Tuesday, 27 June 2000

Press Release - for immediate issue

Anglers welcome extension to Trout Import Ban

The New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers welcomed yesterday's announcement by the Minister for the Environment, that the Customs Prohibition Order, banning the importation of trout, would be extended for a further nine months. Ken Sims, the Federation's Research Officer, said "it's good to see that the protection of our valuable recreational wild trout fishery is continuing while the Conservation (Protection of Trout as a non-commercial species) Amendment Bill is being worked on. Our members, mindful that such protection might lapse, were becoming very concerned".

"This critical piece of legislation is extremely important to New Zealand's anglers, who are watching its progress carefully. We just wish that the process was a little bit more transparent" he added.

The Federation condemned reports of the Canadian High Commission threatening to initiate retaliatory trade bans under WTO regulations if trout imports were permanently banned, as international trade bullying, and a blatant attempt to meddle in the internal politics of a sovereign nation. "What makes the High Commissioner, and Canadian fish farmers he is representing, think they have the right to do something within NZ that is (and always has been) illegal for our own citizens to do?" Mr Sims asked. "New Zealand has always protected it's recreational wild trout fishery - that's why people from all over the world come here to fish it. That is why we don't have the disease and pollution problems that Canada does."

ENDS

Ken Sims E-Mail: kiwiken@bigfoot.com Phone (06) 356 9402, Fax: (06) 356 9404 63 Maxwells Line, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Ken Sims - Web site: http://www.geocities.com/ken_sims_98/nzffa/ Research Officer, New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers, Inc Executive member, Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ (CORANZ)

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