10 FEBRUARY 2016

Silver Carp Not Wanted in NZ – Minister Must Say No

New Zealand First is urging Conservation Minister Maggie Barry not to approve the introduction of silver carp to a fish farm near Taupo.

“Many fishers and others who depend on the trout fishery and related tourism are worried about this large and aggressive fish escaping from breeding ponds into rivers and lakes and becoming dominant,” says Spokesperson for Outdoor Recreation Richard Prosser.

“We share their concerns but the Minister told Parliament today her advice was that the fish could not breed without hormone injections and there was a low probability they would escape.

“This is by no means guaranteed – breeding efficacy is reduced but not eliminated, and with the best will in the world, escapes are almost a certainty.

“Technology can fail, people make mistakes, sometimes people do things deliberately. Birds can take and then drop small fish. Floods can cause ponds to overflow into rivers.

“These fish could be devastating for trout numbers and consequently a multi-million dollar fishery – they eat the same diet as smelt and can grow to 40kg.

“Some species can adapt to new conditions and silver carp could do just that. We don’t know what we are getting, and New Zealand has a long and painful history of introducing new animals.

“Both NIWA and the Department of Conservation have warned about the possibility of the silver carp breeding in the wild in New Zealand and that only experimental use should be approved.

“While it is a shame to go against anyone trying to get a business going, New Zealand does not need a new and potentially disastrous pest species. There are plenty of other things that Auckland’s restaurant customers can eat.”

“The US is spending hundreds of millions of dollars attempting to eradicate this fish.

“Approving silver carp’s introduction would be ill-advised, and we urge the Minister to just say no.”

ENDS

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