the prestigious World Fly Fishing Championships come to Scotland for the first time...	Daily Record, UK
5 Jun 2009	US agencies move away from felt soles Many [US] state fish and game agencies are moving away from the use of felt soles. In Alaska, a recent action will ban the use of felt soles in southeast Alaska by 2011; New Zealand already has banned felt soles. This is a real issue and should be of concern to all anglers. Certainly, felt soles are not the only piece of angling equipment or the only vector for spreading Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS).	Fly, Rod and Reel
5 Jun 2009	Tongariro: Playing hooky with the kids A group of excited youngsters walked across the entrance bridge in front of us, each holding a plastic bag containing a small trout and boasting enthusiastically. "Mine's the biggest." "No, look at mine, it's much fatter." "Look at the colours on mine." "I was the first to catch one." "I'm going to eat mine." And so on. They were obviously hooked. The youngsters had just been to the Tongariro National Trout Centre, near Turangi, a place dedicated to promoting the great sport fish for which the Taupo region is famous...
4 June 2009	Minister could back Nevis dam The Minister of Conservation, Tim Groser, will not stand in the way of a proposed hydro-electric development on the Nevis River. The Nevis River water conservation order hearing was told in Cromwell yesterday the Department of Conservation's deal with dam developer Pioneer Generation meant that if the power company gained all the other consents it needed for a dam, the Minister of Conservation would also give consent...	Otago Daily Times
4 Jun 2009	15,000 salmon released in harbour - some will return This fishy tale tells of thousands of salmon smolt that got away - and some that will return. At 5.45pm on Tuesday a tanker truck stopped at the Leith Wharf and emptied more than 15,000 salmon smolt into Otago Harbour...	Otago Daily Times
1 Jun 2009	Building a better community While Merv Brown, 73, may not like to blow his own trumpet, he is certainly filled with pride to have been ordained a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit... Mr Brown transformed the trout hatchery at Masterton Intermediate School into an environmental laboratory which is now home to the Ohorere Student Education and Transition Programme...	Wairarapa Times Age
1 Jun 2009	TV guru won't let disability stop him Fishing guru Graeme Sinclair says attitude saved him from abandoning his action television career 12 years ago because of a crippling disease. While filming series five and six of his long-running Gone Fishin' show, the former underwater cameraman was battling a dramatic loss of mobility through multiple sclerosis...	NZ Herald
30 May 2009	No need to sacrifice Nevis for power, says Parker The Nevis River gorge, which could contain a new hydro dam. A hydro-electric power scheme on the Nevis River would make an insignificant contribution to the country's electricity supply, so sacrificing the river for that reason was unnecessary, former minister of energy David Parker said. The list member of Parliament was giving evidence in Dunedin yesterday in support of an application aimed at stopping any damming of the river. The New Zealand and Otago Fish and Game Councils are seeking an amendment to the water conservation order on the Nevis, to increase the level of protection and ban any future hydro-electric developments...	Otago Daily Times
29 May 2009	Popularity of Otago fishing cited Otago men were keen anglers and the fact that one in every eight held a fishing licence showed the value placed on recreational fishing in the region, the Nevis River hearing was told yesterday. Fishing licence sales in Otago were among the highest in the country and reflected the high quality of angling in the area, fisheries scientist Martin Unwin, of Christchurch, said. Mr Unwin said data collected nationwide in surveys of fishing licence holders during the past 30 years provided the basis for his comments. "In a 2008 survey of licence holders in the Otago region, the Nevis River was the highest-ranked river for its importance to anglers and for the expectation of catching a large fish," he said. The number of Otago anglers was nearly three times the national average. Overseas visitors bought 35% of the fishing licences sold in Otago. That figure was higher than in any other region and consistent with the importance of Queenstown and its surrounds as a tourist destination. Anglers who fished the Nevis were mostly from Otago and Southland. The estimated annual angler use of the river increased markedly from 1994 to 2008, he said. It went up from 110 angler days in 1994-95 to 880 in 2007-08. An angler day is defined as one angler fishing on one day, irrespective of the hours spent fishing.	Otago Daily Times
29 May 2009	Fish & Game attracts 5.8% more readers Latest readership figures from the Nielsen National Readership survey show 92% of all New Zealanders are reading magazines and 2.043 million (or 61%) of them are reading a Fairfax Magazines title. Other magazines in the stable have also shown remarkable growth in the last year, with NZ Fishing News readership up by 5.9%, Fish & Game attracting 5.8% more readers, Boating NZ up 5%,and NZ Autocar up 3%...	Press Pack
28 May 2009	Too many 'dead rivers' for writer There were too many "dead rivers" in New Zealand without adding the Nevis, Brian Turner said yesterday.. New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association spokesman Harvey Maguire, of Queenstown, gave evidence hydro-electricity development on the Nevis would affect the river's fishery and be a "blunder of epic proportions"...	Otago Daily Times
27 May 200	'Hunted one' caught after months on the run A KIWI fugitive famed for his police-dodging ways and cops and robbers-style trickery has finally landed himself behind bars. William Stewart had been on the loose in New Zealand's South Island since February 10, attracting endless publicity with his thefts and evasion stunts...On April Fool's Day, he broke into a chemist with an axe and stole codeine-based drugs and fishing rods...	Herald Sun
27 May 2009	Nevis called the pinnacle of fly-fishing New Zealand is the El Dorado of fly-fishing destinations in the world and the Nevis River is the pinnacle, according to a fly-fishing guide. An array of elements made the "classic Central Otago" river the best in the country for fly-fishermen, Ian Cole, of Wanaka, told a tribunal yesterday.	Otago Daily Times
25 May 2009	Fishing lured UK specialist to work on bridge Building a mega-bridge on the other side of the world was all the excuse a young English engineer needed to go fishing. "I read about the magnificent trout in the log-pool at Lake Okataina so, when I heard my employer was about to start on this bridge, I said I've got to go - I talked them into it," recalls Brian Wilson, now 81 and still running a civil engineering practice from his North Shore home...	The NZ Herald
23 May 2009	Focus on Gollum The Nevis contained a unique population of galaxiid fish, freshwater ecologist Richard Allibone told a special tribunal appointed to consider an amendment to the water conservation order on the river.....	Otago Daily Times
23 May 2009	Nevis fisheries evidence heard Fish was on the agenda for the second day of the Nevis River hearing before tribunal members Rauru Kirikiri, Carolyn Burns and Richard Fowler.....	Otago Daily Times
22 May 2009	Fish and Game spearhead river protection, not Doc Fish and Game New Zealand was taking the lead in protecting rivers even though it was the Department of Conservation's role, a special tribunal was told in Cromwell yesterday...	Otago Daily Times
21 May 2009	Overseas investor interest in rural property skyrockets Rural lifestyle properties across the country have long attracted interest from overseas investors. Over the past year as the US property market spiralled in to turmoil, real estate agents in New Zealand noticed a marked increase in keen foreign investors seeking a Kiwi country estate. PGG Wrightson rural sales consultant Peter Engel says that properties with commercial potential are some of the most popular with US investors, such as horticultural, dairying and vineyard sites...Lifestyle properties with recreational uses such as fishing and hunting also appeal to American investors...	National Business Review
18 May 2009	Fight on to Stop the Nevis River being dammed Pioneer Generation wants to build a hydro-power scheme on the Nevis River but Fish & Game says leave it alone. However, there is more to the river than just its ecological values....	Southland Times
16 May 2009	Minister attacks Fish and Game NZ Agriculture Minister David Carter has accused Fish & Game New Zealand of causing high-country farmers "a lot of anxiety" by taking legal action over public access rights. Fish & Game failed in an attempt to get the High Court to determine that South Island pastoral leaseholders did not have exclusive rights to control access to their land.....	The Press
16 May 2009	Heritage v hydro debate on Nevis Battle lines have been drawn in the Nevis Valley as recreational users of the Nevis River seek to protect the landscape, heritage values and trophy trout fishery from power companies who are eyeing the river for future development of hydro-electricity generation. ....	Otago Daily Times
15 May 2009	High Court: Farmers' choice to allow hunting and fishing on land Farmers have the right to keep fisherman and hunters off their land following a High Court decision on the issue. Fish & Game New Zealand had taken a case to court against the Attorney General over Crown lands and the trustees of the High Country Accord Trust so the court could clarify public access issues to high country farm land for hunting and fishing. Fish & Game wanted greater public access over high country stations, which were granted under the Land Act 1948...	National Business Review
15 May 2009	Judge finds in favour of farmers on high country access Fish & Game New Zealand is weighing up whether to appeal against a legal ruling on public access to the South Island high country. The High Court in Wellington has determined that high-country farmers have exclusive possession of pastoral-lease land, giving them the right to control access...	The Press
15 May 2009	High country farmers have rights confirmed High country farmers are pleased with a High Court decision that confirms their rights of exclusive possession to their Crown Pastoral Leasehold properties. The judgement was handed down by Justice Simon France in Wellington yesterday. “It’s the right answer,” says High Country Accord chairman Jonathan Wallis. “A pastoral lease is alienated Crown land which provides farmers with absolute title. It is similar in many respects to freehold title, distinguishing it from its Australian counterpart.”	Press Release: High Country Accord
14 May 2009	Fish & Game's High Court action a disaster Federated Farmers has rightly labelled Fish & Game New Zealand's ill-fated High Court challenge a disaster. The challenge was a failed attempt to by-pass all the work associated with walking access and it is a spiteful and damaging waste of the fishing and hunting license fee money. The High Court in Wellington yesterday dismissed Fish & Game's challenge over the rights of South Island pastoral lease holders. "This decision brings relief for affected High Country farming families, as they now know Fish & Game members won't be entitled to walk all over them," says Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers High Country chairman. Both Federated Farmers and the High Country Accord played an instrumental role in the formation and development of the Walking Access Commission...	Voxy
