15 July 2013

Media Release

Westland Milk Product’s failure to sign up irks Fish & Game

North Canterbury Fish & Game would like to echo the sentiments of its neighbouring region to the west, and voice its disappointment at Westland Milk Product’s (WMP) failure to sign up to the Sustainable Water Dairy Accord, thus endorsing unsustainable dairying practices; affecting not only the West Coast but also the Canterbury region.

Details of the Accord were released last week, and though North Canterbury Fish & Game believe that, on the whole the Accord is a step in the right direction, it is disappointed that a dairy producer from outside the region could potentially have a significant impact in Canterbury, where environmental groups and dairying have already clashed over water and land usage.

Rod Cullinane, general manager North Canterbury Fish & Game says “it is inconceivable that you can have neighbouring farms, working to two totally different sets of rules.” And this is the situation the region finds itself, given Westland Milk Products has failed to follow other major dairy producers such as Fonterra in signing the accord, and has only gone as far as declaring itself a ‘friend’ of the Accord.

“It is unfair on those dairy farmers who are doing the right thing and have signed up to what is right.”

Westland Milk Products has only recently moved into Canterbury, and it is believed that up to a third of its supply may now come from the region. “These suppliers will now have lax environmental constraints compared to their counterparts supplying other companies.”

Late last week Dean Kelly, manager West Coast Fish & Game, said that the Accord itself has been criticised for not going far enough yet WMP has refused to sign up, as it believes its suppliers cannot meet even these minimum standards. WMP must recognise the need to keep nutrients out of the waterways.

Mr Kelly stated “the Accord was designed to encourage dairy farmers to perform to a minimum standard that the public expects when using public resources, such as water."

Another concern for Fish & Game in the new Accord, is the removal of the words “Clean Streams” from the title of the sector’s supposed ‘commitment’ to reducing its impact on the nation’s waterways. Also, the decade of self-regulation by the dairying sector has failed to manage the situation effectively and, as Mr Cullinane reiterates “ the jury is out on the effectiveness of the dairy industry’s ability to both monitor and voluntarily meet these targets; we will be watching closely.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media