MEDIA RELEASE

31 January 2008

Anglers and Hunters Behind Water Conservation

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.”

ENDS

Ref: Environment New Zealand 2007, p. 304

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