11 May 2009	Hunting the "lucky" country Melbourne is the powerhouse of Australian trout fishing and getting there is easy and, thanks to Air New Zealand, positive as well. The fishing expo has been running for 13 years and is entrenched as one of the highlights of the annual fishing calendar. It is heavily marketed in magazines, television, radio, online, press and so on, and most years attracts more than 40,000 pilgrims....	The Nelson Mail
6 May 2009	Anglers say Nevis valley tenure review flawed Fish and Game New Zealand is targeting the Government over what it says is the misguided and runaway tenure review of a Central Otago river valley. Lands Minister Richard Worth can expect a letter from the fishing and hunting advocacy group today outlining what it says are flaws in the tenure review proposals for the Ben Nevis and Craigroy stations beside the Nevis River. Fish and Game Otago and the Department of Conservation are at odds over the future of the valley close to Lake Wakatipu and between the Hector and Garvie mountains and over a plan to flood part of it for hydro-power generation...	The Press
6 May 2009	Jet-boat speed ruling deferred A proposal to remove the jet-boat speed limit on the Hunter River was sent back to the hearing panel by the Queenstown Lakes District Council after protests during the public forum yesterday. The draft Waterways Navigation and Safety Bylaw was recommended for adoption, but concerns relating to the proposed removal of the 5-knot speed limit on the river were voiced before the start of the full council meeting. Field Officer Cliff Halford said Fish & Game Otago did not approve of jet boating on the Hunter River and did not support removing the speed limit...	Otago Daily Times
6 May 2009	Memories add to connections Launch a boat on a glistening alpine lake. Pause to listen to the ceaseless clatter of native birds in the forest, and to once more take in the view of soaring peaks. Putter off to a secluded bay, haul a few fat trout on board for dinner. Go ashore, wander through some native bush for a few minutes, take in the view once more. And relax. It's still only lunchtime. Welcome to Lake Rotoiti. "It's the most beautiful spot on Earth; the grandeur of those huge mountains, and the beautiful lake, and the bush all round and the birds," says Jillian Hursthouse...	Nelson Mail
6 May 2009	NZ Dairy Strategy - Environment Must Be A Priority Fish and Game New Zealand await with interest the launch of the Strategy for New Zealand Dairy Farming by the Prime Minister, John Key on Tuesday. The adverse environmental effects of intensive agriculture, and dairy framing in particular, are well understood and recognised by central and local government, the agricultural sector and the public of New Zealand...	Otago Daily Times
6 May 2009	Fisherman hard at work on 2009 movie festival Gin Clear's latest "world tour" begins in Dunedin next week with a four-film fly-fishing festival at the Academy Cinema next Monday, before visiting other New Zealand venues... Footage in the RISE fly fishing film festival includes Drift, unusually shot on expensive 16mm film, depicting fishing in Belize, the Bahamas and India, Raising the Ghost, which focuses on dry-fly steel-head fishing in British Columbia, and Drum, salt-water popper fishing for reds in Louisiana....	Otago Daily Times
27 Apr 2009	Local hero celebrated ...Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s Leisure Concierge Nathan Wise has been awarded IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) Our Hero Award for being an extraordinary employee and a champion of the community... His latest project, which has gained the support of the Crowne Plaza Queenstown management team, is the present danger of didymo infestation to Lake Wakatipu. The hotel is now in discussions with government authorities to investigate the feasibility of supporting more boat cleaning stations on the lake...	Media release from Crowne Plaza Queenstown
26 Apr 2009	Billy the Hunted One: the-T-shirt New Zealand's most wanted man, the slippery fugitive William Stewart, is the inspiration behind a range of "Where's Billy?" T-shirts for sale on internet auction website TradeMe... Stewart...has engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with Canterbury police for three long months, leading them on a chase across vast tracts of sparsely populated countryside, criss- crossed with hundreds of small rural roads, farm tracks and rugged river beds... On April 1 he popped up in Methven, where police allege he took a fishing rod from a pharmacy... Last Wednesday Stewart allegedly stole a 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero from the front yard of a house in Mt Somers...	Sunday Star Times
24 April 2009	Call for compulsory locator beacons on boats A coroner who investigated a fatal fishing trip is urging that it become compulsory for all recreational boat owners and operators to carry emergency locator beacons. Authorities 3 News spoke to today like the idea of compulsory beacons, but other interest groups question whether it would be possible to enforce the law. There are 450,000 recreational vessels in New Zealand, but only 17,000 registered emergency locator beacons...	3 News
20 Apr 2009	Estate prices slashed at Whakamaru Dozens of sections at Whakamaru will be sold for around half the original sale price in a quick fire auction as the developers try to offload the remaining sites. Sections at the exclusive managed farm estate, Serenity Cove Waterfront Estate, overlooking Whakamaru lake are attracting interest from would-be holiday home owners from Waikato and Auckland who are looking to snap up a bargain... Auckland auctioneer Ross Foreman, who will run the auction, said he thought the realistic prices and unique offering of the properties on a farm park and close to the lake for trout fishing and watersports would boost sales...	Waikato Times
15 Apr 2009	Waimate student wins F&G research scholarship A former Waimate High School student has been given a Fish and Game New Zealand research scholarship worth $10,000 ...each year The scholarship is offered to aid the research of the scientific, management, social, cultural and political issues related to New Zealand freshwater sports-fish and game birds... Jarred's main focus is investigating the change in food resources available in forested areas compared to open-stream areas...	The Timaru Herald
14 Apr 2009	Unfazed by recession, Rotorua’s award winning luxury lodge invests in major upgrade Rotorua’s exclusive Lake Okareka Lodge is not fazed by the world economic meltdown and has re-opened for business in mid December after months of substantially reconfiguring, redecorating and landscaping the award winning lakeside property... The lodge at Lake Okareka was recognised as ‘New Zealand’s Top Luxury Lodge’ in the 2008 World Travel Awards...	eTravel blackboard.com
13 Apr 2009	Fence not always best Simply putting a permanent fence around streams, wetlands and other areas of natural significance is not always the best way to encourage plant regeneration. North Canterbury nurseryman Jamie McFadden, from Hurunui Natives.. says there are different ways of fencing off areas.... He has seen sludgy streams transformed to gravel-lined streams complete with trout and eels within 12-18 months using this combination, although care has to be taken with flaxes that they don't divert the water...	Country-Wide
8 Apr 2009	Environment Waikato invites Waikato residents to field day Environment Waikato is inviting anyone who belongs to an environmental care group – or anyone interesting in joining one – to a networking field day on Wednesday, April 15. The day, hosted by the Te Pahu Landcare Group, will kick off with a cuppa at the Te Pahu Community Hall at 9.30am and finish at 3pm.	Envirnment Waikato: Media Release
6 Apr 2009	Lake Coleridge may be option after irrigation setback A surprise setback for a massive irrigation project on the Canterbury Plains means it is back to the drawing board for its supporters... The Central Plains Water Scheme may now look to Lake Coleridge. While there is a conservation order over the lake, there are drafted plans that might facilitate drawing rights for irrigation...	TVNZ: ONE News
4 Apr 2009	Canterbury irrigation scheme gets the thumbs down A massive $400 million scheme to irrigate vast tracts of Canterbury farmland has been given a strong signal that it won't go ahead. In an unusual step, the commissioners of the Central Plains Water hearing have indicated they will be declining large parts of the application, and are allowing Central Plains time to rethink their proposal...	TV3 News
4 Apr 2009	Lake Benmore studied in depth The water in Lake Benmore is going under the microscope in a study that will help set parameters for future irrigation and land development in the Omarama and Mackenzie basins. A study last year identified Lake Benmore as the second most-fished lake for trout and salmon in New Zealand behind Lake Taupo and it is also a popular holiday destination...	Otago Daily Times
3 Apr 2009	Police ask anglers to look out for fugitive The Canterbury Police are trying to catch William Stewart who is wanted on warrant issued by the local Court and to stop him committing more burglaries and car thefts... He seems to be using whatever rods he has to fish...Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae says he is likely to hang around near fishable waters...	NZ Police
2 Apr 2009	Fugitive may be going fishing Nelson Mail Fugitive William Stewart has so far slipped through the police net and now he seems set for some fishing of his own. Stewart is believed to be responsible for two burglaries in Methven early yesterday, taking a fishing rod from a pharmacy and tobacco from a service station...A vehicle seen speeding away from the areas fiitted the description of a stolen four-wheel-drive believed to be in his possession... Where is William Stewart? Gone fishing, perhaps The Press ...the vehicle was a grey double-cab 4WD. Munro said Stewart was dangerous and unpredictable and should not be approached. Campbell Live TV3 Stewart was sighted around Lake Coleridge (on 30 and 31 March) and is most likely to still be in the Canterbury area. He is probably armed and dangerous.	The Nelson Mail / The Press/TV3
31 Mar 2009	Australian Anglers National Championships going strong The 31st biennial Australian Anglers Association National Championships and Convention currently being held on the Copper Coast (March 23-April 3) has been going strong. People from all over Australia, and even from New Zealand, have travelled to Yorke Peninsula for the love of fishing...	York Peninsula Country Times, Australia
31 Mar 2009	Capital start for a smart guide to the other island The most surprising thing, on opening Lonely Planet's good-looking new guide to the South Island of New Zealand, is a beefy chapter on Wellington... But the book supplements its savvy and up-to- date travel information and advice with solid information on culture and environmental awareness - warning of the danger (and repercussions) of unthinkingly contributing to the spread of "rock snot" or didymo that threatens to choke our rivers and kill our delicate freshwater fishery...	The Dominion Post
27 Mar 2009	Silver Flies win the Oceania Fly Fishing Champs It was NZ's turn to host this year's Oceania Fly Fishing Championship - the bi-annual series competition for the Oceania Trophy was, as usual, fished between the Composite Developments New Zealand Silver and Black teams and the Australian Gold & Green teams. This year there was also an invitational team made up of anglers from overseas and New Zealand...	Sports Fly Fishing New Zealand (SFFNZ)
