Has destroyed much of Canterbury’s recreational Fisheries in addition to the threat to public health
A post by past-chairman Peter trolove
The Nitrate Emergency is framed around human health.
As a freshwater angler I am struck by ECan’s total disregard for the health of aquatic ecosystems. While risks of colorectal cancer and blue baby deaths are still being denied by those who profit from Canterbury’s over allocated and nitrate polluted waterways it seems nobody has acknowledged the loss of Canterbury’s lowland fisheries.
In the case of groundwater sourced streams, nitrate levels are now up to 2 to 3 times levels that are lethal to trout eggs and fry.
Gross over allocation of our iconic braided river flows has dramatically degraded once outstanding recreational fisheries.
This outcome has come about through corruption of our local democracy. Simply put, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum which controls the (non-notified) Canterbury Water Management Strategy which in turn has primacy over the Canterbury Land and Regional Plan gives a handful of rural mayors control of the region’s water. (1.)(2.)(3.). Add the self-interest and corruption of farmer councillors and senior ECan staff and the nitrate emergency became inevitable. This is how capitalism corrupts and destroys society and our natural environment.
Dr Peter Trolove NZFFA executive member
References
1. Canterbury Water Management Strategy – a case study in collaborative governance
Guy Salmon Ecologic Foundation guy@ecologic.org.
Ministry for the Environment February 2012
2. Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010 (Repealed).
Freshwater ecosystems in our lowland rivers are our bellwether .. and in some catchments, the bells are clanging at a deafening volume.
How can a species that is meant to be so clever .. set about such carefree, wanton destruction of the downstream environment that sustains all other life?
Greedy self-interest has driven agricultural intensification, with dairy farming at the forefront .. and the environmental impacts have been deemed acceptable collateral damage.
Does nobody remember Aesop’s fable of The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs?
Intensified agriculture looks set to go from “hero” to “zero”. It’s not a question of if, but when.
The only question is .. will the brakes be used to bring about some sort of smooth deceleration? .. or are emergency brakes the only option left?
Or, will Crash Investigators be left to conclude, in wonderment .. they drove straight into the concrete wall, with no evidence of effective braking whatsoever?
New Zealand can ill-afford the economic fall-out, let alone anything else …
Regrettably all that Dr Peter Trolove says, is so very very true and action must be taken as both water purity (are getting worse) and Nitrate levels (are going up).
This is all happening due to the missmanagement of our waterways by the very people who have been charged with their upkeep, a deplorable situation
Ian Rodger