Fish & Game Has Goodwill Meeting With Feds

Fish & Game and Federated Farmers have initiated a dialogue aimed at improving relations.

Six members of the NZ Fish & Game Council met with their counterparts from Federated Farmers on Sunday (November 22), a cordial get-together in which both parties discussed areas of common interest.

New Zealand Fish and Game Council Chair Ray Grubb says when fishing through farmers’ properties, he is made welcome and often offered a cup of tea or a beer. "We can and should have the same relationship nationally. This meeting was pleasant, beneficial and long overdue: we discussed issues such as access, catchment groups, wetlands and connecting local Feds and Fish & Game people to look at what we can work on together. Basically, we are looking at combining our strengths to improve freshwater.

"It’s a good starting point. Both parties agree there are lots of areas of commonality."

Mr Grubb says while there may well be issues which Fish & Game and Feds don’t agree on, there are many they are already working on together in small ways. And there is good work being done on farms around the country by such as catchment groups which need to be acknowledged and applauded. The Pomahaka catchment group is an excellent example.

"Making broad-brush statements about the primary sector is not appropriate given the work that many farmers are doing to reduce the impact of their activity on waterways and the generosity shown to anglers and hunters by allowing them onto their land."

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