26 Mar 2009	Pastoral lessees go to court Pastoral lease farmers head to court today to defend their right to exclusive occupancy of much of the South Island high country. If they lose the declaratory judgement hearing, the public will gain unimpeded access to their lands, they say. The case is being brought by New Zealand Fish and Game Council...	Otago Daily Times
18 Mar 2009	Didymo spreads further Didymo, commonly known as rock snot, has been discovered in the Waimea River and five other waterways in the Nelson region... Didymo was found in the Waimea River at Appleby Bridge on State Highway 60... The survey also confirmed didymo in five tributaries of rivers already infected Sandstone Creek and the Fyfe and Mangles rivers, which are part of the Buller River system; the Baton River, which is part of the Motueka River catchment; and the Waingaro River, a tributary of the Takaka River.	The Nelson Mail
13 Mar 2009	Anglers few, fish elusive, fun aplenty The weather might be "murder" and the trout few and far between, but this year's annual One Fly fishing tournament has been a blast, says organiser Terry Duval. The three-day annual fly-fishing competition, held in the Nelson region's rivers finishes today and as of this morning, the longest trout caught was a healthy 66cm long, said Mr Duval... Anglers can choose to fish at the Motueka, Wangapeka or Wairau rivers and all trout are released.	The Nelson Mail
Progress on the Clean Streams Accord
13 Mar 2009	Fonterra’s five biggest challenges: “Dirty Dairying” When the Dairy Board, Kiwi Dairies and New Zealand Dairies all merged into super entity Fonterra, you might as well have painted a giant target circle on its forehead for all the eco-activists to throw darts at. There is no question that the New Zealand dairy industry has a grotty environmental past. And as it intensified its production, consolidated its holdings and expanded its influence, the side effects grew worse...	National Business Review
12 Mar 2009	Ministers slam farmers dirtying NZ waterways "Recalcitrant" farmers who refuse to comply with measures to keep waterways clean are risking New Zealand's image and will face tough penalties, government ministers said today. Speaking at the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord Snapshot of Progress 2007-2008 report launch, Environment Minister Nick Smith, Rural Minister David Carter and other speakers all condemned farmers who were not doing their bit...	New Zealand Herald
12 Mar 2009	Voluntary dirty streams accord a roaring success The voluntary Clean Streams Accord has failed and it's time to set enforceable water quality standards, Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman said today. "Water quality in New Zealand's rivers and lakes continues to get worse according to all the scientific evidence. "It's time for central government to step in with enforceable standards ...	Press Release: Green Party
12 Mar 2009	Streams getting cleaner but more work needed Agriculture Minister David Carter is welcoming the progress made by the dairy industry in cleaning up rivers and streams on dairy farms, but is sending a strong message to farmers who still refuse to toe the line...	Press Release: New Zealand Government
12 Mar 2009	Clean streams accord stalled The fifth annual snapshot of progress on the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord released today makes a mockery of the proposition that "education leads to voluntary change" said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Fish & Game Council....	Press Release: Fish and Game New Zealand
12 Mar 2009	Clean Streams snapshot out of focus Levels of serious non-compliance over discharge of dairy farm effluent have been miscalculated by the Dairying and Cleans Streams Accord Snapshot Report, Forest & Bird says...	Press Release: Royal Forest And Bird Protection Society
12 Mar 2009	Farmers make good progress toward clean streams The latest results from the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord for the 2007/08 season showed a slight improvement in the overall level of significant non-compliance with Regional Council dairy effluent rules, along with a rise in the level of full compliance...	Press Release: Fonterra
12 Mar 2009	Cleaner waterways achievable through partnership Cleaning up New Zealand‘s waterways from the impacts of dairy farming is achievable if all parties take an active role, have accurate monitoring and are committed to making the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord work, said Local Government New Zealand National Council spokesperson Stephen Cairns...	Press Release: Local Government NZ
12 Mar 2009	Clean streams accord part of a much bigger picture DairyNZ says the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is just one example of the initiatives undertaken to improve dairy farming‘s effect on the environment, and it is a strong supporter of farmers taking action to meet the Accord...	Press Release: Dairy NZ
Fly fishing film tours USA
12 Mar 2009	Fly fishing film tour casts into Lyric Theatre Imagine pursuing the world’s most challenging game fish. Now imagine doing it with fly fishing tackle. That thrill and excitement is something that two Stuart fishing guides hope to share with other enthusiastic anglers by bringing the third annual Fly Fishing Film Tour to Stuart... On the water action is captured from the snowmelt-fed streams of Russia, New Zealand...	TC Palm
12 Mar 2009	Flyfishing film tour makes stop in Boise The event that drew more than 600 anglers last year begins... The lineup includes highlights from films that showcase trips in New Guinea, Russia, New Zealand, Belize and India, as well as fishing from California and Colorado to Southern Louisiana and the Florida Keys.... "Nervous Water" filmed in Colorado, New Zealand, Texas and Papua New Guinea depicts the pursuit of brown trout, cutbows, redfish and marlin...	Idaho Statesman

12 Mar 2009	Hooked on fishing Pauline Laboyrie had a life-long dream – to own a dairy farm by the time she was 50. She did it with a year to spare... Bounded by two rivers, the Waihou and the Waimakiriri, it is a lovely part of the country and not only satisfies Pauline’s farming instincts but her love of trout fishing too. ... first timers or hobbyists who fish only occasionally like nothing better than to cook their fresh catch on returning to the farm stay cottage...	Howick and Pakuranga Times
11 Mar 2009	Protecting the pristine West Coast waterway No dairy farm should be letting effluent reach rivers but when you are on a newly developed block of land between two pristine West Coast rivers the pressure not to pollute is all the greater. That‘s why equity partnership Cranley Farms has installed a state of the art effluent system on the first 492ha of its Cedar Farm development ... We are being proactive. We‘re sandwiched between two pristine bodies of water: the Arahura and the Kawaka. There‘s no way we could afford to let effluent run off this property.‘...	Rural News
11 Mar 2009	Crunch time on the future of Canterbury water A group of Canterbury‘s leading water experts came together recently to progress a long-term workable solution to this critical issue for the region. The Steering Group for the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) appointed by the Canterbury Mayoral Forum (representing the Canterbury Councils) met to agree a series of possible approaches to water management, which will be taken to the public for consultation over the coming months...	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
11 Mar 2009	Early trout season worth the wade Craig Amacker, fly fishing manager at Fontana Sports Specialties, says he hasn’t seen any kind of slowdown among customers... If anything, he’s seeing an uptick in activity. “As far as how the economy is affecting fly fishing, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. There are quite a few people traveling to exotic destinations,” Amacker said in an e-mail to Outdoors editor John Nolan. “I outfitted two people on Sunday who are going to New Zealand...	Wisconsin State Journal, USA
Didymo predictions
11 Mar 2008	Algae predicted to explode in South Island rivers Spread of the invasive algae didymosphenia geminata - commonly known as rock snot - is predicted to explode in South Island rivers. Waikato University researchers predict the pest will spread to up to 70 percent of southern waterways in 15 years...	Otago Daily Times
11 Mar 2008	Didymo is spreading at a fast rate in the South Island Researchers say there are now 132 rivers and six lakes infected with the pest and have projected it to spread through 1800 rivers by 2024. Waikato University scientists claim 70 per cent of freshwater ways in the South Island are ideal for didymo populations...	The Timaru Herald
11 Mar 2009	'Rock snot' changes tack Didymo is showing a new and worrying fondness for warm, still water, raising fears it will invade North Island waterways. "Didymo is expanding its environmental range," Waikato University biologist Craig Cary said. "It's moving into warmer water, and into still water. It used to be pretty much confined to cold streams at higher altitudes." ... First found in Southland five years ago, it has now infected 132 rivers and six lakes in the South Island. It was weird that didymo had not yet made it to the North Island, with moist cells able to survive for months, Dr Cary said...	The Dominion Post

10 Mar 2009	Feds: No to consented farming The fight against a restrictive land-use regime in the Taupo region, which Federated Farmers fears may set a national precedent, is not over. Environment Waikato (EW) late last year won an interim Environment Court ruling in favour of its proposal to make farming in the Lake Taupo catchment a 'controlled activity‘ requiring resource consent....	Rural News
10 Mar 2090	Sharp increase in recreational drownings A sharp increase in the number of recreational-based drowning deaths during summer is of great concern, Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) says. Eight people drowned last month bringing the death toll for the 2008/2009 summer to 39, according to statistics released today...	NZPA
7 Mar 2009	Australian officials on alert for NZ pests The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has issued a warning for travellers, saying didymo has choked New Zealand waterways, there is a high risk it could become established in Australia, and that all equipment that has been in contact with fresh water must be inspected on arrival. AQIS said that in the past year it intercepted about 5000 items from New Zealand that could be either a pest or spread disease...	The Press
Dairy effluent compliance
7 Mar 2009	Fonterra accused of being soft on farmers Environmentalists have criticised as not going far enough Fonterra's move to fine dairy farmers who break effluent disposal rules. Fonterra has announced a milk-payout deduction for farmers subject to regional council enforcement action over effluent disposal in a bid to halve by August 2011 the rate of non-compliance.... Fish and Game New Zealand chief executive Bryce Johnson said Fonterra was condoning the ongoing "flouting" of the law by a proportion of its farmer shareholders. A target of 100 per cent compliance with resource consents was the only acceptable goal...	The Press
6 Mar 2009	Fonterra insults environment, and farmers A proposal to withhold a tiny portion of the milk payout payments from polluters shows that Fonterra is still not serious about promoting responsible farming and cleaning up rivers, the Green Party said today. "Fonterra's proposal is less than a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket for polluters, and is an insult to the many farmers who are doing the right thing", said Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman...	Press Release: Green Party
