| Freshwater
anglers and game bird hunters are behind Water Conservation Orders
and their significant role in protecting New Zealand’s water
bodies. The Government’s report on the state of the environment
released today acknowledges Water Conservation Orders (WCOs) as
a mechanism to protect New Zealand’s notable waterways.
“The report acknowledges six WCOs have
been gazetted since 1997, bringing the national total to 14,”
said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of Fish & Game New Zealand.”
“Fish & Game has initiated most, and
championed and contested all, of these water conservation orders.
Fish & Game is a Public Entity with statutory responsibility
for managing and enhancing freshwater angling and game bird hunting,
the species themselves, and their habitat. We receive no tax-payer
funding, and the considerable resources, time and funding required
to be successful in the WCO process have been supplied by anglers
and hunters through their licence fees. WCOs place restrictions
or prohibitions on water takes, discharges, hydro-electric development
and other uses. They are like a national park on a waterway.”
“Opposition to WCOs from a range of interest
is often intense, and requires comprehensive, thorough and expensive
research and legal representation. New Zealand’s freshwater
anglers and game bird hunters can be rightly proud of the successes
they have achieved in protecting our rivers of special value.”
“WCO applications for two further rivers,
the Oreti in Southland, and the Nevis in Otago, are currently being
processed.” |
