| To reduce the
risk of didymo spread, Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick today
agreed to the New Zealand Fish and Game Council recommendation to
restrict the use of footwear with felt soles by fishing licence
holders.
“Our world-famous trout fisheries are threatened
by the invasive alga ‘rock snot’, or didymo. While didymo
is currently only in some South Island rivers, it could be easily
spread to other places and we are taking these steps now to protect
our precious waterways,” Steve Chadwick said.
The new condition is part of the Anglers Notice
and comes into affect from the beginning of the fishing season on
1 October.
“The New Zealand Fish and Game Council
has recommended that people who hold a licence to fish for trout,
and other sports fish, should contribute to the national campaign
to halt the spread of didymo by not using felt-soled waders when
fishing.
“Given that felt-soled waders, and similar
footwear, are very difficult to clean using the ‘Check Clean
Dry’ approach, I have accepted the Council’s advice.
“It is important that fishers realise that
this restriction does not remove the risk of didymo spread –
it will address one particularly high risk, but we still need them
to continue to be vigilant about cleaning other equipment.
“The ‘Check Clean Dry’ practice
is critical to fight against didymo and other freshwater pests.
Fishers have a special responsibility to help care for the trout
fisheries that are the basis of their sport, and I urge them to
continue to vigilantly follow Biosecurity guidelines.
“I will also be asking both the Department
of Conservation and Fish and Game councils to increase their monitoring
and education work relating to other vectors of didymo in freshwater,
as part of the Biosecurity NZ nationwide campaign.
“I acknowledge that some anglers will need
to change the types of soles they use, however, no-one wants to
see didymo spread further, and the negative impact of didymo reaching
their favourite fishery would be far greater than meeting the costs
of this restriction.”
Some waders and boots used by freshwater fishers
have a sole made from a thick felted material, which poses a very
high biosecurity risk as micro-organisms, such as didymo, can become
trapped in the felt, and cannot be killed by the normal cleaning
methods used with other footwear. There are alternative soles available,
and waders can be re-soled. |