6 Mar 2009	Fonterra's effluent compliance targets too little Fish & Game New Zealand welcomes Fonterra’s measures to lift dairy effluent compliance announced today, but urges a much more robust approach. “Setting a goal of reducing serious non-compliance by 50% by August 2011 is the equivalent of saying ‘we accept half of those farms in serious breach of their consents now continuing to pollute New Zealand’s waterways’”, said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive New Zealand Fish & Game Council...	Fish & Game New Zealand: Media Release

6 Mar 2009	Global woes hit Taupo protection Plans to convert Taupo farmland to forestry are being thwarted by the global economic downturn.The head of an organisation that brokered a landmark deal to protect Lake Taupo’s water quality says a collapse in international carbon markets and stalled ETS legislation is holding up further progress. The Lake Taupo Protection Trust (LTPT)...is charged with reducing the amount of nitrogen entering the lake and is given an annual funding allocation to buy properties for conversion to low nitrogen land use. To date five properties in the catchment have been bought...	Rural News
6 Mar 2009	Tribe sets lakebed fishing levy Commercial eel fishermen are labelling a plan by South Island tribe Ngai Tahu to collect a percentage of their earnings an "iwi tax" and warn that it sets a precedent. Ngai Tahu's new "conservation" levy is being described by Lake Ellesmere fishermen as the forerunner to a nationwide "iwi tax" system.... A similar deal has been operating over Lake Taupo since 1926 central North Island tribe Tuwharetoa struck a deal with the Crown for 50 per cent of fishing fees in return for continued public access to Lake Taupo...	The Dominion Post
6 Mar 2009	Blasting triggers landslip One of the country's top scenic wilderness spots is undergoing a facelift after a landslip at the Blue Pools, near Makarora. The landslip was unintentionally triggered by a group of contractors, carrying out blasting in the area, during construction of a new swingbridge and Department of Conservation walkway...	Otago Daily Times
5 Mar 2009	Showcasing stream recovery in Silverstream Only a few years ago the section of Hulls Creek from Silverstream to the Hutt River was plagued with weeds and rubbish. But it‘s come a long way in recent times, thanks to the work of dedicated volunteers who‘ll be leading the Hull to Hutt guided walk on 14 March... ...participants will get to see the stream‘s new fish pass (designed to make it easier for migrating fish to swim upstream past weirs), information panels, sites of native plantings, a wetland, and progress on the walkway...	Press Release: Greater Wellington Regional Council
5 Mar 2009	'Dangerous' antics of jet-boaters cited The "absolutely dangerous" antics of some jet-boaters on the Hunter River last weekend have caused complaints from anglers to Fish and Game Otago and the Queenstown Lakes District Council, with questions asked over a contradiction in council policies. Fishing guide Dick Fraser said anglers fishing the river above Lake Hawea at the weekend were subject to "absolutely dangerous activity" by several jet-boaters, taking advantage of a special lifting of the 5 knot limit normally in place...	Otago Daily Times
4 Mar 2009	Raising Lake Roxburgh will have 'minor effects' Raising the level of Lake Roxburgh 60cm will allow Contact Energy to use hydro generation to match or "firm" increases and decreases in power output from an increasing number of wind farms in Otago and Southland, the company says... An amenity and recreation report on the proposal, prepared by Opus, said raising the lake would have a negligible effect on the use of the lake by boating, fishing and hunting enthusiasts...	Otago Daily Times
3 March 2009	Forfeited fishing gear may be sold on Trade Me Southland Fish and Game might start floating forfeited fishing gear on Trade Me as it accumulates more and more seized equipment. Officer Zane Moss said the agency had about 50 sets of fishing gear and would look at offloading them via auction or Trade Me....	The Southland Times
3 Mar 2009	Farm licence – who’s next? That was the big question posed at a recent field day on the shores of Lake Taupo where a diverse audience gathered to hear how farmers are supposed to operate under a contentious ‘farming by permit’ regime. And according to a key figure spoken to by Rural News, farming in Southland and the Waikato basin could be next in line for a shake-up...	Rural News
2 Mar 2009	Flying fish seen on Branch River Brown trout have been helicoptered to the upper reaches of Marlborough's Branch River in an effort to restock the river. Fish and Game Nelson/Marlborough regional manager Neil Deans said more than 390 brown trout were transferred earlier this month after TrustPower carried out maintenance and drew down water levels on the Argyle station at its Branch River Power scheme...	The Marlborough Express
2 Mar 2009	Discover Henley Lake this weekend Henley Lake is a popular recreation spot with many thousands of visitors a year, but there‘s a lot more to Wairarapa‘s only freshwater lake...	Press Release: Greater Wellington Regional Council
2 Mar 2009	The Sharks head to Taupo Downey to replace injured Deysel ...The Sharks on Sunday headed south from Hamilton... to the lake town of Taupo, where they are staying at the renowned Wairakei golf resort. Over the years Sharks teams have often stayed at this secluded resort in the centre of the North Island because it has plenty of outdoor activity to prevent player boredom. Keen fishermen such as Andre Joubert and Chad Alcock have caught enormous trout in massive Lake Taupo...	IOL
28 Feb 2009	Didymo returning to Waitaki Didymo is returning to the lower Waitaki River, but for anglers it is not as bad as before big flows in January. In January, Meridian Energy Ltd released about 950cumecs down the river for 48 hours, which flushed out didymo from the main braids. Central South Island Fish and Game Council's Kurow officer Graeme Hughes recently inspected the river and said "blisters" of didymo were reappearing in areas where it had been stripped by January's high flow. "But it's 100% more fishable than it was before then," he said yesterday...	Otago Daily Times
27 Feb 2009	Results of 2009 Composite Developments Fly Fishing Champs The results of the 2009 National Fly Fishing Champs sponsored by Composite Developments are now out. The top ten anglers will go on to a fish off in April for selection of the New Zealand Sliver Flies team to attend the 2010 World Champs in Poland. 510 fish were caught during the 15 hours of fishing on lakes Otamangakau, Kuratau and Rotoaira. All trout were released alive as barbless hooks were used. The top ten anglers were (in order): John Bell, Kiyoshi Nakagawa, Aaron West, Dan Comer, Tony Houpt, Peter Scott, Paul Baker, Peter Chan, Gary Lyttle and Strato Cotsilinis.	Hooked on Fly Fishing (Planet FM 104.6)
27 Feb 2009	Contact revisits plans for 4 Clutha dams Decades-old plans for up to four hydro-electric projects on the Clutha River are being dusted off by Contact Energy, which plans to spend the rest of 2009 hearing what the public thinks about the prospects of dams dotting the landscape throughout Central and South Otago...	Otago Daily Times
27 Feb 2009	Meridian may have to spill further surplus water Water may have to be spilled today from Lake Benmore as Meridian Energy Ltd manages high lake levels in its Waitaki storage lakes. However, it will be nowhere near the levels Meridian spilled for 48 hours in January, and will make no marked difference to the current flow of the lower Waitaki River. Yesterday, the river was running up to 500cumecs, compared with its average flow of about 350cumecs.
27 Feb 2009	Flood team on standby after weather warnings Environment Waikato’s flood management team has been placed on standby after heavy rain and wind warnings were issued for northern and eastern parts of the region. Up to 250 mm of rain is forecast to fall on the Coromandel Ranges during the 24 hours from 6am tomorrow. Strong north-easterly winds are also expected...	Environment Waikato: Media Release
26 Feb 2009	Riparian planting: Think big as contractors dig... In a few months 300,000 native trees will be ready to be planted alongside the region‘s waterways as part of a long-running Taranaki Regional Council programme.... Riparian management is a key part of the Taranaki Regional Action Plan drawn up under the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord. Effective riparian buffers enhance water quality by filtering agricultural run-off, and reducing the speed of run-off, which moderates stream flows, reduces flooding and increases baseline flows. Riparian buffers also provide food and shelter for wildlife and corridors for plants and birds. Streamside vegetation also reduces water temperatures and supplies food for aquatic insects that in turn provide food for fish.	Taranaki Regional Council: Press Release:
26 Feb 2009	EW submits on Waikato-Tainui river deal legislation Environment Waikato’s submission on legislation to enact the Waikato-Tainui co-management deal for the Waikato River says the agreement is positive for the river’s health but needs the details sorted out to ensure co-management runs smoothly....	Environment Waikato: Media Release
24 Feb 2009	Angler sets contest record Dunedin angler Chris Anderson caught the heaviest salmon in the 10-year history of the Lake Hawea Family Classic fishing competition on Saturday. However, his 1.43kg catch paled in comparison to that of 14-year-old Lake Hawea angler Ethan Meyer-Budge, who reeled in a 2.88kg rainbow trout to claim the heaviest fish overall...	Otago Daily Times
24 Feb 2009	'Sewer-mahanga' river hearing The fate of a $21 million sewage plant that will pump discharge into the Ruamahanga River - dubbed the "sewer-mahanga" by Wairarapa residents - will be decided at a hearing starting today. A subcommittee of Greater Wellington regional council will begin a resource consent hearing on Masterton District Council's application to build a sewage treatment plant five kilometres outside Masterton....	Dominion Post
24 Feb 2009	Waitaki hydro lakes full to the brim The Waitaki hydro storage lakes are virtually full after heavy rain at the weekend and, if there are further downpours, Meridian Energy Ltd may have to consider spilling water again. Over three days at the weekend about 270mm of rain fell at the head of Lake Tekapo, and at 709.678m above sea level it was full, and still rising. Lake Pukaki at 531.893m above sea level was 99% full...	Otago Daily Times
19 Feb 2009	Bill to make RMA processes quicker and cheaper The Government today introduced a Bill to the House that will cut through suffocating red tape for Kiwi homeowners, businesses and farmers while safeguarding the environment... The Ministry for the Environment website contains a summary of the proposed amendments, Cabinet papers and minutes, the Report of the Technical Advisory Group, advice from officials, and the Regulatory Impact Statement.	Press Release: New Zealand Government
19 Feb 2009	Lindis low flow rules discussed The Otago Regional Council today hosts the first of two public meetings to discuss the possibility of imposing minimum water flow restrictions on the Lindis River, a catchment it says is "seriously over-allocated"...	Otago Daily Times
