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Banning freshwater anglers' felt-soled wading
shoes won't help prevent the spread of didymo. This is the conclusion
an independent researcher has drawn after reviewing the background
to the ban proposed by the NZ Fish and Game Council.
Felt-soled wading shoes are worn by many anglers
because of the excellent grip they provide on slippery rocks, but
have been blamed for spreading the invasive alga didymo, also known
as 'rock snot', which has been infesting South Island rivers and
lakes. A ban on the wearing felt soles by anglers has been recommended
to the Minister of Conservation as part of the annual Anglers Notice
to come into effect when the new season opens on 1 October.
"Unfortunately NIWA's research to date
shows almost all kinds of footwear can spread
didymo, so there seems no point in banning just one type - that
will achieve nothing," says Mike Bradstock of Bradstock &
Associates in Christchurch, who has submitted a paper on the issue
to the Minister of Conservation. "Clearly there are no easy
solutions but it would be better to focus on promoting the 'check,
clean, dry' message more intensively, and perhaps in the longer
term introduce legislation to give the Biosecurity Act more teeth."
Furthermore, banning felt soles would increase
the likelihood of accidents, including
drownings, caused by anglers slipping and falling in rivers, he
said. "It would also be
counterproductive by lulling other river users into a false sense
of security as it implies that freshwater fishers 'own' the problem.
This will wrongly vilify anglers as didymo continues to spread regardless,
and is contrary to Fish & Game's responsibility under the Conservation
Act to represent their interests."
Mr Bradstock strongly criticised the Fish & Game paper proposing
the ban. "Its arguments are poorly considered and often unsustainable,
it is selective in its use of data and reveals a lack of proper
consultation with Biosecurity NZ and stakeholders. In fact, my investigations
show that Fish & Game decided to propose the ban way back in
last November, five months before they embarked upon their so-called
'consultative process'. So the consultation was a sham."
He added that anglers were by no means the only
users of felt-sole shoes. "They are used by some whitebaiters,
gold fossickers and rock hounds, to give just a few examples. Therefore
the Anglers Notice is not even an effective way to ban them, as
it does not apply to these other groups."
For further information please contact:
Mike Bradstock
03-942-0011
m.bradstock@paradise.net.nz
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