Sustain Our Sounds: Response to Board of Inquiry decision

Sustain Our Sounds is immensely disappointed by the decision to approve 4 of the proposed farms planned for the Marlborough Sounds.

The Marlborough Sounds is a biodiversity hot-spot with many treasures among its’ rich and diverse wildlife. Pollution from the King Salmon expansion is exploiting this ecosystem to a level that is unsustainable.

These concerns were raised, voiced and defended by many members of the Sounds’communities. Out of 1273 submissions, over two thirds were against.

Serenity is traded for the noise of generators and obtrusive constructions. This salmon expansion produces greater profit margins for overseas shareholders but with little concern for the environment, recreational users and the community.

Obviously, land based opportunities for finfish-farming are having an impact on the profits compared to simply free-loading the Sounds with the waste. In Nelson, companies are successfully farming fish profitably while being land based. NZKS could do the same - the technology is there - yet they choose not to.

The conseqences of coastal eutrophication is already being felt in the North island, with 20 people being hospitalised. Overseas, people have already been badly effected and wildlife has died. Is this to be the future of the Marlborough Sounds too?

Submitters delivered an enormous amount of evidence of the highest quality. Sustain our Sounds’ members contributed months of time for free and at the expense of family and business. Our science was robust and well presented by many experts. It is disappointing to see this had not been fully regarded by the Commissioner and Board of Inquiry.

With this decision, the Board has unfortunately missed the opportunity to set a high standard and show guardianship of our environment and public rights to use water space. The Board made the decision to be in favour of big business and short-term gain and as such has compromised opportunities for future generations. Our ‘100% Pure’ image,which all businesses trade off, is once again being eroded.

Our group is now going to read the drafted decision in detail, after which we will be better prepared to think about our next steps.

ENDS

© Scoop Media