18 Feb 2009	Lake Ellesmere algal bloom warning Lake Ellesmere/ Te Waihora health warning blue-green algal bloom Environment Canterbury (ECan) and Community and Public Health are warning people to avoid contact with Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora, Banks Peninsula, due to algal bloom. Lake water monitoring shows high levels of the toxin-forming algae Nodularia. The levels of algae indicate that the lake is unsuitable for recreational use or drinking until further notice, said Dr Alistair Humphrey, Medical Officer of Health. Drinking water containing these toxins can be fatal to stock, fish, birds and dogs...	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
18 Feb 2009	No pay-outs on Waitaki proposal Meridian Energy Ltd has not agreed to any payments to government departments as part of its plan to build a new $900 million power scheme on the lower Waitaki River. That includes the Department of Conservation, Meridian's external relations manager Clare Shaw said yesterday... Groups opposing the north bank scheme, such as Waitaki First, and the New Zealand and Central South Island Fish and Game Councils, were critical of the cabinet ban on submissions. New Zealand Fish and Game Council chief executive Bryce Johnson told the hearings panel that put not-for-profit organisations such as fish and game councils, environmental, recreational and community groups in the position of fulfilling the roles that should be played by government departments.	Otago Daily Times
17 Feb 2009	Access - what families say "I‘d like to think that I could travel the country and know that I could walk along any beach or lakefront, gain access to any river or the ocean easily, and get up into our ranges and mountains with little formality. However, that doesn‘t mean that I expect every farm or property owner to allow such access. Public roads give such access and should be maintained and mapped for general information." That is an excerpt from one member‘s response to a recent Rural Woman New Zealand (RWNZ) survey on walking access....	Rural News
17 Feb 2009	Fish in schools programme seeks to expand The Fish in Schools Program, which has been running in ten Christchurch schools for five years, is seeking additional schools interested in using mini hatcheries in the classroom. Fish & Game has a further ten tanks available for student to use to rear salmon eggs from incubation through to hatch and release...	Fish & Game New Zealand
14 Feb 2009	Double celebration for couple On the most romantic day of the year, New Zealand's oldest immigrant, 103-year-old Eric King-Turner, has two very special reasons to celebrate. Not only does today mark his first full year in the adopted country that he loves, but his wife, Doris, turns 90.... He has settled in Mapua and has been keeping busy, including indulging in his beloved pastime of fly-fishing...	Nelson Mail
13 Feb 2009	Taupo land deal NZ first The Government today welcomed a deal that will see 930ha of farmland converted into forestry as part of Environment Waikato‘s bid to protect Lake Taupo‘s water quality. Lake Taupo Protection Trust (LTPT), which is charged with reducing the amount of nitrogen entering the lake, brokered the agreement...	Rural News
12 Feb 2009	Water quality takes a dive Niwa notched up a 20-year milestone in environmental monitoring last week but its latest findings are hardly a landmark for intensive farming, which is blamed for a significant slide in river water quality. Two decades of monitoring has provided NIWA with 18,000 samples collected by the National Rivers Water Quality Network (NRWQN). While the results of this intensive data gathering shows overall New Zealand‘s river quality is in good condition by international standards – especially in native forests and high country areas – the news is not so good beyond these catchments...	Rural News
12 Feb 2009	Government welcomes progress to protect Lake Taupo Minister for the Environment Nick Smith today welcomed a deal by the Lake Taupo Protection Trust to convert more than 930 hectares of farmland into forestry. Water quality is one of the most challenging issues facing New Zealand. It is particularly difficult in the Lake Taupo catchment where we are dealing with long-term effects...	Press Release: New Zealand Government
11 Feb 2009	Warning to Ashley River users over toxic algae A dog died this week after licking toxic algal mats near the lower reaches of the Ashley River/Rakahuri, North Canterbury. Environment Canterbury (ECan) is warning people to be wary of swimming or allowing their dogs access to the lower reaches of the river because of the build-up of the toxic algae, Phormidium, in the lower river. As flows recede and water temperatures rise, conditions are ideal...fishermen and boat users should exercise caution.	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
11 Feb 2009	Health warning issued for Waikato River hotspot Bay of Plenty and Waikato residents are being reminded to take care when using Lake Ohakuri, after monitoring has confirmed the presence of an algal bloom in the Whirinaki arm of Lake Ohakuri...	Press Release: Toi Te Ora
10 Feb 2009	Hard work pays off Galatea dairy farmers Paul and Joanna McCarthy’s passion for the environment has paid off. The McCarthys are supreme award winners of the 2009 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Their win was announced at a regional awards ceremony on February 25, where they also received the PGG Wrightson land and life award, the LIC dairy farm award and the Fish and Game New Zealand Eastern Region water management/conservation award. Ballance Farm Environment Award judges described the McCarthy’s operation as ‘almost the perfect situation one could wish for when farming’...	Rural News
9 Feb 2009	When there's not enough water to go around Opinion Submissions on the Government's proposed National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management have closed. This statement, once approved, is intended to improve the management of New Zealand's freshwater resources. It is expected to require regional councils to have regard to the "national significance of freshwater" when developing regional policy statements and regional and district plans...	New Zealand Herald
7 Feb 2009	Good runs build keen anglers America is noticing a big drop in the number of fly anglers participating in the sport. You might recall something similar happened with salmon angling in New Zealand in 1991 when runs failed... Participation seems to very much depend upon the health of fisheries. How else could one evaluate the decline in returning salmon in early 1990s with the significant drop in LEQs (Fish & Game licence numbers)? While Americans say they don't fish because they don't have the time, New Zealanders seem make the time, providing the resource is there...	Timaru Herald
7 Feb 2009	Common-sense decision on Rangitata South water This week has seen the approval of consents sought to take irrigation water from the Rangitata River. "The WCO protects the Rangitata River but allows one-third of the flow for out of stream use," says Fish and Game chief executive Jay Graybill. "The Rangitata South scheme fits within the WCO by taking water at above average flows, and negotiation between the company and Fish and Game has seen a spawning channel consented as part of the scheme. The company has offered an opportunity for the Rangitata salmon fishery to be enhanced. "This is one of the first times that commercial and recreational parties have sat down to reach a common-sense decision that's a win/win situation for all." I recall the precedent was set by the Opihi Augmentation Scheme, and agree the Rangitata South Irrigation scheme is likewise community-focused. Not so the recent day-long seminar on water storage and irrigation led by Agriculture Minister David Carter, who deliberately withheld invitations to DoC and Fish and Game...
6 Feb 2009	Date set for Nevis protection hearing A date has been set for a special tribunal hearing on an application to amend the Kawarau River Water Conservation Order to protect the Nevis River from hydro dams. Otago and New Zealand Fish and Game Councils want to prohibit dams and set minimum river flows. The Ministry for the Environment-appointed special tribunal will consider the application at a hearing to start at 9am on May 20 at The Golden Gate Lodge in Cromwell... [See also the Save the Nevis website]	The Southland Times
5 Feb 2009	Molesworth road closed The Acheron Road through Molesworth station was closed on Monday to reduce the high fire risk in the area. The Department of Conservation...will be monitoring the fire risk and if it reduce the road may reopen...To find out if the road is closed or open...call the DOC South Marlborough area office on 03 572 9100 or check with visitor centres in the region.	Nelson Mail
4 Feb 2009	Wairarapa farming family continues to abuse environment In South Wairarapa, animals have been using a river as a loo. Over a 25km stretch they graze along the Pahaoa River, and if they need to empty their bowels whilst standing in the water, that is exactly what they do.... Grant Muir has lived beside the Pahaoa River in South Wairarapa for six years. "We used to trout fish in this river," he says. "These pools, particularly this pool up here, trout would be jumping out of that pool...	TV3 campbell Live
4 Feb 2009	Fifth power scheme appeal The Waitaki Protection Trust has added its name to the list of appeals at the Environment Court opposing a power scheme Meridian Energy wants to build on the lower Waitaki River. It brings to five the number of appeals lodged against the granting of four water-only resource consents for Meridian to take up to 260cumecs...	Otago Daily Times
3 Feb 2009	Rangitata Sth Irrigation Scheme consents granted Rangitata South Irrigation Ltd has been granted consents for a water storage irrigation scheme for the land between the Rangitata and Orari Rivers, South Canterbury. The scheme proposes to provide irrigation water and storage ponds on privately-owned land, to a 7,500 hectare command area, with a 35-year term for the scheme and ten years allowed to build it....	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
3 Feb 2009	Wetland aid highlighted Nelson Fish and Game is offering help to landowners considering creating wetlands on their properties. The invitation coincided with World Wetlands Day on Monday. Nelson Fish and Game freshwater biodiversity officer Rhys Barrier said it was only now that New Zealanders were realising the crucial role wetlands play in filtering, purifying and storing water within the agricultural landscape...	Nelson Mail
3 Feb 2009	Hydro-lakes spill flushes didymo out A controlled flood has flushed much of the didymo in the Waitaki River out to sea but the reprieve may be short. The invasive algae in the river's main channels has been washed away after a recent hydro-lakes spill. However, Fish and Game New Zealand warns didymo may return within months. The flood, initiated by power company Meridian Energy two weeks ago ...	Nelson Mai
2 Feb 2009	Further irrigation bans after hot weekend After souring temperatures this weekend, river levels have dropped further and more irrigation bans have been placed by Hawke's Bay Regional Council on rivers in Central Hawke’s Bay... [Note: The rivers affected are the Tukipo River, the Waipawa River and the Tukituki River.]	Press Release: Hawkes Bay Regional Council
2 Feb 2009	Surprise treat at salmon and wine festival Free fish was a hit at the Mackenzie salmon and wine festival at Twizel on Saturday. The fish was from a 9.3kg rainbow jack (male) trout caught by Southland angler Stan Hayward in the Ohau canal just by the Benmore salmon farm. Mr Hayward, who has a holiday home in Twizel, gave the trout to The Top Hut bistro owner Mike Darling, who smoked the impressive catch and gave away pieces at his stall during the festival. Under New Zealand angling regulations trout cannot be sold, so visitors to Mr Darling's stall, drawn by salmon, Mt Riley wines and Speight's beers, were given a bonus...	Otago Daily Times
1 Feb 2009	A summer of accidents Who knows what goes through people's minds when they set off into the bush dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt, carrying a bottle of whiskey? Or setting off for a tramp with bad weather forecast? Or taking children out to sea in a boat without enough lifejackets, enough fuel and no working radio? Water Safety New Zealand general manager Matt Claridge said it had been the nature of incidents that was most concerning this summer...	The Press
30 Jan 2009	More irrigation bans and warnings More irrigation bans and warnings have been put in place by Hawke's Bay Regional Council as the dry weather sets in. This week bans were placed on the Ngaruroro River on all three low flow limits affecting 56 consents. Irrigation from the Raupare Stream, a tributary of the Ngaruroro River, and the Puhokio Stream in the southern coastal area, were also banned. Warnings have been issued to irrigators taking water from the Louisa Stream, the Maraetotara Stream, the Tukipo and the Tukituki River (Tapairu Road site)...	Press Release: Hawkes Bay Regional Council
30 Jan 2008	Health warning issued for Lake Rotoehu A health warning has been issued for Lake Rotoehu today as routine water test results provided by Environment Bay of Plenty have confirmed a bloom of toxic algae (also known as blue-green algae and cyanobacteria). “The health warning means that people should avoid any activity which results in significant contact with the water,” according to Dr Phil Shoemack, Medical Officer of Health...	Press Release: Toi Te Ora
30 Jan 2009	Greens support new hydro scheme in Buller The Green Party's West Coast-based MP Kevin Hague today lodged a submission in support of a proposed hydro scheme on the Stockton Plateau... "The scheme can power more than 30,000 homes," Hague says "and the Stockton Plateau is heavily modified by coal mining operations so the reservoirs have a small ecological footprint. Diverting polluted water will actually improve water quality in the Ngakawau River. "This is in contrast to Meridian Energy's proposed hydro dam in the nearby Mokihinui River that would irreversibly impact rainforest and river species. The Stockton scheme shows we don't need to damn the Mokihinui to satisfy local electricity demand...	Press Release: Green Party
29 Jan 2009	Wetlands are NOT waste lands Wetlands are like giant kidneys protecting the health of waterways – they help dilute and filter material that could otherwise harm our lakes and rivers. With World Wetlands day occurring on 2 February, it is a good time to reflect on these and other benefits that wetlands provide. Wetland is a generic term for the wet margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, estuaries, lagoons, bogs and swamps. Wetlands once covered large areas of the Waikato. Now they are some of our rarest and most at-risk ecosystems... Fishers, shooters, naturalists and other water-based recreationalists also make extensive use of wetlands...	Environment Waikato: Press Release
27 Jan 2009	Molesworth Station road to close The country's highest road, through Molesworth Station in Marlborough, will close next week because of the fire danger. The Acheron Road is opened in summer for tourists between Marlborough and Hanmer Springs. However, the Department of Conservation, which manages the station, says the road will close from Monday unless enough rain falls before then to reduce the high fire risk. DoC says the closure is disappointing but necessary to prevent fire risk to the working farm and its outstanding natural and historic features..	Radio New Zealand
26 Jan 2009	More fish less drought Opinion piece: Abridged speech, Conor English, CEO, Federated Farmers of New Zealand Water Infrastructure Forum, Christchurch ...give a kiwi a rain shower he fishes and farms for a day. Give him water storage he will fish and farm for a life time...	Press Release: Federated Farmers
24 Jan 2009	Campers must go as part of sale A British millionaire must close his two Canterbury high-country stations to informal campers and hut dwellers around Lake Coleridge as a condition of their sales to him. John Shrimpton, who runs an investment bank in Vietnam, bought the Ryton and Glenthorne stations last year for $39.5 million. As a condition of his Overseas Investment Office approval, he must close the camping rounds and informal settlements on both stations...	Dominion Post
23 Jan 2009	'Mega reservoir potential' in Central Otago Potential exists in Central Otago for the world’s largest pumped-storage reservoir, linked to the Clutha River by a 15km tunnel. In summer the reservoir would supply farm irrigation water and in winter power generation at Roxburgh, says Waikato University hydrologist Earl Bardsley, associate professor in the department of earth sciences... He proposes turning the Onslow-Manorburn depression into one gigantic reservoir – it already contains the Upper Manorburn, Greenland and Lake Onslow reservoirs – 800m above sea level. This is about about the same elevation as Lake Tekapo, New Zealand’s highest major hydro storage lake...	Rural News
23 Jan 2009	Water quality boost Collingwood dairy farmers have made great steps towards improving the water quality in the Aorere catchment, much to the delight of the local marine farming industry. ..some 40 Aorere marine and dairy farmers... gathered at the Pakawau Hall to celebrate local water quality improvements. The Aorere River has healthy trout and whitebait populations as well as being popular for swimming and other recreations. The surrounding catchment also supports 33 dairy farms...	Rural News
23 Jan 2009	Water storage ‘economic must’ Water storage is an ‘economic magic bullet’ undervalued in New Zealand, says Federated Farmers water spokesman Hugh Ritchie. He told Rural News vast quantities of water now running to sea would be used by farmers if suitable storage infrastructure existed... Questioned about increased water allocation for farming, Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson says his support would depend on what farmers were prepared to spend on research into environmentally sustainability. ‘Farmers present a theoretical win/win scenario for their industry and the economy, but these don’t take into account the consequences of intensification in, for example, dairying.’ He is sceptical of Ritchie’s figures about scant conservation of rainfall...	Rural News
23 Jan 2009	River inspection team enjoys clear run The Nelson region's river are getting a big tick from Fish and Game New Zealand staff who are drift diving to assess the rivers' condition and trout numbers. So far, the results showed that the rivers and trout populations were in good condition, said Fish and Game regional manager Neil Deans. Often at this time of year, rivers had low flows and were choked with sediment and algae, but that was not the case at the moment, he said...	Nelson Mail
23 Jan 2009	Assessment after high flows Flushing the Waitaki River with high flows over two days this week does not appear to have caused any major damage, but Environment Canterbury (ECan) is waiting until the water level falls to make sure. Meridian Energy Ltd increased the flow in the lower river to 950cumecs for 48 hours from noon on Monday, lowering it to between 450 and 500cumecs by yesterday morning. The flushing flow, which aimed to open a new river mouth with the sea and flush out didymo, was done to reduce levels in Meridian's Lake Tekapo and Pukaki storage lakes...	Otago Daily Times
22 Jan 2009	Coming down, flushed with success The Waitaki River started falling at noon yesterday, after 48 hours of a 950cumecs flushing flow that was released by Meridian Energy. The release, originally planned for 24 hours, swelled the river from 6am on Monday, reaching its maximum at midday Monday. On Tuesday, it was supposed to fall from midday but, after consultation with Environment Canterbury (ECan), it was decided to keep it going for a further 24 hours to maximise the benefits to the river... Today, the flow was expected to reach 450 to 500cumecs, where it could be held for a few days. However, that would depend on in-flows into the storage lakes, and the extent of a heavy rain warning for southwest New Zealand until Sunday.	Otago Daily Times
21 Jan 2009	Rain gives rivers a much needed boost Rain over the ranges at the weekend and cooler, overcast weather since has boosted coastal Otago river levels. Before the weekend, river levels along Otago's coast, except the Clutha, had dropped to more than 70% below their weekly average and water restrictions were possible, as Dunedin's water supplies dropped... Last week there were low level alerts on the Taieri, Shag and Kakanui Rivers, but since the weekend the Taieri and Shag rivers had risen above the alert level. However, those rivers and others that benefited from the rain were now starting to drop back, with the Taieri at 2.57 cumecs yesterday afternoon - its low level alert was 2.5cumecs...	Otago Daily Times
21 Jan 2009	Veni, Vidi, Vino in New Zealand Sure, we know it as the land of Hobbits, bungee jumping, and more sheep per capita than anywhere else on earth. But just beyond the wild, raw landscapes, another New Zealand beckons... Dusk is falling over the Clutha River, and I'm slowly making my way down a path on the grassy western bank, casting for rainbows and browns. I didn't come to Central Otago, on New Zealand's South Island, to fish...	Condé Nast Traveler
20 Jan 2009	Crowds turn out to see dam spills Spectacular spills from the Waitaki hydro dams yesterday attracted large numbers of spectators as Meridian Energy released almost 1000 cumecs of water into the Waitaki River to drop the level of over-full storage lakes. Water was being spilled from the Benmore, Aviemore and Waitaki dams. Benmore proved the most spectacular...	Otago Daily Times
20 Jan 2009	Huge water dump as basin lakes reach their capacity Meridian Energy has been forced to make a major spill through its Waitaki hydro system as the Mackenzie Basin storage lakes have reached their limits... Kurow-based Fish and Game officer Graeme Hughes said salmon were yet to run up the river in numbers. He did not believe the flood flow would harm salmon angling as the river would clear up within a few days...	Timaru Herald
20 Jan 2009	Attempt to flush didymo out to sea The power of nature thundered down the Waitaki River valley yesterday as vast amounts of excess hydro-lake water were released in a bid to flush the river clean. The flushing flow started by state-owned power company Meridian Energy yesterday morning increased the Waitaki's flow to more than three time its average. By noon, more than 960 cubic metres of water a second (cumecs) was being spilt from Lake Benmore. Central South Island Fish and Game chief executive Jay Graybill said a strong fresh or flood was needed in the braided river every two years to clear algae, including didymo, and turn over rocks on the riverbed. Young salmon and trout were out of the gravel and the flood would have taken many out to sea, he said...	The Press
17 Jan 2009	Fishers mourn death of a legend Any competitive salmon angler will have known of Ron Dougherty. He was the weighmaster and salmon inspector at so many competitions that he became "the salmon man"...	Timaru Herald
17 Jan 2009	Hooked on fishing at Lake Benmore Lake Benmore is the second most-fished lake in New Zealand behind Lake Taupo. David Bruce looks at its phenomenal growth in popularity with anglers...	Otago Daily Times
16 Jan 2009	Billionaire fisherman in Nelson region One of the world's richest men is in the Nelson region. Thomas, or Tom, Bailey is a self-made United States billionaire based in Colorado...and a regular visitor to the Nelson region where he spends a couple of weeks each year fly fishing with regular guides. According to Forbes.com, Mr Bailey founded mutual fund giant Janus.	The Nelson Mail
16 jan 2009	Former Intel chairman coming to NZ to helifish Craig Barrett spent decades using his business skills to make Intel the world's most powerful semiconductor company..has now turned his attention to spreading computers and education throughout the developing world...The Intel chairman ...gave up his CEO title in 2005... His next trip is a fun one, to New Zealand to go helicopter fly-fishing. I'm combining that with the Milford trek in the South Island..	PC World
16 Jan 2009	Out you go, didymo A huge surge of water is about to be poured along the Waitaki River valley in an effort to clean the river and wash away didymo. On Monday, a 24-hour "flushing flow" of excess water from state-owned power company Meridian Energy's full hydro lakes will be pumped down the braided river...	The Press
10 Jan 2009	Waitaki bridge expected to withstand flow Kurow's geriatric Waitaki bridge may look frail, but powerful flows predicted for the weekend pose little risk to the 127-year-old wooden road-rail bridge. Yesterday's rain in the headwaters was less than expected. Although there is a chance of rain this weekend, spillover from Lakes Pukaki, Benmore, Aviemore and Waitaki is unlikely to create a flood. Meridian Energy spokeswoman Claire Shaw said 850 cubic metres of water a second was the maximum flow expected...	The Timaru Herald
10 Jan 2009	The season for watery death (Editorial) Summer is the time for heading to the beach, the lake and the river. Sadly it is also the time in which New Zealanders drown in the greatest numbers. During the Christmas holiday period 10 people died in the water. They included a nine-year-old waterskier run over by another boat on Lake Taupo, an intoxicated Manurewa man who fell from his boat while fishing in Manukau Harbour, two fishermen killed in a collision between a jet boat and a jet ski on the Kawarau River in Central Otago and...	The Dominion Post
10 Jan 2009	Stick to the rules and be keen to stay alive In the wake of the one of the worst summer boating fatality records for the Queenstown Lakes district, Jude Gillies explores the reasons behind boating safety issues and how future deaths can be prevented... "If you had a profile of a potential fatality it would be male, aged between 45 and 54, in a small boat and probably going fishing." After analysing boating accidents before 1999, some pivotal common threads were found...	Otago Daily Times
9 Jan 2009	Waitaki River users warned of water spills Waitaki River users are being warned to prepare for a sudden rise in water levels. Environment Canterbury was yesterday advising people who would be around the Waitaki River this weekend to be ready for an increase in water levels, up to double, if Meridian Energy is forced to spill more water... ...further spilling could result in an increase of the flow in the lower Waitaki by up to 850 cubic metres per second. Currently the Waitaki River at Kurow is flowing at 460 cumecs....While the river can handle flows of this nature, Mr Henderson said there could be danger for people fishing around the river mouth... ...splliing is also likely to continue from lakes Benmore, Pukaki and Tekapo. (To check recent lake levels, see Central South Island fishing conditions)	Nelson Mail
9 Jan 2009	Windy stint wrecking boaties' fun Windy weather is creating frustration for Upper Clutha holiday boaties and sending fuel sales plummeting at lakeside petrol pump operators. Glendhu Bay holiday park lessee Herbie Illingworth said the winds had affected the more than 300 boat owners who were camping at the ground. He said the run of weather since Christmas was among the poorest he had seen during his tenure as Glendhu Bay camping ground manager... Boats were parked along the beach, waiting for a break in the wind...Some boat users wanting to go fishing were taking advantage of calmer lake conditions in the evening once the wind dropped, he said...	Otago Daily Times
8 Jan 2009	Kayak fishing is catching on Expert advises anglers to try before buying You can find kayaks on sale at sporting goods chains, big box stores and even mom-and-pop stores and gas stations. Many are touted as good boats for anglers... in countries such as New Zealand...anglers live aboard a large boat that carries a fleet of kayaks and takes the paddlers to great destinations over a number of days...	freep.com
2 Jan 2009	South Island residents urged to avoid rivers Heavy rain is lashing the South Island. Environment Canterbury says big falls on the Main Divide will cause the alpine rivers to start rising very rapidly tonight. People are being warned not to use the Waitaki, Rangitata, Rakaia, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Waiau Rivers...	NZ Herald
29 Dec 2008	Boaties reminded of safety obligations With summer in full swing, boaties are being warned to take care on the water. From Lake Manapouri to Lake Hawea, thousands of people are expected to hit the rivers and lakes for fishing, jet-skiing and water-skiing. However, Queenstown harbourmaster Marty Black said boaties needed to remember to stay safe while having fun on the water. "It's a lot of old hat but it's bloody important. Watch the weather, wear your lifejacket and watch the booze." During the height of summer in the Southern Lakes district there could be as many as 3000 on Lake Wanaka on a fine day, 1500 on Lake Wakatipu and 600 on Lake Hawea.	The Southland Times
29 Dec 2008	Northern Fiordland rivers free of didymo Water samplings of fishing rivers in northern Fiordland have returned no sign of didymo. Department of Conservation Te Anau didymo ranger Martin Genet said people seemed to still be taking didymo control seriously. "We're almost certain that this is the reason didymo has not spread further into Fiordland." Although didymo has been in Southland for several years, regular sampling has shown much of Fiordland remains free of its smothering growth. DOC is also reminding anglers that anyone fishing within Fiordland National Park is required to obtain a Clean Gear Certificate for all gear at an approved cleaning station, 48 hours before fishing. Anglers are also reminded that didymo has been found along the edges of lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, so it was important to check all gear before leaving the lake edge and moving into the lake tributaries or other waterways.	The Southland Times
29 Dec 2008	Shotover River gravel extraction $1m bond sought Otago Regional Council (ORC) resource consent applications to build a training line in the Shotover River delta and extract gravel are "outrageously excessive", according to an opposing party. ORC's bids attracted six opposing submissions, one in support, two in support with conditions and two neutral, by the closing date of December 17... Fish and Game New Zealand wished to be heard in support of the application and said the work was needed to help flood protection and build the resa...	Otago Daily Times
27 Dec 2008	Guide licences being proposed Fish & Game New Zealand will be asking the new government for a decision in the short to medium term on the introduction of guide licence regulations and the introduction of a licence category to manage the guiding industry and its affect on the fishing resource. The New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association (NZPFGA) which represents around 180 fishing guides has been negotiating the terms of a guides licence with Fish & Game. It says members will benefit greatly from the eventual outcome.	Fish & Game New Zealand / NZFPGA
27 Dec 2008	Lake Benmore the official top spot If you plan to fish in the central South Island these holidays, be aware that you are in the premiere fisheries in New Zealand....a national angler survey has identified that the central South Island had 250,820 angler days during the 2007/08 season. Otago recorded 221,870 angler days, and Eastern (in the central North Island) recorded 213,590... "This makes Lake Benmore the most fished lake in any of the Fish and Game regions and second only to Lake Taupo in angler numbers, but in the South Island, of the lakes tested, it's easily the most productive fishery."...	Timaru Herald
27 Dec 2008	Two scenarios two different results perhaps? The flushing flow through the Opuha and Opihi River systems last weekend is said to have dislodged the aggressive invasion of didymo in the lower Opuha River, and carried the offensive mats to sea. There endeth the first scenario. At the Tekapo River, didymo has caused a number of anglers to vacate the fishery in favour of lake fishing, or moving to less effected water. With this week's newspaper report that Meridian Energy is likely to release a flushing flow down the Tekapo River, comes the realisation that didymo mats could end up in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore....	Timaru Herald
26 Dec 2008	Didymo watch the last line of defence The message is going out nationwide to help Biosecurity New Zealand slow the spread of Didymosphenia geminata (didymo), a microscopic North American pest also known as "rock snot". First reported in New Zealand in the Lower Waiau River in 2004, it can be spread by a single drop of water. It is thought to have been accidentally introduced by a North American tourist and has now spread throughout the South Island...	The Marlborough Express
24 Dec 2008	Check, Clean and Dry still the go this summer Check, Clean, and Dry is a message you’ll come across if you’re using the Rotorua Lakes this summer... ...four students will be very visible visiting boat ramps, camping grounds and other key sites around the lakes to let recreational lake users aware of the vital need to be vigilant and help keep the lakes cleaner...	Press Release: Environment Bay of Plenty
19 Dec 2008	Navigate Oceania launches eight themed luxury getaways Navigate Oceania has put together eight new luxury themed experiences involving Spa, Culture, Wilderness, Adventure, Discoverer, Wine and Gourmet, for travellers to Fiji and New Zealand. Navigate Oceania...have launched these new themed packages just in time to take advantage of the lower Kiwi Dollar, and the relative value for money they now represent. [View the Trout Fishing Adventures themed itinerary....]	e-travel Blackboard
18 Dec 2008	Didymo message motors along in Taranaki The didymo message is hitting the road again in Taranaki. The Taranaki Regional Council has begun a summer education campaign on didymo, targeting anglers, kayakers, boaties and other freshwater users throughout the region. A Council-employed didymo educator will visit popular freshwater recreation sites with a message summed up in three words: Check, clean, dry.	Press Release: Taranaki Regional Council
17 Dec 2008	Need for water storage in Hawke's Bay Central Hawke's Bay farmer Hugh Ritchie came home from a few days touring around Canterbury absolutely certain that Hawke's Bay needs to store water. Hardly anyone in the Bay has a dam of a serious size, but Hugh is hoping that will all change... Last summer thel Tukituki River was in the headlines with both Takapau and Waipukurau discharging partially treated effluent straight back into the river...	countrywide.co.nz
17 Dec 2008	A look back at New Zealand's year of weather extremes A summer credited as the eighth warmest in 100 years had people wondering when the golden days would fade and the wintry cold would return. Rainfall was below normal over much of the North Island and lower South Island, and the Waikato received less than half the normal level, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research (Niwa) reported...	3 News
16 Dec 2008	Water storage not a silver bullet Fish & Game New Zealand urges caution around Federated Farmers' Water Spokesperson Hugh Ritchie's claim that water storage is 'one of the magic bullets'. "Water storage is not necessarily 'a winner for the whole community,'' said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive Fish & Game New Zealand. "The key concern is the adverse environmental effects of changed land use 'down stream' of the storage scheme which Federated Farmers don't address....	Media release: Fish & Game New Zealand
15 Dec 2008	Water storage is one of the 'magic bullets' the NZ economy needs "If there is one magic bullet guaranteed to transform the New Zealand economy it is water storage," says Federated Farmers water spokesperson, Hugh Ritchie. Federated Farmers is analysing the water storage potential of regions around New Zealand... The Federation contends this will lead to an agricultural and economic transformation generating billions of dollars in export earnings... "Banking water makes sense for the environment. Fish need water so creating a better environment for fish will generate new recreational and tourism opportunities. Water storage is a winner for the whole community. "The Opuha Dam in South Canterbury is a good example of what we mean. In October, the Opuha Dam Water Management Project was the supreme winner of the 2008 Canterbury Resource Management Awards. It is a sustainable water storage project supported by Fish and Game, local Iwi and the community...	Federated Farmers Media Release
12 Dec 2008	Lifejackets and other changes to bylaw A change to Environment Waikato’s Navigation Safety Bylaw will make it compulsory for boat users to wear lifejackets at all times from July 1 2009. Under the current bylaw, it is only necessary to wear a lifejacket in situations of heightened risk, for example when crossing a bar. The change is mandatory to ensure EW’s bylaw complies with new Maritime New Zealand rules....	Environment Waikato
12 Dec 2008	Fish & Game reminds anglers of Hurunui WCO deadline Fish & Game reminds anglers that submissions for the Hurunui Water Conservation Order close this coming Monday 15th December and urges them not to let all their hard work go to waste. Find out how to make a submission...	Fish & Game New Zealand
11 Dec 2008	MAFBNZ to use fish to eradicate invasive aquatic weed from lakes The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) is releasing 3000 grass carp into Lakes Tutira, Waikopiro, and Opouahi today as part of its programme to eradicate the invasive aquatic weed hydrilla from the lakes. Hydrilla has not been found anywhere else in New Zealand...	MAFBNZ
11 Dec 2008	Updated recreational information for Waitaki lakes users A new pamphlet which will help the 15,000 to 20,000 people who visit the Waitaki lakes each year keep safe on water and land has been released by Waitaki Lakes Shoreline Authorities Committee... ... people should keep well away from dam inflow and outflow areas, as they can be very dangerous. People should not be tempted to fish in these areas... ...The pamphlet makes everyone aware of local camping and boating rules, lists useful contact numbers for information and emergencies... The pamphlet is available at local visitor centres, the Department of Conservation, council offices and online at www.ecan.govt.nz/waitakilakes	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
11 Dec 2008	Didymo awareness not diminishing The summertime didymo education programme has started again and a student has been contracted by Hawke's Bay Regional Council to reinforce the message of Check Clean Dry along our favourite recreational rivers. This is part of a national partnership between MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Regional Councils and other stakeholders to reduce the risk of didymo and other aquatic plant pests spreading...	Press Release: Hawkes Bay Regional Council
10 Dec 2008	Contact ready to start talks on developing Clutha Contact Energy says it will start consulting with the public early next year about possible hydro-electric development on the Clutha River. This follows a meeting in Clyde yesterday between the mayors of the Central Otago, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes districts and three Contact executives...	Otago Daily Times
10 Dec 2008	Ashburton Community Water Trust hydro application The Ashburton Community Water Trust (ACWT) and Ashburton District Council have been granted consents to use Rakaia River water to generate electricity, subject to the applicant undertaking a full summer ecological survey...	Press Release: Environment Canterbury
9 Dec 2008	Canterbury tops water-pollution rankings Fifteen Canterbury waterways are unsuitable for swimming due to faecal contamination. A further 13 of the region's rivers should be avoided, especially by the elderly and very young, according to a Consumer Magazine report... The state of the nation's recreational waterways was a big concern and contamination in pastoral farming areas was getting worse, the report said...	The Press
8 Dec 2008	Arrow River foot bridge opens with help from SKYCITY A new foot bridge over the Arrow River improving access to the Macetown and Motatapu walking tracks which connect Arrowtown to Wanaka’s Glendu Bay has opened...	Press Release: SKYCITY
8 Dec 2008	We're swimming in it The Green Party is calling on the Government, as part of its infrastructure stimulus package, to offer financial support to local councils to upgrade their sewage treatment plants... The Greens are also calling on the Government to strengthen environmental laws around water pollution because the current laws are too weak. ...the reality of 'clean green' New Zealand is that our lowland rivers are full of cow effluent, our beaches are contaminated by human sewage, and our fish stocks are depleted...	Press Release: Green Party
8 Dec 2008	Popular beaches unsafe - survey Nearly a third of of the country's 500 most popular swimming spots are not safe, according to a new survey. A Consumer New Zealand water quality survey has found 29 per cent of beaches, lakes and rivers have bacteria levels so high that the Ministry for the Environment recommends staying out of the water...	New Zealand Herald
6 dec 2008	An excellent way to reel in the years Many a fisherman has drawn some comfort from the Babylonian proverb which claims that "The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing", The Nelson Mail said in an editorial on Saturday... Nobody really believes it, though - and then along comes 103-year-old fly fishing enthusiast Eric King-Turner to reinforce the idea that fishing and long life go hand-in-hand....	Nelson Mail
6 Dec 2008	Millions watch pair cast on NZ rivers Meeting the two unlikely stars of Discovery Channel's new fly fishing series in Queenstown this week was enough to break any gourmet trout lover's heart. Paul Arden, a burly British vegetarian, and Ronan Creane, a lean Irishman, are clearly in it for the sport, strictly catch and release... These unlikely blokes, who travel the globe hunting out the best fly fishing haunts year round, are the new stars of Discovery Channel's Fish This NZ series. The series pilot, which went to air in the United States on prime time television on November 24, will be seen by several hundred million people around the world and should screen in New Zealand in a few months...	Southland Times
5 Dec 2008	Hawke's Bay faces third year of summer drought Hawke's Bay is heading for another drought after a dry spring. MetService said nine millimetres of rain fell at Napier airport in November. The average rainfall for the month is 53mm. Rainfall in September and October was also below average...	The Dominion Post
5 Dec 2008	Six Waikato lakes now have health warnings As expected, the recent summer weather has resulted in massive growth of cyanobacteria in the routinely monitored shallow lakes. Warnings were already in place for Lakes Whangape, Waikare and Kainui, but over the winter cell counts were low in the other monitored lakes - Hakanoa, Waahi and Ngaroto... The most recent cyanobacterial results for Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) continue at low cell counts... "Waikato shallow lake users should always avoid contact with water which looks cloudy green or brown, or has scum forming even when there is no warning in place," said Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Dell Hood....	Press Release: Waikato District Health Board
4 Dec 2008	Didymo discovered in the Karamea River The invasive algae didymo has been found in the West Coast's internationally renowned trout fishing Karamea River. The Department of Conservation said today the discovery of the weed in the river at the heart of the Kahurangi National Park was a "serious concern''... DOC Motueka area manager Martin Rodd said it would impact on the "significant natural values'' of the river and would be detrimental to the outstanding recreational fishing the Karamea offered... See also: Didymo Biosecurity Alert	The Press
3 Dec 2008	Come fly with me The dark smudge swaying gently in the depths of a pool of liquid greenstone sends a shiver of excitement up the spines of the camouflaged fisherman on the bank... The first day of November is opening day for high-country fishing, the rare end of fly-fishing in the cream of New Zealand's trout water...	The Dominion Post
3 Dec 2008	Angling photos taken on the fly As any faithful Nelson Mail reader will know, Zane Mirfin likes his fish. Not just stalking and catching them, not just guiding others in pursuit of them, and not, for that matter, just writing about them... Mirfin's passion for wily trout and all that trying to catch them entails also extends to photographing them... New Zealand Fish and Game Magazine editor Bob South, describes Mirfin's images as "prodigious", his camera work "uncanny". Proof of what South is on about has just been compiled into a new book, The Last Best Place (Halcyon Press, $49.99), a picture book of some of Mirfin's work, focused on the angler and his quarry against the backdrop of New Zealand's glorious back country...	Nelson Mail
2 Dec 2008	For sale in NZ...resort home with use of fishing lodge A contemporary country home near Queenstown is for sale in for 6.5 million NZ dollars. The six-bedroom three-bath home is in Closeburn Station, a 3,000-acre working alpine farm with 27 private homes... Homeowners at Closeburn Station receive exclusive use of the station’s fishing lodge and three tramping huts, rustic cottages for overnight stays in the mountains. There are tennis courts, mountain bicycles and kayaks for residents’ use, and there is fishing and swimming at the station’s three lakes...	New York Times
2 Dec 2008	New Kiwi: NZ's 'pretty wild' Eric King-Turner had a good day fly-fishing in the Motueka River, catching a lovely four-pound (1.8kg) brown trout - not bad for a 103-year-old fisherman. Mr King-Turner became a media celebrity at the start of the year by becoming Britain's oldest emigrant, moving to New Zealand with his 87-year-old Kiwi wife, Doris. He said then that his new adventure meant he would be able to indulge his passion for fly-fishing...
More news...
2008	For more articles from 2008, please see In the News: 2008
2007	For articles from 2007, please see In the News: 2007
2006	For articles from 2006, please see In the News: 2006.

Request this free guide

Top of page